WoW Midnight release window, new zones, prey system, and more

WoW Midnight is the second part of the WorldSoul saga, and while we can infer a great deal from Gamescom reveals, such as a release window, there’s still so much we don’t know. As a three-part story, we can expect this to feel very much like The Empire Strikes Back; we’re trying to push the enemy back and secure peace, but things do not go as planned, and things ultimately will look as dire as they ever have.

As we work towards overcoming Xal’atath’s plans, try out the new Demon Hunter spec, and eventually unlock the Haranir race, there’s going to be plenty to do in WoW Midnight. Here’s a sampling of the upcoming new content.

When could WoW Midnight’s release window be?

While we don’t have an official release date for WoW Midnight, the pre-order options on Battle.net gives us a clue. The stipulations at the bottom of the page state that the game will release “on or before June 30, 2026”, but I have a hard time swallowing that pill. That’s an incredibly long time to go without any real new content.

It looks like we can expect Midnight in the first half of the year (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

There’s no “defined date” for World of Warcraft expansions to come out, either. Dragonflight dropped in November, and The War Within was released in August. I have a feeling that the expansion is going to drop in early 2026, probably within the first couple of months.

June 2026 is just a very long time away, considering The War Within released in 2024. Just in case, let’s put a pin on June 30, 2026, as a potential release date.

WoW Midnight to feature four zones, including remakes of familiar areas

One thing we’ve known for a while about WoW Midnight is that we’re going to be heading back to the Old World; in particular, Silvermoon City and its surrounding area. Silvermoon City is going to be rebuilt, with brand-new areas, and will serve as the Alliance and Horde hub. I can’t be the only Horde player that’s not thrilled about sharing Silvermoon City.

Harandar has a serene, but also unsettling, aesthetic to it. It's like a prettier Zangarmarsh. (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

We also have access to Eversong Woods, Zul’Aman, Harandar, and Voidstorm. The first two are no doubt going to be familiar to players of a certain vintage, and WoW Midnight is going to overhaul both. Eversong will also include The Ghostlands, both of which have been healed since the Lich King scarred his way through it.

Zul’Aman is going to be a full world zone, instead of just a raid. We’ll be able to visit several of the Loa temples (Eagle, Lynx, Dragonhawk, Bear), and we will no doubt interact with the new leaders of the Armani tribe, since the death of Zul’jin. They would be Zul’jarra and Zul’jan.

Harandar is a fungal jungle, built around the roots of the World Trees, so that should be a truly splendid sight. We’ll see fungal towers, moss bridges, and bioluminescent life scattered around the home of the Haranir. This is their home after all, but it’s supposed to be secluded; how will we uncover the home of this mysterious race? Only time will tell.

Zul'Aman has definitely seen better days. Think a new bear mount will be available? (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

The Voidstorm area makes me think of Burning Crusade and its Netherstorm region. Filled with void energy, it’s a chaotic place, where the denizens fight each other with the same amount of zeal as they fight us. We can expect stormfields, low gravity, and a trio of giant Nexus Points to no doubt explore.

There are also quite a few dungeons confirmed, as well as delves. Eight new dungeons and seven delves are scattered throughout the new zones of WoW Midnight.

New dungeons

Windrunner Spire
Magister’s Terrace
Murder Row
Den of Nalorakk
Maisara Caverns
Blinding Vale
Voidscar Arena
Nexus-POint Xenas

New Delves

Parhelion Plaza
Collegiate Calamity
The Shadow Enclave
Den of Echoes
Shadowguard Point
Sunkiller Sanctum
Torment’s Rise (Nemesis Delve for Season 1)

WoW Midnight’s new Prey System to bring a “Hunt system” to the game

We don't have much in the way of visual presentation for the Prey system, so enjoy a peek at Silvermoon City (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Think of the new Prey System in WoW Midnight as something potentially similar to FFXIV’s Hunt System. Astalor Bloodsworn in Silvermoon City offers greater challenges by tackling powerful foes across the new zones. There will be a crystal UI that changes as your hunt intensifies, so the systems are similar, but not the same.

There are a few tiers of difficulty, with Normal, Hard, and Nightmare. Normal are the introductory, easiest hunts. Hard will have Torments, and specific final encounters, and Nightmare promises to be the ultimate challenge. What can you win for doing this? Well, cosmetics, mounts, titles, and housing items seem to be the rewards, and that’s good enough for me!

WoW Midnight will make transmog system cost far less gold

Perhaps my favorite part, or at least certainly towards the top, is some Transmog System changes. It is going to become slot-based, where you can swap cosmetics in a slot without spending gold.

I cannot tell you how many thousands of gold I've spent transmogging. It's the Real Endgame. (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

For example, say you’ve just picked up some new loot from one of the upcoming dungeons, and already have your cool Tier 2 recolor armor on. If you want to “fix” your outfit and not show the new cosmetic, you can without spending gold.

Replacing a full outfit still costs gold, though. Another cool new feature is that you will be able to auto-swap outfits based on in-game context. You could have an outfit you relax with in your House, for example. Roleplaying servers alone are absolutely going to eat this feature up.

WoW Midnight will offer a few updates to the new/returning player experience

There's going to be so much new content, depending on how long you've been away. (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

It’s about time we see some updates to the New/Returning Player experience in WoW Midnight! You can go from Exile’s Reach right into Dragonflight, and it’s been confirmed that the three final bosses of the Dragonflight raid will have Story Modes to unlock: Raszageth, Sarkareth, and Fyrakk.

If you're new or returning, you can also get a tour of the Arathi Highlands, either Jaina Proudmoore or Thrall to learn where the story has gone so far. Honestly, even if I’m not a returning/new player, I will still go and do this just to see it.

There’s also going to be a “catch-up” for The War Within, with a shorter quest experience. It’s aimed at players new to the WorldSoul Saga, and will focus only on the important points. Think of it like the Gundam movie trilogies. It will get to all the most important parts, so you’re ready to jump into Midnight.

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About the author

Jason is an Esports and Gaming journalist at Sportskeeda holding an amazing 11 years of experience under his belt. Having put out 4000-plus articles and amassing over 12 million reads for Sportskeeda, he is among the company’s most experienced writers. Jason holds a Bachelor's degree in English from UNC Pembroke and was inspired to become a gaming journalist very early on in life after reading Nintendo Power.

Jason is a jack of all trades when it comes to gaming journalism. He’s a key writer in Sportskeeda's MMO department, but he also likes to help out in other categories, like streamers, RPG, card games, and whatever else is needed. A solo gamer at heart, Jason's favorite titles include Earthbound and Dragon Warrior.

Jason places high value on accuracy and relevance in his write-ups. He achieves this with thorough research to sift facts from rumors. One of the biggest highlights of his career is his interview with Canadian pro wrestler Kenny Omega about his inclusion in the Like a Dragon game series. He is also good friends with journalist Kazumo Hashimoto, who he admires for the kind of stories he works on and his deep ethics.

A true cinephile, one of Jason’s primary hobbies involves enjoying cinematic experiences. He also loves reading, be it fiction or manga, when not working. Additionally, he streams on Twitch and posts his gaming insights on YouTube.

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Edited by Jason Parker