Dungeon boosting, where players pay others to quickly clear Dungeons and obtain loot, achievements, or other rewards, has become a major part of the World of Warcraft. But how did boosting evolve from the early days of heroic Dungeon runs to the current complex Mythic+ system?
For a detailed analysis of whether current Mythic+ boosts are worth purchasing, see our article Mythic Dungeon Boost – Is It Worth It?
The Origins of Dungeon Boosting
Paid Dungeon boosting first emerged in Wrath of the Lich King when the Dungeon finder tool was released. Players realized they could sell slots in their groups to help others gear up and collect rewards faster. At this stage, boosting revolved around normal and heroic Dungeons. Services were relatively informal, with limited organization and infrastructure.
The Rise of Heroic Boosts
The boosting scene expanded in Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria with increasingly formalized heroic dungeon services. Advertising through trade chat and online forums became more common. Due to heroic Dungeons offering superior loot and rewards compared to normal, selling heroic clears became standard. Prices often ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 gold depending on factors like armor type, loot rolls, and achievement runs.
Organized “boosting communities” formed, creating sophisticated systems to connect buyers and sellers. For top guilds, selling heroic dungeon runs became a noticeable revenue stream. Boosting transformed from an informal practice to an institutionalized system. The stage was set for expansion into more challenging content.
The Transition to Mythic and Mythic+
Warlords of Draenor introduced Mythic difficulty 5-man dungeons, planting the seeds for boosting to move beyond Heroic. When Mythic+ was released in Legion, offering progressively harder dungeon levels, the boosting ecosystem underwent a major evolution.
Mythic+ with its Keystone affixes, timed runs, and endlessly scaling challenge required far more organization, skill, and strategy compared to Heroic. The need to form skilled groups, coordinate routing, plan cooldowns, and master dungeon mechanics challenged would-be boosters. Only strong players and teams could offer Mythic+ services.
The Resulting Mythic+ Boosting Scene
Today full-fledged “boosting communities” exist to facilitate Mythic+ carries. Custom websites feature seller profiles, customer reviews, vouchers, and search filters to connect buyers and boosters seamlessly. Real money can be exchanged via secure methods.
Competition has driven specialization, with providers tailoring services around specific dungeons or affix combinations. Prices now vary widely based on keystone levels, dungeons, and whether you do a full piloted run or join the group personally.
Boosting today is far more robust, organized, and specialized compared to the early days of selling random heroic dungeon runs through trade chat. The evolution to Mythic+ represented a dramatic increase in complexity for both players selling services and those seeking elite end-game progression faster.
Impacts on the World of Warcraft Community
The rise of the Mythic+ boosting industry has impacted the World of Warcraft community in various ways. The availability of services has increased the accessibility of high-level rewards for casual or less skilled players willing to pay. Gear, achievements, titles, and mounts once available only to top players are now purchasable.
Some criticize boosting for enabling “pay to win” shortcuts. But many see it as a way to experience content otherwise inaccessible.
For skilled players, selling Mythic+ runs provides an income source. Time investment and performance are rewarded. But it may reduce time spent directly playing with the broader community.
Ultimately boosting reflects the diverse player base, with services tailored around everything from basic progression to bleeding-edge competition. While sometimes controversial, it appears boosting is here to stay as part of the WoW ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
It will be intriguing to see how boosting continues evolving moving forward. If Blizzard adds new dungeon systems or other PvE content in future expansions, the boosting marketplace will surely adapt in turn. Especially as competition increases between providers, the sophistication of services seems bound to keep rising.
One thing is certain – as long as exceptional rewards exist for completing challenges in World of Warcraft, top players will find ways to sell their expertise. The history of boosting reflects this market dynamic. Mythic+ continues the evolution, but the next stage still looms. How that plays out depends on both Blizzard’s design and players’ ingenuity.