The timer is the foundation upon which the entire Mythic+ system is built, setting it apart from other in-game modes. While in raids you're limited solely by the weekly reset and can wipe on bosses as many times as you want within that time frame, in each Mythic+ dungeon run you generally have no more than 30 minutes — every second counts. In our Mythic+ Timer overview, we'll break down how it works, which actions can cut into your dungeon completion time, and how to plan your next M+ run.
The Mythic+ timer is the primary constraint that forces players to approach group composition thoughtfully for each specific dungeon and directly impacts the rewards at the end of the run. And while completing a dungeon outside the timer no longer reduces the amount or quality of loot, in that case you won't be able to upgrade your Keystone and will be forced to run a dungeon of the same level next time — that is, if you're using your own key.
Additionally, completing a dungeon within the timer increases the amount of Mythic+ score your character earns, which affects your progress toward the mode's seasonal rewards.
As soon as you enter a dungeon on Mythic difficulty, you'll see a Font of Power right near the entrance. Interacting with this object gives you access to a special interface, which, together with your Keystone, allows you to start the dungeon run and the Mythic+ Timer. Once you do this, a 10-second countdown will begin, after which the Timer starts ticking.
Until that moment, you can stay in the dungeon as long as you like. Eat your food, check your gear, discuss tactics — the Timer only starts once you interact with the interface.
Each dungeon has its own unique layout, number of bosses, and amount of trash, all of which affect the Timer. Modern dungeons were, for the most part, designed with this in mind, while older ones were retrofitted after the fact. With that said, let's take a look at the Timer list for the first season of Midnight:
| Dungeon | Timer |
|---|---|
| Magisters' Terrace | 34:00 |
| Maisara Caverns | 33:00 |
| Nexus-Point Xenas | 30:00 |
| Windrunner Spire | 33:00 |
| Algeth'ar Academy | 31:00 |
| Pit of Saron | 30:00 |
| Seat of the Triumvirate | 34:00 |
| Skyreach | 28:00 |
That being said, keep in mind that a shorter or longer timer doesn't affect the dungeon's difficulty. However, if saving time on your weekly runs is your top priority, you can use this list to pick the least time-consuming ones.
It might seem like the players' task in Mythic+ is simple: the timer is right in front of you, you just need to beat it. However, the system is a bit more nuanced — starting from keystone level +4, player deaths begin to deduct 5 seconds from the timer per character. So you can't afford to be careless about losses in your group if you're counting every second, which might end up making all the difference.
At higher keystone levels, things get even trickier thanks to the unique seasonal affix Xal'atath's Guile — you can learn more about this and other details of the system in our separate, in-depth Mythic+ Death Penalty guide.
As we've already mentioned, successfully completing a dungeon within the timer allows you to receive a higher-level Keystone. And it's not necessarily just a step of 1 level. All players have access to the following options:
As for downgrading, the penalty never exceeds one level.
Starting from keystone level +2 up to +10, the end-of-dungeon gear and Great Vault rewards gradually improve. The same applies to the quality and quantity of Crests used for upgrading gear, though their peak values await players at +12. Check the table below for more details.
| Keystone | End-of-Dungeon | Great Vault | Crests |
|---|---|---|---|
| M+2 | 250 | 259 | 12 Champion Dawncrests |
| M+3 | 250 | 259 | 14 Champion Dawncrests |
| M+4 | 253 | 263 | 10 Hero Dawncrests |
| M+5 | 256 | 263 | 12 Hero Dawncrests |
| M+6 | 259 | 266 | 14 Hero Dawncrests |
| M+7 | 259 | 269 | 16 Hero Dawncrests |
| M+8 | 263 | 269 | 18 Hero Dawncrests |
| M+9 | 263 | 269 | 10 Myth Dawncrests |
| M+10 | 266 | 272 | 12 Myth Dawncrests |
| M+11 | 266 | 272 | 14 Myth Dawncrests |
| M+12 | 266 | 272 | 16 Myth Dawncrests |
Based on this information, you can plan out your coming weeks. And to learn more about everything this game mode has to offer, check out our separate Mythic+ Rewards guide.
Improving the quality of rewards by meeting the Timer requirements is something worth striving for. However, you need to be prepared for the possibility that things might go wrong and your group won't manage to beat it. Let's go over in more detail what happens in those situations.
When the Timer runs out, nothing drastic happens: you can still continue clearing the dungeon of mobs and bosses for as long as you like. This can even be considered a great opportunity to study tactics in more detail. Once the final boss is defeated, you'll receive the traditional reward chest — which is likely what you were after in the first place.
However, you'll earn fewer Mythic+ points than you could have. There are other consequences as well — we'll cover those in the next sections.
As for the Keystone owner, they receive an additional penalty in the form of the key being depleted and its level lowered by one. However, if the Keystone isn't yours, you have nothing to worry about — for you, it's simply an out-of-time run with no other consequences.
In the past, when the Mythic+ mode was first added to the game, failing the Timer was a much more serious issue. Completing a run within the time limit gave the group three items for five people, while failing reduced that number to two, which led many players to leave the group as soon as they realized they wouldn't make it.
This caused a wave of outrage among players, which led to the system being reworked: now, two items drop regardless of the Timer. The loot level and Great Vault rewards remain unchanged as well.
The Keystone depletion we've already mentioned can be both good news and bad. On one hand, a level downgrade might not be part of your plans, but the very next successful dungeon completion will restore your well-earned level. On the other hand, players can sometimes be interested in lowering the level and may even do so intentionally. You can learn more about this in our separate guide dedicated to Mythic+ Keystones.
These days, players have plenty of resources at their disposal to complete dungeons within the Timer without spending days or even weeks learning the current Mythic+ dungeons and the ins and outs of the meta. Everything has long been figured out and documented by other players — all that's left for you to do is make use of it.
By default, the Mythic+ Timer is built into the game's interface. By interacting with it, you can comfortably adjust its position and appearance to suit your preferences. If you need even more options for completing dungeons on time, you can always check out our guide on the best Mythic+ Addons currently available.
And while the developers continue their war on addons, plenty of alternatives are sure to emerge in the future. So don't forget to revisit our guide platform down the line.
The best place to start is by visiting the Mythic Dungeon website or using the Mythic Dungeon Tools addon, also known as MDT. It will help you pick the optimal route for your character and spec, study the most dangerous mob packs and how to efficiently combine them, and also map out alternative paths in case something goes wrong during the run.
Also, don't forget to stock up on the necessary consumables for the run: a single missing potion can be enough to lose precious seconds and fail the timer.
Based on personal experience, nearly every fan of the Mythic+ mode can name their own tier list of mistakes. We'll cover the most common ones, those that most often lead to a failed timer:
We won't dwell on the fact that you should eat before the run even starts — we're sure you already know that.
That's everything you need to know about the Mythic+ Timer, so good luck with your conquests! And don't forget that our platform has a huge number of useful guides waiting for you, both on Mythic+ and on other aspects of the game.
