The WoW 10.1.5 patch is the next big update heading to World of Warcraft this summer. While Fractures in Time—to give it its proper name—is a mid-season patch and won't introduce a new raid, it brings plenty of notable changes, including a third evoker specialisation, a new mega-dungeon, and changes to the warlock class and its available races.
Other quality-of-life changes are coming too, the biggest of which is that characters will automatically learn the riding skill as they level, meaning you'll no longer have to fork out a load of gold to take to the skies—you won't even need to buy a flying mount once you hit level 30. To find out more about the WoW 10.1.5 update, including the release date, here's what we know.
Release date
When is the WoW 10.1.5 release date?
The release date for the World of Warcraft 10.1.5 patch has been announced for July 11, or the day after on July 12 if you're playing in the EU.
WoW Fractures in Time arrived on the PTR (public test realm) on May 11, and we had guessed the release date would fall sometime in July, thanks to the historical timings between patches landing on the PTR and arriving on live servers. Blizzard has now confirmed the July launch.
Augmentation evoker
Evokers get a third specialisation
The new Augmentation specialisation is a DPS spec with the added benefit of enhancing your group's overall performance. Some skills might improve allies' damage, while others might increase health or armor.
The Augmentation evoker uses the power from both the Black and the Bronze dragonflight. Black dragonflight magic focuses on raw power increases and forceful outbursts of earthen might. Bronze dragonflight magic is all about bending time, changing fate, and shifting timelines to tremendous effect.
Here are some examples of the skills you'd expect to use:
Ebon Might: Increase your four nearest allies’ primary stat by a percentage of your own, and cause your Eruption to deal more damage for 10 seconds. Some of your other spells extend the duration of these effects.
Eruption: Cause a violent eruption beneath an enemy’s feet, dealing Volcanic damage split between them and nearby enemies. Increases the duration of your active Ebon Might effects.
Upheaval: Gather earthen power beneath your enemy’s feet and send them hurtling upwards, dealing Volcanic damage to them and nearby enemies. Empowering expands the area of effect. Increases the duration of your active Ebon Might effects.
Breath of Eons: Fly to the targeted location, exposing Temporal Wounds on enemies in your path for 10 seconds. Temporal Wounds accumulate a portion of damage dealt by your allies, and then critically strike the enemy for that amount at the end of the duration. Increases the duration of your active Ebon Might effects.
Mega-dungeon
Dawn of the Infinite is the new mythic-only dungeon
Dawn of the Infinite will be the new mythic-only, eight-boss dungeon to arrive in Dragonflight. According to Blizzard, "This eight-boss Mythic-only mega-dungeon will take players across the timeways to stop the Infinite Dragonflight from succeeding. You’ll face Iridikron, among others, as you work to sustain Azeroth’s timeline and put things to rights once more".
Mythic-only mega-dungeons have become a staple of mid-expansion patches since Legion, when the revamped Karazhan made an appearance. This was followed by Operation Mechagon in Battle for Azeroth, and Tazavesh, the Veiled Market in Shadowlands.
Warlock changes
Changes coming to the warlock class
If you play Warlock, you can pick from any of the races (aside from Drackthyr) in the 10.1.5 patch. Currently, warlocks are restricted to a handful of races, but in the Fractures in Time update, warlocks can be any of the following races:
- Tauren
- Highmountain tauren
- Mag'har orcs
- Zandalari trolls
- Pandaren
- Night elves
- Draenei
- Lightforged draenei
- Kul-Tiran
Additionally, you'll be able to customise how your imp pet looks at the barber shop, though you'll need to complete a quest to unlock the option.
Riding/flying skill
You will learn riding and flying skills automatically
Once you reach the appropriate levels, you'll automatically learn the riding skill without seeking out a Riding Trainer or paying gold for the privilege. Right now, you learn four different riding skills while leveling:
- Level 10: Apprentice Riding
- Level 20: Journeyman Riding
- Level 30: Expert Riding
- Level 40: Master Riding
Apprentice Riding and Expert Riding teach you ground mount riding and flying, respectively, while the other two increase the overall speed you can travel at.
Instead of having to stop what you're doing and make the trek to your faction's capital city to buy the riding skill at the levels listed above, these will be automatically applied to your character at no additional cost. Additionally, you can pick up a quest at level 30 which will reward you with a flying mount on completion.
Other changes
Allied races will unlock automatically
Allied races will automatically unlock at level 40, and you'll no longer need to do any questlines or complete any achievements to access them. There are five allied races for each faction which start at level 10, which, apart from anything else, takes a good chunk of time off leveling if you fancy playing an alt or two.
Old hearthstones will become toys
The Garrison hearthstone from Warlords of Draenor and the Dalaran hearthstone from Legion have been part of your bag space for so long, you probably don't pay that much attention to them. In Fractures in Time, you'll be able to give them even less attention as they will both become toys, freeing up two spaces but still giving you the means to teleport quickly to those old locations.
You probably still won't have enough bag space, but at least it's a couple of extra slots to fill up with junk.
