World of Warcraft: Midnight What’s Next Panel Recap

Join Lead Content Designer Jake Miller and Associate Game Director Paul Kubit as they share a first look at the next chapter of World of Warcraft in the BlizzCon 2026 What's Next panel, from details on the upcoming Season 3 to the story and features coming in Eclipse, Midnight's final major content update, and all the new adventures, features, and surprises in between.

A New Game Mode: Talebound

Talebound arrives with the Echoes of the Worldcore content update and introduces a new PvE action RPG game mode where stories come to life.

Players are pulled into the tales of a mysterious Storyteller whose favorite stories lean toward the macabre.

Venture in solo or with friends, explore themed levels, and encounter enemies, bosses, puzzles, treasure, relics, and rewards.

Quillgrave: Your Haven Between Horrors

Between each horrific adventure, you'll return to the familiar, but unsettling village of Quillgrave where you'll prepare for the adventures ahead. After each run of a tale, work together with the Arcanist (potions, draughts, and flasks), Scribe (talents and abilities), Outfitter (improves health, damage, energy, and focus), and Antiquarian (meaningful passives to help augment how each tale may be approached) to improve your odds in your next attempt.

Take a rest, hang your cap, and sip some hot cocoa, but don't get too comfortable; the village and the storyteller don't appreciate a story unfinished, so you'll have to strategize for the horrors to come.

Once rested, take up arms and endeavor through the telling and retelling of tales that will test your new skills and abilities.

Take a Look at the Talebound Classes

Across all classes, movement and defense are central, and every class can double jump, dodge, and guard, making positioning a key part of combat.

Slayer

The Slayer's martial might and monster hunter knowledge give him the rare physical tools to combat the beasts of folklore. Wield a sword to cut down eldritch foes and a gun for when a blade doesn't suffice

Inquisitor

The Inquisitor's zeal lights every corner and burns the face of evil, no matter the illusions it uses to hide.

Witch

The Witch uses lightning, poison, spiders, moonlight, thorns, and ravens to overwhelm enemies with a darker, spell-driven style.

So Many Tales to Tell and Re-Tell

Talebound will launch with four stories to explore:

Darkhaven

Home to Kongrad von Sonnesheim, The Lord Marshal, and Alexandre Dozsenc, The Blood Bishop.

Greenthistle Wood

Houses Granny Greenthumb, Witch of the Woods, Ylska Vilefang, Witch of the Wilds, and Mobog, The Giant of Greenthistle.

Greywake's Expedition

The tale of the many who have fallen to Zzyg'th, The Hadal Tyrant, and Chathoa, The Herald from Beyond.

Grove of the Night Court

A frightening chronicle of Tilywth, The Fairy Queen, and Maernok, The Nightmare King

Each tale introduces its own settings, enemies, and boss encounters, including witches, giants, marshals, bishops, deep-sea horrors, and nightmare royalty.

Gather around the campfire, get lost in a tale, and find yourself returning with many cosmetic rewards for your Midnight account.

Look for an early preview of Talebound on the PTR sometime in October.

The Next Midnight Content Update: 12.1.5

In the Curse of Ula'tek, our heroes challenged and defeated Ula'tek, the great-winged, writhing avatar of hatred that lurked deep beneath the Coiled Isle, constricting something the Amani believed to be long-dead, Kith'ix. In the next content update to Midnight, we delve beneath Ula'tek's chamber and into Kith'ix's prison, and the dramatic finale of this epic saga.

The 12.1.5 content update is currently on the PTR; log in to experience:

• New Story Campaign: "The Promise of Tomorrow"
• New Single-Boss Raid: The Unbinding of Kith'ix
• New Expanded Delve-Like Experience: Labyrinths
• New Outdoor Event: Aqir Invasion
• Mid-Season 2 Refresh: Ascendant Venomstones

Learn more from our previously published overview.

World of Warcraft Midnight: Eclipse

Eclipse is the final major content update to Midnight where we'll crank up the "battle between the Light and Void" to an 11, as we bring our own Light-wielding forces to deliver a decisive blow to Xal'atath and her Devouring Host.

The road to the Worldcore will take players deeper beneath Azeroth than ever before. Throughout Eclipse, champions will explore hidden Titan vaults, confront the Devouring Host, and gather new allies in the final battle against Xal'atath.

New Zone: The Mantle Vault

Discover an expansive zone hidden eons ago by the Titans, where Azeroth's champions and their new allies, the Thraegar, an ancient race of crystalline, dwarflike creatures, will make a stand against the Devouring Host. Explore this diverse biome, filled with a unique ecology of stone- and azerite-based wildlife, including stone worms and crystalline elementals.

New World Group: Deepskar Empire

Separate from the forces of Light and Void is the Deepskar Empire, a coalition of subterranean lowlifes that aren't very hospitable to our presence, and included amongst them are kobolds, troggs, drogbar, and their leaders… the niffen.

New Lair: The Gearhold

An enormous azerite bat, Noctinaxx, is one of Eclipse's new raid bosses. Found lurking within its own Lair-The Gearhold-Noctinaxx awaits you on World, Normal, Heroic, and flexible Mythic difficulties.

New Dungeon: Thraegar's Stand

This 3-boss dungeon is home to Cragcleaver and Foreman Sullk (a pair of excavation foremen), Monokk (an azerite elemental), and a deadly titan construct named Stenvarg the Inevitable.

Thraegar's Stand will be part of the Season 3 Mythic+ dungeon rotation.

New Raid: The Worldcore

In this 8-boss raid, you'll take on void enemies, Titan constructs, living Azerite, and Xal'atath, whose schemes have kept us in pursuit throughout the Worldsoul Saga- but no more. Her motivations laid bare, take a final stand in the battle between the Light and the Void.

Her defeat means great reward.

New Legendary Caster Weapon: Midnight's Edge

The first Legendary of Midnight, and of the Worldsoul Saga, is Midnight's Edge, obtained from the Worldcore raid.

This weapon is a caster dagger-not the Blade of the Black Empire, and defeating the raid is only one of the many steps that you'll have to undergo to unlock this weapon.

Midnight Season 3 Features, Rewards, and Dungeon Rotation

Shortly after the launch of Eclipse, Season 3 kicks off, and along with the new raids and a PvP season, champions of Azeroth will experience a new Mythic+ dungeon pool and changes to Delves.

Mythic+ Dungeon Rotation

Season 3 will deliver a package of varied, thematic, and legacy dungeons alongside the newest Eclipse dungeon, Thraegar's Stand.

Azeroth's heroes can tackle the challenges within these updated legacy dungeons: The Underrot, Iron Docks, Sanguine Depths, The Stonecore, and Uldaman: Legacy of Tyr. And there will also be a return of the Midnight dungeons: Magisters' Terrace and Maisara Cavern with some changes and touch-ups to ensure the challenge is worthy of the rewards.

Season 3 Mythic+ Rewards

Push your limits, climb the rankings, and earn new seasonal rewards based on your specialization.

Season 3 brings new goals for Mythic+ players, including an additional reward tier for the top 5% of players and updated eligibility for both the top 1% and top 5% seasonal rewards.

Players who finish Season 3 in the top 5% of Mythic+ ratings will earn a new seasonal reward. This new tier gives more high-performing dungeon runners a chance to show off their accomplishments each season.

Beginning with Season 3, top 1% and top 5% Mythic+ rewards will be awarded based on your ranking within your specialization instead of your overall ranking among all Mythic+ players.

For example, if you push Mythic+ as a Protection Warrior, your eligibility will be determined by how your rating compares to other Protection Warriors. The same applies to every specialization participating in Mythic+ during the season.

Gather your group, choose your specialization, and prepare to climb the Mythic+ rankings when Season 3 begins.

Descend into New Delves in Season 3

New adventures, new progression, and new dangers await beneath the surface.

Season 3 will send players deeper into the adventure with fresh challenges and continued progression alongside Valeera Sanguinar. Her journey continues with an increased level cap, new Curios to discover, and a renewed drive to strike back against the threats gathering in the shadows.

You'll need every advantage you can earn. A deadly new Nemesis awaits in Season 3-cunning, relentless, and ready to test your resolve.

New Delve Nemesis: Astalor Bloodsworn

Astalor rises as a new Nemesis, bringing optional challenges and fresh ways to test your skills in Delves.

You'll also encounter additional variations across existing Delves, adding new twists to familiar routes as you push deeper into the season's adventures.

Prepare yourself, sharpen your strategy, and face Astalor when Season 3 begins.

New Prey Mode: Face The Agony in Eclipse

New Prey, new torments, and a final difficulty await in the Mantle Vault.

In Eclipse, Xal'atath's attempts to claim the Worldsoul have stirred deep anguish beneath Azeroth's surface. Your investigations alongside Astalor will lead into the Mantle Vault, where darker threats are waiting to be uncovered.

Hunt new Prey, endure new Torments, and steel yourself for Agony Mode-the final Prey difficulty. A true challenge that will test your determination, your grit, and your will to press on when the shadows close in.

New Outdoor Feature: Answer the Call of Radiant Screams

The Worldsoul's cries echo through the Mantle Vault as Radiant Screams arrive in Eclipse.

In Eclipse, the journey into the Worldcore brings you closer than ever to the Worldsoul-and her visions are growing stronger. Within the Mantle Vault, Radiant Screams give players a new outdoor feature tied to the Worldsoul's outcries.

As her cries echo through the vault, players will be called to respond to the growing disturbances taking shape around them.

Watch for Radiant Screams when they arrive in Eclipse and prepare to answer the Worldsoul's call.

New Options for Paladins Arrive in Eclipse

New races answer the call of the Light. Forsaken, Night Elf, and Troll characters will be able to become Paladins, expanding the roster of champions who can wield holy power in defense of Azeroth.

Answer the Light's call when new Paladin options arrive.

Housing Updates: Show Off Your Home in Eclipse

New Housing updates let you share, decorate, and refine your home in new ways.

Eclipse brings new updates to Housing, including Showcase, mannequins, interface improvements, additional décor convenience, and new endeavors.

Housing Showcase

Showcase is a new Housing mode that lets players browse featured homes from the Housing dashboard. Showcases may feature collections of homes or themed events, and players can visit homes that interest them.

Players can also submit their own homes to Showcase. When a home is submitted, a snapshot of that home is saved at that moment, allowing players to continue decorating while participating in a Showcase. Selected Showcase events can offer exclusive décor rewards.

Players can take a snapshot at any time and generate a Visitor Code to share with others.

Mannequins

Mannequins are coming to Housing. Players can place a mannequin in their home and equip it with unlocked gear and weapon appearances.

Housing Interface Updates

Housing is also receiving interface updates, including copy-paste and multi-select support for décor.

Copy-paste lets players duplicate décor with the same properties as the original, including size, rotation, and dye, when additional copies of the décor and dyes are available.

Multi-select lets players select multiple décor items together and move or rotate them around a single pivot point.

More Decor, Right at Home

In Eclipse, players who already own at least one piece of décor can buy more copies of that décor while in their home, as if purchasing it from a vendor.

More to Look Forward To

In addition to the amazing things already outlined in the What's Next panel, here are some tidbits that will pique your interest.

New Housing Endeavors

Eclipse adds four new endeavors to Housing, including the Stormriders of the Isle of Dorn.

New Feature: Calibration Chamber

A new feature called Calibration Chamber is coming with Eclipse, where you and your party or raid can test your rotation with varied target dummies and advanced features like cooldown resets and full raid buffs.

A Journey for PvP

PvP progression is getting refreshed with a new Journey that gives you cool PvP rewards.

Expand Your Transmog Options

Starting with content update 12.2.5, players will be able to transmog gear across armor types without restriction. Get ready to create new looks and expand your collection of appearances when the 12.2.5 content update arrives.

New Remix Coming to WoW: Wrath of the Lich King

Prepare to return to Northrend and embrace the power of the Scourge for the Wrath of the Lich King Remix.

From eerie new tales in Talebound to the climactic showdown awaiting in Eclipse, the What's Next panel offered a glimpse at the journeys still to come in Midnight. Whether you're preparing for the challenges of Season 3, plotting and planning out your dream home, or preparing for your return to Wrath of the Lich King Remix, there is no shortage of adventure ahead in World of Warcraft.