Everything we know about WoW Midnight

The next WoW expansion will bring us back to the elven homeland, add a long-awaited housing system, and pit us against the Void.

World of Warcraft: Midnight will pluck us from the depths of Khaz Algar and drop us right into the legendary Quel'Thalas. You can expect a new playable race, the Haranir, a fully-fledged player housing system, and a complete reimagining of the Blood Elf zones. We'll be headed to the north of the Eastern Kingdoms, where both Alliance and Horde must unite in the face of a darkness threatening the Sunwell.

Now that both the Midnight expansion and the pre-patch have firm release dates, it won't be long until you can jump in and make your own Void Elf Demon Hunter or start decorating your own mansion. There's plenty of information about the next expansion to go through, from updated zones and interface updates to changes in the talent system. So if you're ready, here's what we know about World of Warcraft: Midnight so far.

WHEN IS THE WORLD OF WARCRAFT: MIDNIGHT RELEASE DATE?

World of Warcraft: Midnight is set to release on March 2, 2026, and you can pre-purchase the expansion now on Battle.net.

The Midnight pre-patch release date has also been announced and will be broken into two phases. Early access to Player Housing and "The Warning" prologue story goes live on December 2, 2025. The second phase, which includes the massive Void Invasion event, will arrive closer to launch.

QUICK FACTS ON WORLD OF WARCRAFT: MIDNIGHT

• Level cap: Remains at 80 (Horizontal progression)
• New playable race: Haranir, the mysterious guardians of the roots.
• Major feature: Player Housing.
• New zones: Fully revamped Quel'Thalas (Eversong Woods, Ghostlands) and new Void zones.
• System overhauls: Heroic Talent system expansion, new specializations.
• Group content: Eight new dungeons and three new raids.
• New race/class combinations: Void Elves can now be Demon Hunters.
  

HARANIR — THE NEW PLAYABLE RACE

Yup, you can play as the Haranir in the next expansion. First encountered in The War Within, this race now joins the heroes of Azeroth. They are available to both the Horde and Alliance, acting as a bridge between the factions in the face of the Void.

The Haranir possess unique racial abilities linked to nature magic and vitality, and their customization includes various wing options and natural growths.

Here are some Haranir details:

• Start at level 10 (as an Allied Race).
• Can be Druids, Hunters, Rogues, Warriors, and Shamans.
• They have their own starting quest chain linking them to the history of Azeroth.

MIDNIGHT'S NEW ZONES AND STORY

The new (old) area coming in the Midnight expansion is Quel'Thalas. It is no longer a separate loading zone but is fully integrated into the Eastern Kingdoms open world. The zone is divided into the revamped Eversong Woods, Ghostlands, and a completely new layer of Void reality superimposing these territories. Silvermoon City has been rebuilt into a true metropolis, currently under siege by darkness.

Quel'Thalas has always been a bastion of magic, and now Xal'atath is targeting the Sunwell to plunge the world into eternal night.

In addition to Blood Elves and Void Elves, you'll run into Ethereals acting as both allies and enemies, as well as new horrors from the depths of the cosmos.

PLAYER HOUSING LOOKS BETTER THAN WE EXPECTED

Midnight is betting big on the social aspect by introducing Player Housing. You won't just get an instanced house; Blizzard explained the system includes "Neighborhoods" where you can see the homes of friends and guildmates.

Game Director Ion Hazzikostas confirmed that furniture and decor unlocks will be account-wide (Warband). "We want your raid trophies and rare open-world finds to decorate your home, regardless of which character you're playing. It would be weird to have to farm a rare painting twice."

Unlike the Garrisons in WoD, housing in Midnight offers full customization: from architectural style (Elven, Orcish, Human, etc.) to the placement of every single book on a shelf. A new "Carpenter" profession is also being introduced to craft furniture.

MIDNIGHT PROFESSIONS ARE GETTING AN OVERHAUL

Professions continue to evolve based on the systems laid out in Dragonflight and The War Within. The most significant changes are:

• Furniture Orders: A new category of Crafting Orders for the housing system.
• Void Specialization: Crafters can take risks using Void reagents to create powerful but dangerous "corrupted" items.
  

Profession stats remain the same (Inspiration, Multicraft, etc.), but a new stat is added: Void Resonance, which increases the success chance when working with unstable materials.

HEROIC TALENTS EVOLVE

The Hero Talent trees introduced in The War Within are getting an expansion. In Midnight, every class will get new branches reflecting the influence of Light and Void.

The biggest headline: Demon Hunters are getting a third specialization: Devourer. This is a mid-range specialization that utilizes Void energy rather than Fel, which finally allows Void Elves to become Demon Hunters.

UI AND ACCESSIBILITY

The UI continues to be revamped. In Midnight, the main focus is on integrating the Housing interface (build mode) and improving navigation for multi-layered maps, which is critical for the tangled zones of the Void.

NEW MIDNIGHT DUNGEONS

Eight new dungeons are arriving with Midnight. Four of these will unlock as you level, while the others will be available once you hit the endgame.

These include:

• Sunstrider Isle (Defense)
• Ruins of Silvermoon – A breakout through the destroyed quarters of the city.
• The Void Scar – A journey into a Void rift in the Ghostlands.
• Zul'Aman: Reborn – A return to the troll lands consumed by darkness.
• Sanctum of the Ethereal
• Deep Void Hold
• Library of the Highborne
• The Shadowed Thicket

THE CHANGING MYTHIC+ POOL

The Mythic+ dungeon pool for Season 1 of Midnight will include 4 new dungeons and 4 older ones, remastered for modern standards (including classic TBC dungeons like Magisters' Terrace).

THE FIRST MIDNIGHT RAID

The first raid will be the Citadel of the Eclipse, where players will face the leaders of the Devouring Host. The raid will feature 8 bosses, culminating in a battle against Dimensius the All-Devouring (or his avatar) attempting to consume the light of the Sunwell.

Item levels will vary as before, with ilvl increases on the final bosses ("Very Rare" drops).

WORLD QUESTS, RENOWN, AND THE PREY SYSTEM

Renown remains the primary reputation system for Quel'Thalas factions (e.g., Silvermoon Remnants and Army of the Light). The major open-world activity will be the Prey System. Players will track down elite Void monsters that procedurally spawn on the map. Rewards include unique materials for crafting furniture and cosmetic items.

GROUP LOOT REMAINS

Group Loot remains the standard for raids, having proven effective in the previous expansions of the "Worldsoul Saga."

WHAT ABOUT SYLVANAS?

With the action returning to Quel'Thalas, rumors of Sylvanas Windrunner's return are growing louder. As the former Ranger-General of Silvermoon, she may play a key role in defending her former homeland, even if many elves are not yet ready to forgive her.