Blizzard’s Season 2 mid-season progression begins with the next weekly reset, and players who have completed the required Catalyst quest chain will be able to unlock one additional Nebulous Voidcore every week. For European players, that process begins with the reset on Wednesday, October 7, one week before Patch 12.1.5 itself arrives in Europe.
Blizzard is specifically encouraging players to finish the prerequisites before maintenance, because completing them starts Orin Straylight’s research timer. In other words, this is one of those rare occasions where doing your homework before reset genuinely matters.
Complete These Two Quests Before Reset
The chain begins with In the Catalyst’s Shadow from Decimus in the Voidstorm. That sends you to Orin Straylight beside the Catalyst in Silvermoon City, where you can pick up Prismatic Potential.
We warned about Prismatic Potential when Season 2 began, because the quest requires 10 Elementary Voidcore Shards earned through activities most players were already doing: Season 2 raid bosses, Bountiful Delves, Mythic+ dungeons and Nightmare Prey Hunts.
At the time, the payoff was still weeks away.
Those weeks are now over.
Once Prismatic Potential is completed, Orin begins his research and a progress timer appears above him. After that research finishes during the week of October 6, he offers Umbral Blessings of the Catalyst.
One Extra Nebulous Voidcore Every Week
Completing Umbral Blessings unlocks a new weekly source of Nebulous Voidcores. Players will be able to trade gold, Voidlight Marl or Veteran Mistcrests to Orin for one additional Voidcore each week.
That may sound like one more currency exchange hidden inside another currency system, because this is World of Warcraft and apparently we all chose accounting as our secondary profession.
But the reward is useful.
Nebulous Voidcores power Season 2’s targeted Bonus Roll system, allowing players another chance at loot from eligible bosses and activities. Blizzard already cut the cost of Season 2 raid Bonus Rolls from two Voidcores to one, making every additional weekly Voidcore considerably more valuable.
We have also looked at why taking a Nebulous Voidcore from the Great Vault can sometimes beat taking the gear itself, particularly when you are hunting a specific trinket or weapon.
Now there is another guaranteed weekly source.
This Is Only the Beginning of the Mid-Season Power Increase
The new Voidcore source arrives before Patch 12.1.5 because Blizzard is staggering Season 2’s next progression systems.
During maintenance the following week, beginning October 13 in North America and October 14 in Europe, Orin will offer Ancient Depths, Ancient Venom. That begins another research project leading into Ascendant Venomstones.
Those become available the week of October 20 and can push fully upgraded Season 2 weapons, trinkets and necklaces beyond their normal upgrade ceiling. We have a full breakdown of how Ascendant Venomstone upgrades will work.
The seasonal crest cap also disappears that same week.
So the next few resets follow a fairly clear progression: extra Bonus Rolls first, Patch 12.1.5 next, then another round of item upgrades.
Check Orin Before You Log Off
If you already completed Prismatic Potential earlier in the season, there is very little to worry about. Orin should be ready to continue the chain once his research finishes.
If you have not, there is still time.
Visit Decimus in the Voidstorm, complete In the Catalyst’s Shadow, finish Prismatic Potential and make sure Orin’s research has actually started before the weekly maintenance.
Because nothing says World of Warcraft quite like discovering on Wednesday morning that the most important raid mechanic this week was remembering to talk to a man standing beside a machine.
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