What is the Nexus?
Created by an ancient civilization to discover other worlds, the Nexus is the hub of all that was, will be, and is. It serves as the ultimate test of player skill, resource management, and most importantly, the best place to flex your raid gear.
An image of the Braizer, the source of the Nexus's power
How does the Nexus work?
In the heart of the Nexus rests the Braizer, a device that when paired with a keystone will open a harder version of a random level 40 dungeon. Keystones are earned by completing any level 40 dungeon normally, this can be done by entering the instance portal found in the zones. Pairing this keystone with Concentrated Elemental Powder will spark the Nexus to life allowing you to enter.
Each tier of Nexus Dungeon requires you to get a more powerful Keystone from the previous tier for example a +2 is earned from a +1 and a +3 is earned from a +2. The amount of powder also increases for each tier starting at 50 and increasing by 50 for every tier. The highest level of Nexus dungeon is a +10, but this will be nearly impossible at launch.
The tiers increase in difficulty as well giving mobs a +25% bonus to all stats for every increase in tier. A +10 means the enemies are hitting for 250% of what they would be in a +0.
Upon reaching a +5 dungeon a new mechanic will be introduced, this is known as a Seasonal Affix. The Affix will change every season, and a season is defined as the release of a new raid tier. The affix will be themed around the raid it is associated with for example:
The first raid released 1 week post launch is known as Mt. Invictus, it is a volcano on the point of eruption. It's a full of fire themed mobs and therefore the affix for Nexus Season 1 will be known as Burning. This affix puts a timer on how long you can remain in an active nexus dungeon as a Damage over time effect will be applied to the party, the strength of this DOT will increase as time passes. At max strength this DOT will take ~10% of your max hp every turn.
Rewards
Rewards from the Nexus include gear and currency rewards, as finishing a dungeon will always give you the tools you need to enter the next tier. The gear you can get from finishing a Nexus Dungeon will also improve as you push into further tiers. This is important as gear earned from the Nexus is pre raid best in slot. Getting as much of it as possible will help you clear Mt. Invictus faster when it is released.
More Information on Season 1
Season 1 will begin the moment the game is launched, things like Highest Level dungeon completed and the number of dungeons completed will be tracked and rewards will be given at the start of season 2 when patch 1.1 releases.
This season will be shorter than normal as 1.1 will have a new raid tier, this is abnormal and therefore the reward brackets for the total number of dungeons completed will be slightly more forgiving then when season 2 ends and 3 starts. Seasonal rewards include currency and unique collectable items exclusive to people who played in season 1