Blizzard released a full description of the Legacy rewards system on its website — with three ways to unlock it, a breakdown of points across six categories, and separate challenges for Hardcore.

Blizzard released a full description of the Legacy rewards system on its website, which until then had only been known from the BlizzCon panel and the beta files. The main outline confirms what dataminers found, but the official text also brings important new details: exactly how the system unlocks, how many points a single character can collect, and what will happen with Hardcore.

How to unlock the system

The system unlocks with the first earned point. By default, this happens when your first character reaches level 25. But there are two more ways: raise any primary non-gathering profession to skill 150, or explore the entire world map with a single character. The Legacy rewards window opens via the shield icon in the menu or the Y key.

How many points and where they come from

There are 65 challenges in total, each granting one point. Points are shared across the entire Battle.net account and apply to all characters except Hardcore ones. For the first time, Blizzard broke down the points by category:

| Category | Points | What for | | --- | --- | --- | | Classes | 27 | Levels 25, 45, and 60 on each of the nine classes | | Professions | 18 | Skill 150, 225, and 300 in each non-gathering primary profession | | PvP | 12 | Ranks 3, 7, 10, 13, and 14; Exalted with four battleground factions; quests from weeks 4, 7, and 10 of the season | | Adventures | 2 | Explore the whole world with one character; Lord Valthalak's Will quest chain | | Dungeons | 3 | Final bosses of dungeons for levels 15–25, 26–45, and 46–60 | | Raids | 3 | Onyxia, all 13 bosses of Hyjal Summit, all 8 bosses of the Depths of the Dwelling |

A character can spend up to 16 points at launch. Blizzard explains the cap with two reasons: newcomers won't fall hopelessly behind veterans, and those 16 points can be earned by a single character, so alts aren't required. According to the company's count, one character with no alts collects up to 29 points: 3 from levels, up to 6 from professions, 12 from PvP, 2 from adventures, and 6 from dungeons and raids.

Perks of the three branches

Blizzard's article lists every perk.

• Professions: skill rises more often, more rare materials from Mining, Herbalism, and Skinning, cheaper goods from vendors, sometimes a higher vendor commitment, a chance for an extra dish from a Cook, extra fish from a Fisherman, raises skill once a day and at 300 grants elemental essences.
• Adventures: more rest XP and it accumulates faster, a bit of health and mana for each notable kill, better vision of hidden targets (except in battlegrounds), shorter one-hour recovery for camp buildings, shorter effect after bandaging (but not in dungeons, raids, or battlegrounds), talent points 5 levels earlier, cheaper and faster flights.
• Resourcefulness: food lasts longer, the ghost runs back to the body faster, group buffs after resurrection are free, less durability damage on death, more honor points, longer group buffs and camp effects, more reputation, class abilities don't need purchased reagents.

Rewards

Points unlock cosmetics. At launch there are four items: a toy gun (fires with a stun and a hit counter), a ghostly bear cub, a tabard, and a "Ghost Bear" mount. Blizzard promises to add new rewards with every update.

Hardcore

There will be no Hardcore rule set at launch. When it appears, challenges from regular rule sets won't count there — and only one way: what's completed on Hardcore counts in all other rule sets. PvP challenges can't be completed on Hardcore, so by the time it launches, 12 separate Hardcore-only challenges will be added.

What's next

Blizzard calls the system "at the very beginning of its journey." With each major update, new challenges and perks are promised: first within the existing three branches, then new branches. Separate challenges and perks for Hardcore are also planned.

In practice

• Don't grind only to level 25 just to unlock the system: a profession to 150 or full map exploration unlocks it faster.
• One character covers the entire 16-point budget and almost the entire 29-point pool — alts aren't required for Legacy rewards.
• The PvP path gives 12 points out of a possible 29 without alts — the cheapest way to hit the cap if you don't want to do raids.
• At launch there is no Hardcore rule set: if you plan to play Hardcore, save up regular points — they'll count later.