World of Warcraft: Midnight marks the second chapter of the Worldsoul Saga, bringing World of Warcraft back to Quel’Thalas with a story that pits the Light against the encroaching Void. Scheduled for release on or before June 30, 2026, it introduces a wealth of new features designed to reshape both the leveling journey and endgame systems.
What we’ll cover:
- Release Details – Timeline, story premise, and setting of Midnight.
- New Class Options – The Demon Hunter’s Devourer specialization and Void Elf access.
- Zones of Midnight – Four launch zones including reimagined Eversong Woods and new realms like Harendar and Voidstorm.
- Allied Race & Housing – Playable Haranir race and the long-awaited player housing system with public and private neighborhoods.
- Endgame Content – Three raids, eight new dungeons, eleven Delves (10 standard + 1 Nemesis), and the Prey system.
- PvP & Quality of Life – New 40v40 battleground, permanent Training Grounds, and updates to leveling and skyriding.
This overview covers everything confirmed for WoW: Midnight so far, from gameplay systems to story direction, helping players prepare for the expansion’s arrival.
WoW Midnight Release Date (2026) & Story
Set for release on or before June 30, 2026, Midnight focuses on the elven kingdom of Quel’Thalas and its sacred Sunwell. As revealed in the dramatic opening cinematic, the Void Harbinger Xal’atath has returned to Azeroth, launching a full-scale invasion. A mysterious and terrifying Voidstorm now looms over the pristine forests of Eversong, threatening to corrupt the Sunwell, extinguish its light, and plunge the world into an eternal shadow. The central storyline tasks players with uniting the scattered elven kingdoms and their allies to unravel Xal’atath’s deepest secrets, forging new alliances in an escalating conflict between the fundamental forces of Light and Shadow.
Devourer Demon Hunter Specialization (Mid-Range Void DPS)
After nearly a decade as the only class with just two specializations, the Demon Hunter will finally receive a new demon hunter specialization: the Devourer. This highly anticipated addition transforms the class into a mid-ranged DPS, empowering them to wield the chaotic and destructive power of the Void.
- Devourer Core Abilities: The Devourer’s toolkit is a dance between ranged spellcasting and agile melee strikes.
- Reap: Unleash a sweeping scythe attack that consumes Soul Fragments to fuel your assault.
- Voidblade & Hungering Slash: A deadly melee combo that features a built-in retreat mechanic, allowing for dynamic repositioning in the heat of battle.
- Collapsing Star: A powerful finishing move that calls down devastating Void energy upon a target.
- Void Ray: Channel a piercing beam of pure Void energy, capable of striking multiple foes.
- Transformation: The spec’s ultimate form is Void Metamorphosis, a terrifying transformation sustained by a relentless “soul harvesting” mechanic.
- New Race Combo: In keeping with the new theme, the expansion also introduces the Void Elf Demon Hunter, allowing Void Elves to embrace their shadowy nature as Illidari.
WoW Midnight Zones & Leveling Path (Eversong, Zul’Aman, Harandar, Voidstorm)
The expansion will launch with four distinct zones, blending new and reimagined zones for a fresh yet nostalgic experience. The campaign features a fixed start and end but allows for player choice in the middle chapters: you will start in Eversong, choose to venture into Zul’Aman or Harandar in either order, and finally converge on the climactic finale in Voidstorm.
- Eversong Woods (Silvermoon Hub, Seamless EK): This isn’t just an HD remaster; the ancestral home of the Blood Elves has been completely redesigned and reborn from the ashes of the Scourge. The land has healed, and a fully repaired Silvermoon City will serve as the expansion’s main hub city, complete with flying. In a major world update, the entire zone is now seamlessly integrated into Eastern Kingdoms proper, with no loading screen. While it will serve players of both factions, Silvermoon remains fundamentally a Horde city with limited Alliance access.
- Zul’Aman (Amani Homeland): The classic raid instance has been expanded into a full, sprawling zone that explores the ancestral lands of the Amani forest trolls. Here, players will discover new lore, encounter new leaders claiming the legacy of Zul’jin, and navigate the complex politics of a troll empire rebuilt with Zandalari aid.
- Harandar (Haranir Jungle): This entirely new zone is a primordial, fungal jungle, the mysterious homeland of the Haranir race. Its alien landscape, built around the World Tree’s great roots, is completely natural and teeming with glowing, bioluminescent life. This zone is deeply connected to the lore of the World Trees, a story long intertwined with the Night Elves.
- Voidstorm (Xal’atath’s Stronghold): A distant, chaotic world drenched in Void energy, marked by violent stormfields and towering Nexus-Points, and home to Xal’atath’s stronghold.
New Allied Race: Haranir (Playable) – Classes & Unlock
A new playable race, the Haranir, will be introduced in Midnight. First seen as NPCs in The War Within, the Haranir become an unlockable allied race after players complete their story-driven quests in the forests of Harandar.
- Description: The Haranir are an ancient, reclusive, and bioluminescent race from the deep fungal jungles of Harendar, with a culture deeply attuned to their strange, natural world.
- Availability: They will be available to both the Horde and Alliance.
- Classes: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock, Monk, and Druid (with unique druid forms).
Player Housing in WoW Midnight (Neighborhoods & Decor)
One of the expansion’s most anticipated new features is the new housing feature, which allows players to create and customize their own personal sanctuary in Azeroth. Decor items can be collected from nearly every activity, including quests, dungeons, raids, and crafting. The system also introduces Neighborhoods—public or private instanced communities with roughly 50 housing plots per instance—that evolve as residents work together on themed endeavors.
Prey Open-World Hunts (Cosmetic Rewards)
Midnight will introduce the Prey system, an optional open-world feature where players can engage in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, tracking powerful targets that roam the world.
- Difficulty Tiers: The system, which begins in Silvermoon’s Murder Row, offers three levels of challenge: Normal, Hard, and Nightmare. According to developer previews, the Hard difficulty introduces torments and confined final encounters.
- Gameplay: This is no simple hunt; players will face unpredictable ambushes where the hunter can quickly become the hunted.
- Rewards: Rewards are purely cosmetic and aimed at personalization, including unique transmogs, mounts, and decor for player housing.
Raids, Dungeons & Delves at Launch (3 Raids, 8 Dungeons, 11 Delves)
The expansion alters the traditional endgame structure with a wealth of new group content, launching with three raids, eight new dungeons, and eleven Delves (10 standard + 1 Nemesis).
- Raids (9 Bosses Total): Players will face nine formidable bosses across three unique raid experiences.
- The Voidspire: A six-boss raid located within Xal’atath’s chaotic Voidstorm stronghold.
- The Dreamrift: A single-boss encounter set in a surreal realm between dreams and brutal reality.
- March on Quel’Danas: A two-boss raid that serves as the story finale, with details hidden due to super story spoilers.
- Dungeons: The eight new dungeons will take players through a variety of settings, from the hallowed halls of Windrunner Spire and a revamped Magister’s Terrace to the shadowy alleys of Murder Row and the alien landscapes of the Voidscar Arena.
- Delves: Delves return as fast, role-agnostic instances for 1–5 players (≈10–15 minutes), with scaling difficulty, rotating objectives, and a new companion: Valeera Sanguinar. Midnight launches with 10 Delves plus 1 ‘Nemesis Delve.’
PvP in WoW Midnight: Slayer’s Rise & Training Grounds
- Slayer’s Rise: Big new PvP battleground located in the Voidstorm. A 40v40 epic battleground in Voidstorm featuring a push-pull lane (the Path of Predation), side objectives, and a finale against the enemy Domanaar; it also serves as an open-world hotspot and an instanced battleground.
- Training Grounds: Comp Stomp becomes a permanent mode for players to practice against AI opponents; Blizzard notes a rotating map pool that includes Arathi Basin, Battle for Gilneas, and Silvershard Mines.
Pre-Purchase Editions: Base vs Heroic vs Epic (Perks & Early Access)
Pre-purchase options include Base, Heroic, and Epic. All editions include Housing Early Access and an Enhanced Level 80 Character Boost. The Epic Edition adds Midnight Beta access, 3-day Midnight Early Access, the Midnight Housing Pack décor, and 30 days of game time.
To help players prepare, the game is introducing a streamlined leveling experience and major quality of life updates, many of which will arrive before Midnight launches.
Quality-of-Life Updates: Skyriding, Transmog 2.0, Combat Assist
- Skyriding (6 Charges, No Vigor): The Vigor bar is removed; skyriding now uses six shared charges for Surge Forward and Skyward Ascent.
- Transmog 2.0 (Free Outfits, Situational Rules): Save complete outfits, swap them for free (gold-free outfit swaps), and set context rules to automatically switch your appearance when you enter a city or a raid.
- Combat Assistant (Optional Single-Button): An accessibility-focused feature that provides clearer ability prompts and an optional single-button rotation support.
- Cooldown Manager: A built-in tool for tracking auras and external buffs with profiles and sound cues, reducing the need for third-party addons.
- UI/HUD Polish: Nameplate and HUD clarity are being improved, with more functionality that previously required addons becoming a baseline feature of the game.
- Onboarding & Story Mode Raids: A streamlined leveling experience focused on narrative clarity now flows from Exile’s Reach directly into the Dragonflight story. Story Mode raids for Dragonflight’s final bosses and an optional Arathi tour for returning players will ensure everyone is caught up. These updates set a new standard for this and future expansions.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does World of Warcraft: Midnight release?
World of Warcraft: Midnight is slated to launch on or before June 30, 2026 as the second chapter of the Worldsoul Saga. The release window accommodates regional rollouts and potential early access periods tied to specific editions.
What new class specialization does WoW Midnight add?
Midnight introduces Devourer for Demon Hunter—a mid-range Void DPS that mixes caster-style abilities with agile melee finishers. Its kit revolves around soul-harvesting and culminates in Void Metamorphosis for sustained burst windows.
Can Void Elves be Demon Hunters in Midnight?
Yes. Void Elf Demon Hunter becomes an official race/class pairing. This aligns the Devourer’s Void theme with Void Elf aesthetics and opens up new transmog and fantasy combinations without changing the class’s core identity.
How many zones are in World of Warcraft Midnight, and what are they?
There are four zones at launch: Eversong Woods (Silvermoon hub, seamless Eastern Kingdoms), Zul’Aman (expanded Amani homeland), Harandar (Haranir fungal jungle), and Voidstorm (Xal’atath’s stronghold with volatile terrain).
Is the campaign linear or can players choose the leveling order?
It’s fixed at the start and end, but the middle chapters are non-linear. Players begin in Eversong, choose Zul’Aman or Harandar in either order, then finish in Voidstorm. This keeps the narrative coherent while allowing route flexibility.
Is Silvermoon City the hub, and can players fly there?
Yes. Silvermoon City functions as the main hub with flying enabled and no loading screen when entering from Eastern Kingdoms. It remains a Horde-aligned city; Alliance access is limited to designated areas.
What is the Haranir allied race and how is it unlocked?
The Haranir are a bioluminescent people from Harandar. They become playable for both factions after completing their story-driven questline. Available classes: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock, Monk, Druid—with distinct druid forms.
Does WoW Midnight add player housing and how do Neighborhoods work?
Yes. Player Housing lets you build and decorate a personal home with items earned from questing, dungeons, raids, and crafting. Neighborhoods are public or private instanced communities (about 50 plots) that progress via themed endeavors shared by residents.
What is the Prey system in Midnight?
Prey is an optional open-world hunt where players track powerful targets on Normal, Hard, or Nightmare. Targets can ambush mid-hunt, creating risk-reward loops. Rewards are cosmetic-only (transmogs, mounts, housing décor).
How many raids, dungeons, and Delves ship with WoW Midnight?
Launch content includes 3 raids (9 bosses total), 8 dungeons, and 11 Delves (10 standard + 1 Nemesis). Raids advance the main story, dungeons anchor Mythic+ and leveling, and Delves provide short, flexible instanced runs.
What are Delves in Midnight and how long do they take?
Delves are role-agnostic instances for 1–5 players with scaling difficulty and rotating objectives, typically 10–15 minutes each. In Midnight, Valeera Sanguinar joins as the Delve companion, adding utility and narrative hooks to each run.
What’s new for PvP in World of Warcraft Midnight?
Midnight adds Slayer’s Rise, a 40v40 battleground in Voidstorm with a lane push, side objectives, and a culminating commander fight. Training Grounds makes Comp Stomp a permanent AI battleground mode with a rotating map pool.
What changes are coming to Skyriding (Dragonriding)?
Vigor is removed. Skyriding now uses six shared charges for Surge Forward and Skyward Ascent, simplifying flight management while preserving high-speed traversal and skill expression.
What is Transmog 2.0 and the new Combat Assistant?
Transmog 2.0 adds saved outfits, gold-free swaps, and context rules (auto-apply looks in cities, raids, or neighborhoods). Combat Assistant improves visual prompts and offers an optional single-button rotation mode for approachability.
What do the Base, Heroic, and Epic Editions include?
All editions grant Housing Early Access and an Enhanced Level 80 Character Boost. Epic Edition adds Beta access, 3-day Midnight Early Access, the Midnight Housing Pack décor set, and 30 days of game time, plus the usual cosmetic bundle.
