Watch the gamescom 2025 Systems Download Panel VoD

What’s Covered:

• Demon Hunters and The Void
• New Talents
• Prey and World Content
• The Leveling Experience
• PvP Updates
• Quality of Life Updates

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What’s Not Covered: Housing (But!)

In this panel, we won’t be covering Housing, but players will be able to get their hands on Housing soon with Midnight early access in the 11.2.7 content update later this year, and even if they don’t have Midnight immediately, they can begin collecting their decor and preparing for the expansion ahead.

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Demon Hunters and the Void

Introducing the Devourer Demon Hunter, a third specialization that utilizes the power of the Cosmic Void instead of Fel, like other Demon Hunters. This specialization is a ranged DPS (damage-dealing) that works a little differently. Depending on the build of the character, it might use mid-range damage dealing or a more hybrid style by darting in and retreating to safety.

Ability Examples:

Void Metamorphosis: An iconic Demon Hunter transformation with a twist. It is an energy-based ability rather than a cooldown-based ability. To use it, Demon Hunters use Reap to gather Void Fragments similar to how Demon Hunters gather Soul Fragments. The longer you can stay in this form by devouring Void Fragments, the more damage you can do.

Void Ray: Similar to Eye Beam, it is a 25-yard ranged attack using the power of the Void.

Collapsing Star: This ability is used while in Void Metamorphosis and is a finishing ability. It progressively becomes more powerful the longer the Void Metamorphosis form is maintained.

25-yard range
2.5 Second Cast
Channel an immense amount of Void energy into a single, cataclysmic attack, dealing Cosmic damage to your target and all nearby enemies.

While casting Collapsing Star, your Fury drain is paused.

For a little extra Void, when in the Devourer specialization, all Demon Hunter abilities will use Void effects, even abilities that are shared across all three specializations.

New Hero Talents

With the introduction of a new specialization, Demon Hunters also gain a new Hero Talent tree—Annihilator. This new tree is shared between Devourer and Vengeance Demon Hunters. Devourer Demon Hunters will also gain access to the Scarred Hero Talent tree (formerly called Fel Scarred).

New Race/Class Combination: Void Elf Demon Hunter

Players will gain access to the new Void Elf Demon Hunter combination through a short quest line as a part of the Midnight pre-expansion content update, along with the Devourer specialization.

While we’re introducing this new race and class combination, it won’t be the last to be introduced during Midnight. We’ll share more details in the future.

New Talents for All Classes

Players will level from 80 to 90 in the expansion and will gain ten new talent points to use and apply between their class tree, Heroic Talent tree, and specialization. Three points will be available to use in your class tree, three in your Hero tree, and four in your specialization tree.

• Class Talents: Apply your class talents in any way you like, aiding you in reaching into talents you might not have been able to get before.
• Hero Talents: This tree will have an additional lane with three new abilities to choose from.
• Specialization Talents: One new talent will be available at the bottom of the tree, allowing you to apply all four of your points into it if you wish. The first point will be more transformational, with the second and third points improving the ability. The fourth point is the extra impact that brings the ability together.

You don’t need to place all of your four new points into this talent if you’d rather spend them in other ways within the specialization tree.

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Prey and World Content

Prey is a new opt-in hunting system that lets you pursue powerful targets across the Midnight expansion zones. Players can join the hunt by speaking with Magister Astalor Bloodsworn in Murder Row in Silvermoon City. Here, you’ll take on the challenge of hunting a specific target.

Once you’ve joined the hunt, you’ll continue playing through the game as you normally would. You will need to stay on your toes, however, since your prey may find you before you find them. How and when you detect your prey is meant to be unpredictable, and it could take any number of activities or discoveries before you see them—or they see you.

Unlock three difficulty levels as you progress: Normal, Hard, and Nightmare. While in Normal difficulty, you’ll be in the outdoor world, and other players will be able to come to your aid and help you take down your target. Once you’ve reached Hard and Nightmare difficulties, you’ll need to contend with extra abilities on your enemy called Torments, and you’ll be on your own in the final fight to take them down. Defeating them is a solo challenge, and you won’t be able to rely on helpful friends to come along.

Prey Rewards

Earn a variety of cosmetic rewards to add to your collections, including mounts such as mana wyrm-themed mounts and transmog appearances. You will also be able to earn power rewards through the Great Vault each week for participating.

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Outdoor Features

When we talk about outdoor features, we’re talking about things like soup-making in the Azure Span (“Yes, Chef!),  or Shipping and Handling in Undermine. For Midnight, we plan to create a variety of small pieces of content that appeal to different playstyles, ranging from high-intensity combat to cozier content that takes you further into the lore.

Here are just a few examples of what we have in store in Midnight.

Eversong Woods: Silvermoon Court

Players will balance their reputation between the four different military groups in Silvermoon City. This is reminiscent of what players experienced in the Burning Crusade with the Aldor and Scryer factions. Each track will have its own cosmetic rewards that can be earned by participating.

Zul’Aman: Abundance

In Zul’Aman, harvest materials for the Loa of Abundance. This is a fast-paced, profession-themed collection event, though you won’t need a specific profession to take part. You’ll be timed as you collect resources from Abundance caves, where you’ll mine as much as you can in a limited amount of time. Abundance caves will be available in all four zones throughout Midnight and aren’t restricted to just Zul’Aman.

Harandar: Legends of the Haranir

Step into the forgotten past of the Hara’ti Tribe using magical paintings to embark on bite-sized lore-rich journeys. This event is great for those who want to explore more of Harandar’s history, and provides the opportunity to slow down, explore some of the lore objects, and learn more about the land and people.

Voidstorm: Stormarion Assault

Here you’ll protect the void elves as they work to deploy their singularity anchor to purge the Stormarion Citadel of the remnants of Void anomalies. Players will work together to defend against waves of attacks in this public event by using strategy to place defenses throughout the area to fend off the endless onslaught.

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Updated Leveling Experience

After 20 years of content in World of Warcraft, we recognize that it’s sometimes difficult to introduce friends and family who are new to the game. To that end, we are making some changes to help bring them into Azeroth more seamlessly and quickly.

Exile’s Reach

To help new players begin their journey in World of Warcraft, we are updating Exile’s Reach to include some key figures from the Dragonflight expansion, so they are ready to continue their journey into Dragonflight (and beyond). Players will meet characters such as Wrathion, Khadgar, Alexstrasza, and others, as well as learn the history of the dragons as they journey into the Dragon Isles. At the conclusion of this new player experience, players will be taken directly to the Waking Shores to continue the story in the Dragonflight experience.

We’ve made a lot of additional changes to Dragonflight with new players in mind.

• Players level through the first four zones of Dragonflight (The Waking Shores, Ohn’ahran Plains, The Azure Span, and Thaldraszus) until they reach the Vault of the Incarnates raid.
• Once reaching the Vault of the Incarnates raid, players can go directly into the fight with Raszageth in Story Mode with the help of nine NPC companions.
• Players progress through Zaralek Caverns until reaching Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible raid.
• Upon reaching Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible raid, players will confront Scalecommander Sarkareth in Story Mode with the help of nine NPC companions.
• After completing the raid, players will continue through the Emerald Dream.
• Within the Emerald Dream, players will reach Amirdrassil, the Dream’s Hope raid, and confront the final boss Fyrakk the Blazing in Story Mode with the help of nine NPC companions.

Making these changes allows new players the ability to experience the entirety of the Dragonflight expansion while leveling for the first time from start to finish. After completing Dragonflight, these players will reach level 70.

Players who create alternate characters will still have the option to bypass Exile’s Reach with Chromie Time to choose the expansion they want to play through first.

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Returning Player Updates

For those who have left for a time and are returning to World of Warcraft, it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming trying to remember where you left off. You’re often confronted with bags full of items you don’t remember, a full quest log, and a variety of talents and icons to reacquaint yourself with. As a result of this overwhelm, we see a lot of players create new characters rather than continue with one that already exists.

To help players overcome these challenges, we’re introducing a Returning Player Experience.

Returning Player Experience

Join Thrall and Jaina in content focused on bringing you back to Azeroth without the noise of other quests or activities pulling for attention. You might find yourself following along a simple questline where you’ll start off killing some gnolls in one quest, then some ogres, then going after some cultists, and so on as the story progresses. The idea is that by the time you’ve gone through this experience, you’ll have become reacquainted with your character and started to remember how to play it again.

This experience is meant to be something you can drop in and out of so that you aren’t locked into playing through the entire experience. If you find yourself feeling confident in your memory of how to play your character, you can leave and continue on your journey. If you play through the entirety of it, however, you’ll receive a complete set of level-appropriate gear for your character, allowing you to jump back into the fight.

We’ve also added some new tutorials for returning players that include Skyriding to help you take to the sky, and interrupts, which can help you perform better in groups.

Play Through The War Within Recap

Players who have missed The War Within Story, or who need a catch-up, can take part in a play-through of The War Within. In a couple of hours of playtime, this tutorial will take you through the entirety of the story, beginning on the Isle of Dorn and delivering you to K’aresh. Along the way, you’ll be able to experience all of the cinematics and see what happens with the main characters of the story. Anyone who wants to catch up on the story before going into Midnight can enjoy this experience.

New players will also level from 70 to 80 this way instead of having to go through the entirety of the content.

The New Player Experience, the Returning Player Experience, and The War Within Recap will all be available in the 11.2.7 content update later this year.

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Slayer’s Rise Battleground

In Midnight, we’re introducing a major new PvP feature called the Slayer’s Rise battleground. Set in the Voidstorm, it is a 40 vs 40 epic battleground inspired by the large-scale battles that can be found in Alterac Valley and Isle of Conquest battlegrounds.

Setting: There is a conflict afoot between two powerful Domanaar warlords fighting for control. Alliance and Horde forces will find themselves thrust in the middle of this conflict and aligned with one of these opposing Domanaar.

Players will begin on opposite sides of the map and initially make their way to the middle where a 40 vs 40 brawl will take place over an initial control point that will give the controlling party an early advantage in the map.

Each side will then push down a lane toward the opposing base, destroying defenses and killing key NPCs along the way, in an attempt to ultimately defeat the opposing Domanaar. Players will also need to break off to recruit neutral NPC forces to aid their side and help push through their lane. You and your team will need to balance a mix of attacking, defending, and recruiting as you progress through the battleground to claim victory.

• Stage 1: Clash at the Path of Predation and Recruiting Neutral Forces
• Stage 2: Hatespire
• Stage 3: Bastion of Might and Disable Ethereal Defenses (Horde) or Bastion of Valor and Disable Ethereal Defenses (Alliance)
• Stage 4: Domanaar Battle

This area that is used as a battleground will also be accessible in the outdoor section of the Voidstorm zone, setting the stage for some epic world PvP. It is designed with points of conflict throughout and includes locations with PvP vendors and more.

Key Points of Interest:

• Horde Keep: Local Stories, Faction NPCs, and Guards
• Alliance Keep: Local Stories, Faction NPCs, and Guards
• Neutral PvP Hub: Dueling Area, PvP Vendors, Portals to PvP Areas

The area will also have regular World Quests for those who choose not to use War Mode, but the greater rewards will be available to those who take part in the world PvP that the area supports.

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Training Grounds

For players new to PvP, learn the ropes in the Training Grounds. Expanding and revamping the idea found in Comp Stomp, players will join a battle against smarter game-controlled opponents in Arathi Basin, Silvershard Mines, and Battle for Gilneas. You’ll get comfortable with how these battlegrounds work and how classes can work within them, gaining confidence and opening the door to more PvP experiences in the game.

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User Interface (UI) and General Quality of Life Improvements

Over the last few months, we’ve been making improvements in The War Within to the baseline UI experience with the introduction of the Cooldown Manager, Combat Assistant, and more.

Nameplate Improvements

To continue these improvements in Midnight, we are taking aim at Nameplates. Nameplates provide a valuable window into what is happening in the game with you, your allies, and the status of your enemies. This informs you of how you might need to respond to what is happening around you. Currently, the default Nameplates don’t provide all the information that players might be looking for.

We want to improve the ability for players to see and customize buff and debuff displays on Nameplates. We also want to call out important lethal casts. This is being integrated into encounter designs. If there is a cast that is likely to wipe you out if it hits its targets, that is something that can be in a larger highlighted cast bar so that you’re aware that it’s a higher-priority interrupt. You shouldn’t need an add-on or an external guide to tell you when the game should.

Damage Meters

We are adding Damage Meters to the base UI. Damage Meters are currently one of the most popular add-on types that we see players use, and it is only natural to want to know whether a new talent build or trinket is having the desired effect. We want to make sure that information is available without needing to rely on external tools. This new addition to the UI will be tracked server-side, allowing for greater accuracy in certain situations than was previously possible with add-ons. 

Boss Alerts

Since nearly the beginning of raiding, players have used external tools to warn them of major boss abilities during raid encounters. While those tools are helpful to have, expecting players to go out to get them to use when raiding isn’t the experience that we feel players deserve. To rectify this, we are building in a lot of that functionality into our encounters in Midnight. Players will be able to see a timeline of major critical abilities that are coming up, receive alerts when targeted, and access other necessary information to overcome challenges.

These are just a few of the User Interface improvements that we have planned, with many more to come at launch and beyond, as we look to continue to make improvements throughout the future ahead. Our ultimate goal is to make the base user experience the best that it can be.

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Transmogrification Updates

Nearly 15 years after the introduction of the transmog system, we are overhauling its functionality. You will no longer need to reapply the appearance of your choice any time you change out a piece of new gear. Instead of transmogging a specific item, an appearance can be applied to a specific slot. If you have something set as your helm appearance, equipping a new item won’t overwrite the one you already have. The new item will inherit the look defined for that slot instead.

You’ll still need to pay a gold cost any time you set that slot for a specific look, but you won’t have to use a transmog vendor to fix your look when you collect and wear new items.

Updating our transmog system also provides an additional opportunity for adding more customization and self-expression using the system. Not only will you be able to save one outfit, but you’ll be able to unlock and save multiple outfits. You’ll also be able to wear a specific outfit for different situations in the game. This means that if you have a particular outfit you want to wear, whether you’re going to town, diving into a dungeon, changing your specialization, or returning to your home after a long day of adventuring, you can map that outfit to that activity and it will switch automatically.

As with many of our systems, this is just the beginning, and we plan to build on this foundation in the months—and years—ahead.

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It won’t be long before we enter our alpha test and then on to our beta test for the expansion. We have much more that we plan to share with you in the weeks ahead, and can’t wait to see you in Midnight in 2026.

The Story So Far Recap

• Nearly one year ago, the Worldsoul Saga began in The War Within.
• Upon being deployed to the undiscovered land of Khaz Algar, the floating city of Dalaran is attacked by Xal’atath and her allies, the nerubians. Using the Dark Heart artifact, she drains the power from the city, captures Khadgar, and destroys the city.
• Xal’atath eludes the champions of Azeroth several times over the course of our adventures until Alleria damages the Dark Heart and disrupts Xal’atath’s plans, freeing Khadgar, whose grievous wounds are healed by Anduin.
• Xal’atath seeks the aid of the goblins, led by Gallywix, to restore the Dark Heart.
• Gallywix has his own plans for the newly-repaired Dark Heart, which finds its way into the hands of the Shadowguard ethereals in K’aresh. They intend to use its power to restore the Void Lord Dimensius to power.
• The looming threat of the return of Dimensius prompts Xal’atath to set aside her goals to aid the heroes of Azeroth in preventing his rise and the inevitable devouring of all worlds.
• After defeating Dimensius, Xal’atath claims his immense power for her own and uses it to ascend—becoming one of the most powerful beings the cosmos has ever known.

As we move into Midnight, Xal’atath is set to launch her assault on Azeroth, which intends to plunge the world into darkness, extinguishing all Light unless we stand against it.

Heroes and Foes of Midnight

At the end of the Midnight cinematic, we see the emergence of our allies, who will also be joined by us, the heroes of Azeroth, in the battle against Xal’atath and her Void creatures.

• Alleria Windrunner: Wife to Turalyon and mother of Arator, she harnesses the power of the Void to use in her battle against its very forces. She has continually pushed back against Xal’atath’s machinations in an attempt to thwart them every chance she can.
• Turalyon: Husband to Alleria and father of Arator, he is a paladin and a true representative of the Light. He will play an important role as the Army of Light emerges to take on the Void.
• Arator: Son of Alleria and Turalyon, he has followed in his father’s footsteps, also becoming a paladin. He is supportive of the roles his parents play and their decisions, even though their methods have been at odds with each other.
• Liadrin: The blood knight matriarch, she is a powerful paladin who has called the Light for aid in pushing back Xal’atath and the Void. She has a fraught relationship with her neighbors, the Amani trolls.
• Orweyna: A young haranir, Orweyna was first introduced in The War Within. Her race is little known and has remained reclusive deep under the roots of the world trees. She will be pivotal in introducing us to her people, their culture, and what they are about. Despite being young, she answers the call of her goddess to go where she’s led.
• Magister Umbric and the Void Elves: After being banished from Silvermoon City and rejected by their families due to the taint of the Void, the void elves will be called together by their leader, Magister Umbric, to help contribute to the war efforts. They will wield the very power of the Void against itself.
• Zul’jarra and Zul’jan: The grandchildren of Zul’jin, Zul’jarra and Zul’jan are siblings. Zul’jarra is leader of the Amani trolls, and her brother, Zul’jan, serves as her adviser. No longer strict enemies, though not on the warmest terms with their neighbors, the blood elves, they’ll share a closer look at Amani culture. They are also in need of aid as they experience the incursion of the Void into their home.
• Xal’atath: Having consumed Dimensius’ power, she is now free to pursue her goal to destroy Azeroth and consume all Light. What remains to be discovered is her motivations beyond that.
• The Void and the Light: These two opposing forces are used as a source of power—sometimes to extremes. We’ll continue to see the push and pull of what it means to wield the Void or the Light through the void elves and the Army of the Light.

Cultures and Zones

Blood Elves

Members of the Horde, this proud race was once part of the high elves before adopting the name of the Sin’dorei (children of the blood). This name represents and reflects on the tragic deaths of so many of their own when the Scourge led by Arthas Menethil, the Lich King, swept through their home and scarred the land for years to come. Their need for power, energy, and magical strength remains an integral part of their culture, tying them to the Sunwell, which is now a target for Xal’atath.

Eversong Woods Reimagined

Eversong Woods has been updated and reimagined by combining the original Eversong Woods and the Ghostlands into one larger zone to serve as the blood elf homelands. Now a part of the Eastern Kingdoms, players can Skyride through the zone without loading screens and experience the blood elf architecture they’ve grown to love over the years from above. You’ll adventure among the lofty glistening towers, golden foliage, and curated and manicured gardens the blood elves are known for.

The Dead Scar from the Scourge invasion has been healed, though there are still some remnants of those times left behind. The zone size has been slightly increased and additional updates to the graphics have been integrated, reviving this part of the world for players to experience in Midnight.

Silvermoon City

The capital city of the blood elves, Silvermoon City, serves as a new player hub for both Horde and Alliance players. This city has been greatly expanded with a significant portion of it serving as a sanctuary accessible to both factions. A portion of the city will still be available to Horde players only.

The city has been rebuilt from the ground up with graphical improvements while retaining the many familiar locations players have come to know and love over the years. Murder Row will also have a dungeon related to it for players to experience.

Zul’Aman Zone and the Amani Trolls

Previously our enemies and the volatile neighbors to the blood elves, we’ll go deeper into the culture and story of the Amani trolls in Zul’Aman. Players will experience a whole new zone focused on the Amani and their story. The Amani are a proud people who have fought hard for their land and overcome significant hardships and challenges. Having lost touch with the loa and the ongoing tensions with the neighboring blood elves, they are struggling against the incursion of the Void.

Zul’Aman is a temperate zone which experiences regular rainfall. It is comprised of old forests and tall mountains. Players will also recognize the raid area found in the zone and can explore the abandoned and overgrown Akil’zon (eagle), Halazzi (lynx), Jan’alai (dragonhawk), and Nalorakk (bear) loa temples found throughout the zone.

Zul’jarra is searching for a solution to help her people survive the Void onslaught that is coming their way.

Haranir Race

Met during The War Within, the haranir story comes to light in Midnight. They serve as ancient guardians of the rootways and are led by a council of elders. The haranir are connected directly with their goddess, but Orweyna has a very strong direct connection that has led to our encounters with her. She is an outlier amongst her more reclusive people and has ventured out into the world, despite her people’s displeasure.

Neither a part of the elf races nor the troll races, Haranir are unlocked as an Allied Race and will arrive with a variety of customizations available to them. They wear bioluminescent paint on their faces and chests in a variety of patterns that can be selected when customizing your character.

Harandar Zone

The home of the haranir is a fungal jungle where the roots of all the world trees converge. The haranir travel through the rootways to move around the world. In the zone the Rift of Aln serves as a liminal space from which various creatures that their goddess dreams emerge. Some of these creatures are the stuff of horror, and to combat them, select members of the haranir take an oath to give up their connection to the goddess to serve as wardens and prevent them from roaming unfettered through Harandar.

The haranir can visit the Den of Echoes to remember their past through paintings, and players will also have the opportunity to learn some of those stories by interacting with them.

The Void

These predatory creatures will devour anything smaller and weaker than they are, consuming the power that comes from it. The Domanaar are the strongest of these. Unlike many Void creatures, they are highly intelligent and have their own hierarchy gained through the conquest and domination of others. Xal’atath, her cultists, and followers of the Void are all a part of this group. Beware of the ones who will disarm you with their ‘cute’ appearance. They will try to eat you.

Voidstorm Zone

Void suffuses this mysterious zone. Everything here is hungry and ready to devour anything and anyone to gain power. We’ll face off against the Void in a raid here alongside our allies in an attempt to make some sense of it all.

Delves, Dungeons, and Raids

Each zone will have Delves, dungeons, and raids to explore and adventure in.

Delves

There will be ten new Delves with an additional eleventh Nemesis* Delve. We’ve learned a lot of lessons and received feedback throughout the entirety of The War Within on what has worked and what hasn’t. These new Delves will have the same layers of variety and replayability as in The War Within, but with more layouts and enemies that we’ve found work better within them, and less of the things that don’t. A couple of the Delves will be staged in outdoor spaces where players can use their ground mounts to get around more easily. We’ll also integrate more quests to carry you through the overarching story in the zone.

• The Shadow Enclave
• Collegiate Calamity
• Parhelion Plaza
• The Darkway
• Twilight Crypts
• Atal’Aman
• The Grudge Pit
• The Gulf of Memory
• Sunkiller Sanctum
• Shadowguard Point
• Torment’s Rise*

Taking the place of Brann Bronzebeard, Valeera Sanguinar will be joining us as a new companion and will be able to take on all three support roles players are familiar with. She will lend her aid in many of the same ways as Brann, but hopefully will avoid standing in things that she shouldn’t be.

Dungeons

There will be eight new dungeons.

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

Magister’s Terrace has been reimagined and expanded to include areas that were previously inaccessible, such as a balcony overlooking the Sunwell.

Murder Row will have some of the same vibes as the Court of Stars dungeon from Legion, as you go undercover to investigate the rumors of the use of Fel magic within the walls of Silvermoon City.

Windrunner Spire will take you into the story of the Windrunner sisters, where you’ll learn more about their tragic family history. This is a winged dungeon with many mysteries to uncover.

Voidscar Arena is found in Voidstorm, where combatants from around the cosmos come together to battle to the death for the pleasure of the Domanaar. In Mythic+, the pace of the waves of combatants will be under the control of the players here.

We’ll have a mix of four new and four fan-favorite dungeons as part of Midnight Season 1. All eight of these new dungeons will also be available in Mythic0 during the pre-season period at launch.

New Raid Zones

Becoming available over the course of Midnight Season 1, we’ll have nine new boss encounters that span across three new raid zones.

• The Voidspire: Located in the Voidstorm, this raid consists of six bosses as you stage your assault on Xal’atath and her forces.
• The Dreamrift: A single boss raid in Harandar.
• March on Quel'Danas: Take the fight back to the Sunwell and the gates of Silvermoon City in this two-boss raid.

Each of these raid zones will take players into different environments and settings as we tell the story of Midnight throughout. With Story Mode, all players can experience these epic moments, while guilds and groups can play through the other available modes for more of a challenge.