World of Warcraft’s first Labyrinth is not merely going to be a much larger Delve. Patch 12.1.5 PTR datamining has uncovered four new permanent glove enhancements designed specifically for Delves and Labyrinths, giving players another way to increase their power while exploring Kindo’jan’s new mega-Delve. The important restriction is almost as interesting as the bonuses themselves: the enhancements do not work in raids, Mythic+, Arenas or Battlegrounds.
That makes them a very deliberate form of isolated Delve progression. Blizzard can give solo and small-group players powerful offensive and defensive effects without accidentally creating another mandatory system for Mythic raiders who would otherwise feel obligated to spend Tuesday evening searching a Labyrinth for the correct glove enchant. Considering the newly datamined Labyrinth of Kindo’jan map already looks considerably larger than a normal Delve, these enhancements may be part of how Blizzard expects players to tackle its harder tiers.
There Are Four New Ancient Hash’ey Battle Arts
The new enhancements are currently called Ancient Hash’ey Battle Arts, and PTR data shows four different options covering damage, AoE, defense and group utility.
- Ancient Hash’ey Battle Art: Falco Strikes — While fighting inside Delves, attacks can trigger additional Nature damage against an enemy. The effect has a 20% chance to strike the target again.
- Ancient Hash’ey Battle Art: Heat Wave — Can surround your character in flames during combat, dealing Fire damage divided between nearby enemies.
- Ancient Hash’ey Battle Art: Ursine’s Ironhide — Can trigger a protective shield during Delve combat, giving players a defensive option instead of additional damage.
- Ancient Hash’ey Battle Art: Eye of the Lynx — Can increase Haste and Leech for you and a nearby random ally, making this the most obvious small-group support option of the four.
The effects themselves are straightforward, but the design is interesting. Blizzard is effectively allowing players to choose what problem they want their gloves to solve. Falco Strikes offers single-target damage, Heat Wave is more attractive when fighting packs, Ironhide provides survivability and Eye of the Lynx can improve both throughput and sustain.
That could become particularly useful when pushing the harder Labyrinth tiers. We already know Kindo’jan has a Tier 11 solo challenge during the first week, where players can earn the Fabled Vanquisher of Kindo’jan title. A permanent Delve-only enhancement is exactly the kind of small advantage that becomes much more interesting when the achievement specifically asks you to attempt difficult solo content before several weeks of additional gearing can rescue you.
These Bonuses Do Not Work in Raids or Mythic+
This restriction may be the smartest part of the entire system.
The Ancient Hash’ey Battle Arts are currently designed to function specifically inside Delves and Labyrinths. They do not provide their special effects in traditional dungeons, raids, Arenas or Battlegrounds.
That means players who primarily raid or push Mythic+ should not need to obtain one simply because simulations decide Falco Strikes adds another fraction of a percent to their boss damage. Blizzard can make the effects considerably more entertaining without worrying quite as much about breaking the broader endgame.
It also gives Delves something WoW’s other endgame pillars already possess: progression that exists because you participate in that particular type of content. Raiders have raid gear and tier interactions. Mythic+ has dungeon-specific gearing priorities and key progression. PvP has its own equipment rules. Labyrinths increasingly look like they are getting a similar layer designed specifically for players who want solo or flexible small-group progression.
That trend has already been visible throughout Season 2. Azta’rec can award Mistcrests beyond the normal weekly cap, while another Season 2 quest provides 50 additional Mistcrests outside the cap. Patch 12.1.5 appears to be going one step further by giving Delve players their own equipment enhancement system.
The Enhancements Appear to Be Warbound and Reusable
There is another useful detail in the current PTR item data. The Ancient Hash’ey Battle Arts are listed as Warbound, and using one does not appear to consume the item.
If that survives testing, obtaining one enhancement could effectively unlock it for your Warband rather than forcing every alt to independently acquire another copy. That would fit Blizzard’s broader Midnight approach of reducing repeated account chores while still giving individual characters something meaningful to equip.
Exactly how the enhancements are earned remains unknown. Their appearance alongside the Labyrinth system makes Kindo’jan an obvious candidate, but Blizzard has not yet confirmed whether they come from specific chambers, achievements, vendors, bosses or another progression track.
For now, “probably from doing Labyrinth things” is as precise as responsible archaeology allows us to be.
There Is a Strange Item Level 334 Limitation
The most curious part of the datamine is the equipment restriction.
Current PTR data says these enhancements cannot be applied to gloves above item level 334, which is the ordinary Myth 6/6 ceiling for Season 2 gear.
That creates some immediate exceptions at the very top of the gearing ladder. For example, Mythic Coiled Altar can drop the Grasps of the Eternal Shadow at item level 344. And as we covered yesterday, Mythic Kith’ix also drops item level 344 Myth 9/6 gear, including the new Aberrant Commander’s Gauntlets.
Those gloves would currently be too high-level to accept the Labyrinth enhancement.
That is a slightly odd result. The players most likely to attempt the hardest Tier 11 solo content could potentially become unable to use the Delve-specific enhancement simply because they obtained better gloves.
Wowhead therefore suggests the restriction may be an PTR oversight, with Blizzard perhaps intending to limit the enhancements to Season 2 equipment rather than literally blocking anything above 334. Until Blizzard clarifies the system or changes the tooltip, however, the current restriction is real enough to keep an eye on.
Patch 12.1.5 Is Building a Separate Labyrinth Progression Layer
The enhancements make much more sense when viewed alongside everything else Blizzard is adding to high-end Delves.
The Labyrinth of Kindo’jan is built around a much larger, multi-section map. Players can progress through it over a longer period instead of treating it like another short one-shot scenario. Tier 11 also matters beyond the Labyrinth itself because Tier 11 Bountiful Delves will reward Ascendant Venomstones, connecting solo progression to Patch 12.1.5’s new late-season gear upgrade system.
Then there are the prestige rewards. The first-week Kindo’jan title asks players to clear Tier 11 solo quickly, while the regular solo achievement is currently associated with the Loa-Blessed Wayfarer mount. Blizzard is giving Delve players both character power and cosmetic reasons to push the activity.
The glove enhancements now add another piece to that structure.
Find the Battle Arts.
Choose the effect that suits your run.
Push deeper into the Labyrinth.
And when you leave, the magic stops working.
For once, WoW has introduced a powerful progression system that Mythic raiders can safely pretend does not exist.
That may be the most powerful feature of all.
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