Everything we know about WoW Shadowlands Season 4

Want to know what's coming in WoW Shadowlands Season 4? The new Arbiter and Sylvanas's judgment have wrapped up the main Shadowlands story, but that doesn't mean we're done with this expansion quite yet. In March, Blizzard announced Shadowlands Season 4, which will add older dungeons to the Mythic+ pool and bring earlier raids back into the limelight. 

While World of Warcraft in general feels like it's lost its way a little recently, details emerging from the Dragonflight alpha are looking extremely promising. But as that's still a way off, the new Shadowlands season is something to look forward to in the meantime. Here's everything we know about WoW Shadowlands Season 4.

Shadowlands Season 3 ends the week of August 2.📜 https://t.co/afDvcgtl91 pic.twitter.com/FLHAOZ7aDpJune 30, 2022

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When is the WoW Shadowlands Season 4 release date? 

Shadowlands Season 4 will arrive on August 2 (that's August 3 for EU), with Season 3 ending at 10 pm server time the night before the weekly reset for all regions. So if you're still after the Ahead of the Curve or Cutting Edge achievements, you've got a month to get them done. 

Fated raids

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Shadowlands Season 4 raid schedule 

Season 4 will introduce fated raids which add a "progenitor-themed affix system to infuse some new mechanical twists" into Castle Nathria, Sanctum of Domination, and the most recent raid, Sepulcher of the First Ones. Fated raids will kick off immediately at the launch of Season 4.

Here is the Shadowlands Season 4 raid schedule: 

• August 2: Fated Castle Nathria
• August 9: Fated Sanctum of Domination
• August 16: Fated Sepulcher of the First Ones
• August 23: Fated Castle Nathria
• August 30: Fated Sanctum of Domination
• September 6: Fated Sepulcher of the First Ones

This rotation will continue until the end of Season 4. As stated in Blizzard's post, the fated raid will only be available on that difficulty for that week, with the other two non-fated raids available on other difficulties. 

Fated raid item level increase 

All three raids will have an increase in difficulty in Season 4, alongside the affix. When a raid is fated, it will also drop a significantly increased item level on gear. 

• Raid Finder: 265 - 272
• Normal: 278 - 285
• Heroic: 291 - 297
• Mythic: 304 - 311

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Fated raid affixes

The affixes in fated raids work in a similar way to Mythic Plus dungeon affixes, though, unlike Mythic Plus, only one of a possible four affixes will apply to these raids. 

Here are the Season 4 fated raid affixes (via Wowhead): 

• Chaotic Essence
• Creation Spark
• Protoform Barrier
• Reconfiguration Emitter

Chaotic Essence

Summons a Chaotic Essence which casts Chaotic Destruction, inflicting 799 Cosmic damage to all players if successful.

Upon interaction, the essence becomes hostile and instead continuously manifests Chaotic Motes. These motes channel three Cosmic damage into targeted players every half a second for three seconds. When defeated each mote splits into additional motes.

After 15 seconds the Chaotic Essence dissipates, granting all players 2% increased damage done, 2% increased healing done, and 2% absorbs done for 25 seconds. This effect stacks for each Chaotic Mote slain.

Creation Spark

Charges a player, inflicting three Cosmic damage every one second. for 30 seconds. This effect stacks.

Upon removal this charge jettisons Creation Sparks to nearby locations, infusing players within zero yards of the impact location, increasing the flow of time by 15%, increasing casting, attack speed, cooldown recharge rate, and periodic tick rates and additionally increasing movement speed by 45% for 20 seconds. This effect stacks.

If a Creation Spark impacts the ground with no player present to infuse the Creation Spark explodes, inflicting 10 Cosmic damage every two seconds for 20 seconds. This effect stacks.

Protoform Barrier

Empowers the caster, inflicting one Cosmic damage to all players every three seconds.

Upon removal this barrier manifests as one attackable enemy, casting a shared 400 absorb shield with all other enemies for 15 seconds. A second unit manifests that also can be healed to reduce the shared shield.

Upon expiration the barrier explodes, inflicting 50 Cosmic damage and an additional five Cosmic damage every one second. to all players for eight seconds.

If broken this effect backfires, inflicting all damage done to each enemy during the barrier as Cosmic damage, and additionally grants all players up to 25% increased damage done, 25% healing done, and 25% increased absorbs done for 40 seconds.

Reconfiguration Emitter

Manifests an attackable enemy which continuously casts. This enemy remains immune to damage until the first successful cast or interrupt. Successful casts inflict 30 Cosmic damage to all players. Every five seconds. the emitter gains 0% increased damage done. This effect stacks.

When successfully interrupted the emitter radiates, inflicting five Cosmic damage to all players.

Upon defeat this enemy infuses all players with power based on the energy level of the emitter, increasing mastery by up to 10, critical strike chance by up to 10%, versatility by up to 10%, and avoidance by up to eight.

Mythic+

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Old dungeons will join the Mythic+ pool 

A new season for Mythic+ dungeons means a new seasonal affix to figure out and get used to. But with Shadowlands Season 4, the available dungeons will change to include instances from the last four expansions, all the way back to Warlords of Draenor. 

Six of the dungeons were announced initially, with the final two WoD dungeons being put to the vote. As the poll is now closed, it looks like the dungeon line-up for Shadowlands season 4 will be: 

• Tazavesh: Streets of Wonder (Shadowlands)
• Tazavesh: So’leah’s Gambit (Shadowlands)
• Operation Mechagon: Junkyard (Battle for Azeroth)
• Operation Mechagon: Workshop (Battle for Azeroth)
• Return to Karazhan: Lower (Legion)
• Return to Karazhan: Upper (Legion)
• Grimrail Depot (Warlords of Draenor)
• Iron Docks (Warlords of Draenor)

Accessibility options are also being added in Season 4, which will allow you to turn off the moving environments inside Grimrail Depot and the Maw of Souls dungeon in Legion. 

So, is Halondrus really dead?

Who knows? Maybe he'll come back as some kind of brutal seasonal affix in Season 4.