What to Complete in World of Warcraft Before January 20: Limited-Time Achievements and Rewards
The War Within Season 3 of World of Warcraft is coming to a close, and with the arrival of the highly anticipated Midnight Pre-Expansion update, many achievements, rewards, and limited-time activities are set to vanish. For players hoping to secure some of the most coveted rewards—like the elusive Ahead of the Curve or Astral Legend—time is running out.
With less than a month to go before these rewards disappear, here’s everything you need to accomplish in World of Warcraft before January 20. From raid completions to PvP rankings and Mythic+ dungeon milestones, this is your last chance to lock down these valuable in-game assets.
The Countdown to The War Within Season 3 End
The end of The War Within Season 3 marks the conclusion of multiple activities and achievements. The most pressing of these are the Ahead of the Curve and Cutting Edge achievements for defeating Dimensius, the All-Devouring in the Manaforge Omega raid. These coveted Feats of Strength are awarded to players who complete the raid on Heroic and Mythic difficulties, respectively. Once January 20 hits, both of these achievements will no longer be obtainable, making this the final window to complete them.
However, players hoping to earn the Royal Voidwing and Unbound Star-Eater mounts will still have until the launch of the Midnight expansion to do so. These mounts, dropped from Heroic and Mythic Dimensius, will retain their higher drop rates until March 2, 2026, after which they’ll be significantly harder to obtain.
Mythic+ and PvP: A Final Push for Top Rankings
The Mythic+ dungeon leaderboard will also be locked just before January 20, meaning players aiming for top Mythic+ rankings will need to secure their positions by January 19. If you’re hoping to earn the Unbound Hero title by placing in the top .1% of Mythic+ ratings, now’s the time to push your keys and climb the ranks. Other achievements like Keystone Hero may still be available after the patch, but securing top spots will no longer be possible once the leaderboard locks.
PvP enthusiasts are also racing against the clock. The Astral Gladiator and Astral Legend titles, awarded to the top-ranked players in the 3v3 arena and Solo Shuffle ladder, will be retired with the end of the season. In addition, seasonal PvP rewards—including the Astral Gladiator’s Fel Bat mount, PvP transmog sets, and the Arcane Weapon Enchantment Illusion—will no longer be obtainable after January 20. For those chasing these rare feats of strength, now is the time to rise to the challenge.
The Impact of the Midnight Pre-Expansion Update
While many are focused on completing these time-limited achievements, the Midnight Pre-Expansion update itself is a massive overhaul for World of Warcraft. The update will introduce changes to every specialization, a new Devourer Demon Hunter, and major adjustments to game systems, including the addition of a Damage Meter and a transmog system overhaul. For those aiming to continue their progress after the January 20 deadline, this update will offer significant new content and challenges.
These updates will also have an impact on balancing. The introduction of a new stat squish, along with the third item level squish, will undoubtedly affect how players approach certain content. This number crunching could make older content easier or harder, depending on the adjustments made to stats and item levels, and it’s likely that certain achievements or content could shift in difficulty.
Additionally, the update will signal the return of events like the Winds of Mysterious Fortune and Twilight Ascension Pre-Patch activities, which will run from January 27 until the Midnight expansion launch on March 2. These events will add new ways for players to earn rewards and participate in in-game activities as they prepare for the launch of the new expansion.
Time-Limited Achievements: What You Need to Do by January 20
To make sure you’re fully prepared for the patch and have everything you want to earn before the content goes away, here’s a quick checklist of what needs to be completed by January 20:
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Raid Achievements:
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Ahead of the Curve: Dimensius, the All-Devouring (Defeat Heroic Dimensius)
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Cutting Edge: Dimensius, the All-Devouring (Defeat Mythic Dimensius)
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Mythic+ Rankings:
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Secure your place on the Mythic+ leaderboard for the Unbound Hero title and any other Mythic+ achievements before the leaderboard locks on January 19.
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PvP Achievements:
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Astral Gladiator: The War Within (Top .1% in 3v3 arena ladder)
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Astral Legend: The War Within (Top .1% in Solo Shuffle)
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Astral Gladiator’s Fel Bat mount
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PvP Transmog Sets and Titles, including Gladiator, Duelist, and more.
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PvP Rewards:
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Arcane Weapon Enchantment Illusion
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Vicious Void Creeper mount (available until Midnight expansion release)
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Delve Milestones:
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Delver’s Journey and Undercoin rewards are likely to be available until March 2, but completing them by January 20 is a safer bet.
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Conclusion: A Time of Transition and Opportunity
January 20 marks a pivotal moment in World of Warcraft as The War Within Season 3 concludes, and the Midnight pre-expansion update paves the way for new content and changes. Players looking to earn time-limited achievements, mounts, and rewards must act quickly to avoid missing out on these sought-after milestones. The coming months will bring exciting updates, but it’s important to remember that certain content will be retired in less than a month.
For dedicated players, this is the final push to secure some of the most prestigious accomplishments in World of Warcraft before the new expansion shifts the game’s focus. Whether you’re focused on raiding, Mythic+, PvP, or simply completing seasonal achievements, now is the time to make sure your efforts in The War Within don’t go to waste.
