World of Warcraft: Midnight — New Gameplay features, Player Housing, release date, everything you need to know

In the year 2023, Blizzard Entertainment unveiled an extraordinary new narrative for their widely-played MMORPG, World of Warcraft, which they called the Worldsoul Saga.

The narrative unfolds as a grand chronicle spanning across three significant updates, with players engaged in safeguarding the heart of Azeroth, the Worldsoul, against the malevolent schemes of the emerging primary antagonist, Xal’atath.

In the year 2024, we delved into the initial episode of the epic tale titled “World of Warcraft: The War Within.” This captivating storyline led us on an adventure across the vast world of Azeroth, where we engaged in fierce battles against numerous Nerubians, Goblins, and Ethereals.

As a researcher, I find myself eagerly anticipating the second installment of the Worldsoul Saga and World of Warcraft’s eleventh expansion, tentatively titled “World of Warcraft: Midnight.” Expected to be unveiled in the year 2026, this revelation stems from the captivating trailer presented at Gamescom 2025.

In this exciting update, you’ll find fresh territories to discover, an enhanced version of familiar locations, a specialized class for Demon Hunters, a new character race to play as, expanded outdoor adventures, the much anticipated addition of a Player Housing system, and many more captivating features.

Here is everything you need to know about World of Warcraft: Midnight.

When is the release date for World of Warcraft: Midnight and what platform will it be on?

What is World of Warcraft: Midnight’s release date and platform?

It will be released sometime in 2026 on PC.

The release date for World of Warcraft: Midnight is currently sometime during 2026 for PC.

Given that World of Warcraft: The War Within came out following the Mists of Pandaria: Remix, it seems likely that World of Warcraft: Midnight will also be released after the future Legion Remix event.

Is World of Warcraft: Midnight up for pre-order and what does it cost?

How much will World of Warcraft: Midnight cost and is it available for pre-order?

Pre-orders are available now for World of Warcraft: Midnight! Here’s a breakdown of the pricing for each edition:

1. The Basic Edition is priced at $49.99.
2. For $69.99, you can opt for the Heroic Edition.
3. The Epic Edition will set you back $89.99.

Hope this helps!

World of Warcraft: Midnight is now available for pre-order on Battle.Net.

Various editions of the expansion can be obtained, each offering the core game along with extra goodies such as mounts, additional items, and notably, early access to Player Housing features.

The base edition will include:

  • World of Warcraft: The War Within.
  • World of Warcraft: Midnight.
  • Level 80 Character Boost.
  • 500 Trader’s Tender.
  • Housing Early Access.

The Heroic Edition will include:

  • All the content from the Base Edition.
  • Lightstrider Raiment Transmog Set.
  • Lightwing Dragonhawk Skyriding Mount.

The Epic Edition will include:

  • All the content from the Base and Heroic Edition.
  • Voidstrider Raiment Transmog Set.
  • Voidwing Dragonhawk Skyriding Mount.
  • Voidlight Surger Skyriding Mount.
  • Hopeflutter Pet.
  • Doomfeathers Pet.
  • Beta Access to Midnight Expansion.
  • 3 Days Early Access to Midnight Expansion.
  • Midnight Housing Bundle.
  • 30 Days Game Time.

The Epic Edition will also include a massive Playing Housing Bundle which includes:

  • Light-infused Rotunda (Light Gazebo)
  • Void-Corrupted Rotunda (Void Gazebo)
  • Light-Infused Fountain
  • Void-Corrupted Fountain
  • Alleria Portrait – “The Ranger-General” (Decor)
  • Turalyon Portrait – “The High Exarch” (Decor)
  • Arator Portrait – “The Redeemer” (Decor)
  • Xal’atath Portrait – “The Harbinger” (Decor)

What is the story for World of Warcraft: Midnight?

What is World of Warcraft: Midnight’s story about?

In a perpetual disruption across Azeroth, the enigmatic Xal’atath persists, launching attacks on the Sunwell in a bid to seize its potent energy. The task now falls upon you, as a beacon of light, alongside allies from various Elven factions, to thwart her plans and restore tranquility.

The storyline progresses following the incidents in “World of Warcraft: The War Within,” where players pursued the enigmatic Xal’atath into the underworld and battled waves of malevolent Nerubians, Goblins, and Ethereals.

In the game World of Warcraft: Midnight, Xal’atath takes command over a legion of dark entities known as Voidwalkers. She deploys these forces to launch an attack on the elven city of Silvermoon, aiming to seize the powerful energy of the Sunwell for her wicked schemes intended to demolish Azeroth’s Worldsoul.

In the game, World of Warcraft: Midnight, Xal’atath commandeers an army of dark entities called Voidwalkers and uses them to infiltrate the elven city, Silvermoon, with the objective of stealing the energy from the Sunwell, a powerful source, which she intends to use for her nefarious plans to obliterate Azeroth’s Worldsoul.

To drive Xal’atath and her horde of Voidwalkers out of our realm, the player may find assistance from the Blood Elves and the forces imbued with the Light, pushing them back into the desolate emptiness of the Void.

What new gameplay features will World of Warcraft: Midnight bring?

What kind of new gameplay features will be in World of Warcraft: Midnight?

In the forthcoming expansion, World of Warcraft: Midnight, players can anticipate the long-awaited addition of Player Housing, a fresh Demon Hunter Class Specialization, an entirely new playable race called Haranir, a novel outdoor activity titled Prey, as well as numerous new Zones, Dungeons, Delves, Raids, and enhancements to gameplay quality.

Midnight builds upon the core elements of exploration in an open world and combat using the TAB key to target enemies, which have been central to World of Warcraft since its beginning, by introducing numerous innovative gameplay elements and enhancements.

Among the significant additions introduced with this update is the long-desired Player Dwelling system, a feature that fans have been eagerly anticipating for close to two decades.

This system allows players to buy a house for their characters to rest in between adventures.

You have the option to adorn these spaces using a variety of furnishings and decorative items obtained through dungeons, raids, accomplishments, storylines, crafting, special events, and the Auction House as well.

Players additionally have the option to establish communities on public or private servers, which can be managed by guilds or charters, accommodating as many as fifty players.

Residential areas can be enhanced by incorporating Non-Player Characters (NPCs), thematic decorations, and additional items through either regular monthly tasks called ‘Monthly Endeavors’ or earning Community Coupons and Neighborhood Favors.

Another new major gameplay feature coming in World of Warcraft: Midnight is ‘Prey’.

In “Prey,” an exciting outdoor adventure, you’re tasked by Astalor Bloodsworn from Silvermoon City’s Murder Row to track and eliminate distinctive boss creatures scattered across the four fresh zones of the expansion.

The monsters are divided into three levels of challenge: Normal, Hard, and Nightmare. Overcoming these creatures yields a variety of exclusive cosmetics, mounts, names, and house items as rewards.

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To aid players in mastering the Prey universe, including the fresh wave of Dungeons, Delves, and Raids, the game will introduce a Class Specialization tailored for Demon Hunters known as “Devourer.

Indeed, you’re correct! About a decade has passed since World of Warcraft: Legion was released, and now, the highly anticipated Demon Hunter class has officially become a third Specialization, often abbreviated as Spec.

Instead of being strictly focused on melee combat like Havoc (DPS) and Vengeance (Tank), Devourer offers a versatile approach, enabling the player to engage in both close-range and ranged magical attacks.

These attacks are swift slashes from a scythe, obliterating foes with energy beams infused by the Void and mystical spells that summon cosmic phenomena such as black holes.

Devourer Demon Hunters can also maintain their transformed state by harvesting souls during combat.

The latest expansion of the player’s options includes the introduction of a new playable race, the Haranir, which resemble bats and first appeared in World of Warcraft: The War Within. They will be joining the battle against Xal’atath in World of Warcraft: Midnight.

As an enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that these beings possess a unique racial trait enabling them to metamorphose into colossal bats! They have the flexibility to specialize in various classes, including Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock, Monk, and Druid.

Other new gameplay additions that this expansion will bring include:

  • A completely revamped version of Silvermoon City, with every building redone with updated graphics and details.
  • Four new Zones to explore,
  • Eight new Dungeons, seven new Delves, three Raids to fight bosses and loot treasure in.
  • A Training Ground for PVP where players can practice before fight human players in PVP matches.
  • A new PVP Battleground Mode called Slayer’s Rise where players have to demolish the enemy’s bases and take their rival’s Domanaar commander.

For both fresh and returning players, World of Warcraft: Midnight is designed to enhance the initial gameplay experience through multiple upgrades.

The tutorial for Exile’s Reach is designed to seamlessly integrate into the zones of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, along with numerous enhancements made to the campaign of that expansion.

In addition, Story Mode raids are introduced for Raszageth, Sarkareth, and Fyrakk. Furthermore, there’s a streamlined Skyriding version with six common charges for Surge Forward and Skyward Ascent, and no Vigor bar to enhance learning, preparing you better for the real experience.

Revisiting gamers are given an additional, voluntary exploration of the Arathi Highlands, led either by Jaina or Thrall, so they can familiarize themselves with the latest plot developments and adjustments in gameplay.

Alternative summaries encompass the recently implemented Lorewalker feature, enabling players to re-experience past narratives from prior expansions, as well as the War Within Catch-Up mechanism.

Essentially, the War Within Catch-Up serves as a condensed recap of the main storyline missions from World of Warcraft: The War Within, allowing players to grasp the essential narrative events that precede World of Warcraft: Midnight.

This upcoming PC game is expected to offer numerous enhancements to the overall player experience, aiming at improving life quality across the entire game.

These include:

  • Transmog — Slot-based, gold-free outfit swapping with the ability to auto-swap saved outfits based on your character’s situation (i.e. you can select a transmog set to automatically change into when visiting a player’s home or adventuring the open-world.
  • Cooldown Manager — New customizable aura tracking with debuff states, and sound alerts.
  • Combat Assistant — Assisted Highlights and Single-Button play have been improved with smarter logic detection based on your character’s build.
  • Edit Mode — It has been expanded to include all new UI elements such as the Personal Resource Bar which has now been converted into a HUD element that be customized.
  • Accessibility — Adjustable text sizes, improved tooltips, and simplified professions have been added.

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2025-08-19 23:42