Blizzard is bringing Valor Points back to World of Warcraft in style this March with a mix of old and new uses. There are a ton of currencies in the game that have been phased in and out throughout the years, and Valor Points are the latest to be making their way back in. According to a Blizzard Blue post from either moderators or developers, their return is in response to the way the best loot is currently acquired in Shadowlands.
Valor Points were first introduced in the 2010 Cataclysm expansion, and they were last used in 2012's Mists of Pandaria. They were originally gained mainly by completing heroic dungeons and raids, and could be used to purchase high tier gear at Valor Vendors. They didn't yield the best gear as (much like in Shadowlands) the best was generally obtained through Mythic or Heroic raids. However, the introduction of weekly chests has created a problem with how most good gear is obtained.
Currently, much of the top loot comes from Shadowland's Great Vault, located in Oribos's Hall of Holding. It works similar to Battle for Azeroth's weekly loot chest, except this one has more specific completion objectives, including defeating a certain amount of Castle Nathria raid bosses, completing Mythic Dungeons and/or earning a certain amount of Honor from Rated PvP. The quality of the item is dependent on the number of goals completed each week. It's straightforward, but bottlenecks how good loot is acquired and makes some aspects of the game not worth doing for many players.
The reintroduction of Valor Points is meant to balance how gear is obtained and upgraded. They aren't in the game yet, but they will arrive in the upcoming patch this March. Like how they were originally gained, players can earn them simply by completing Mythic+ Dungeons and daily Covenant Callings. There will be a cap on how much can be earned, likely the previous cap of 3000. One major difference is that, instead of being used for purchases, they will be used to upgrade Mythic+ dungeon gear.
How far a player can upgrade gear will be determined by a player's Mythic+ dungeon progression. The basic level an item can be upgraded to starts at 200, but this can be raised by obtaining three Mythic+ achievements. Shadowlands Keystone Explorer: Season One requires players to complete all Shadowlands dungeons at Mythic 5 or higher within the time, and will increase the upgrade level to 207.
Shadowlands Keystone Conqueror: Season One is gained by completing all Shadowlands dungeons at Mythic 10 or higher within the time limit and will raise the upgrade cap to 213. Finally, Shadowlands Keystone Master: Season One requires players to complete all Shadowlands dungeons at Mythic 15 or higher within the time limit, and will allow players to increase the item level cap to 220. Currently, the highest item level gear available is 207, suggesting the cap will also be raised in the patch as new content is added.
Unfortunately, the ability to upgrade current Mythic+ gear won't be retroactive. Only gear obtained after patch 9.0.5 will be upgradable using Valor. This should get players doing more than completing the same tasks each week to progress in gear and make it a bit easier to get ready for raiding.
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