Turn Up the Heat in Season of Discovery: Molten Core

The temperature rises with the release of Molten Core on July 25, at 1:00 pm PDT / 22:00 CEST. Season of Discovery is presented with a unique challenge, as a new “Heat” mechanic is introduced in the Molten Core, which is not to be taken lightly.

When you first zone into Molten Core, speak with a Hydraxian Waterlords NPC at the entrance to choose one of three different Heat levels—Sweltering, Blistering, or Molten—with an increase in difficulty at each level.

If things get too hot to handle, you can swap Heat levels anytime. Simply speak with the NPC at the entrance to the Molten Core while not in combat. You will also have another opportunity to swap Heat level again with NPCs that spawn after using Aqual Quintessence to douse boss runes.

With each heat level comes increased difficulty with additional mechanics, damage, and an increased requirement for “fire resistance.” In original World of Warcraft, Resistance was often an inconsistent statistic. Sometimes, you would fully resist all damage; sometimes, you would resist none, even with the maximum fire resistance being worn. Resistances still work this way; however, once you get to Blistering Heat or Molten Heat, those difficulties will require a certain amount of fire resistance to progress consistently, and the required amount will increase between Blistering and Molten Heat levels. This is an additional layer to the usual “have some resist gear and hope it saves your healers some mana” mechanic from the original WoW. Some mechanics could leave you burnt to a crisp if you don't meet the required Fire Resistance requirements.

We point this out because the need for resistance and resistance fights has long been contentious in World of Warcraft. While it’s an iconic part of WoW, it’s easy to see in hindsight that it’s not always a great feeling to be incentivized to NOT wear your best gear for appropriate fights. We recognize this, and that’s part of why we felt it important to explain the intended design of this