During BlizzCon 2026’s opening ceremony, the next chapter of World of Warcraft Midnight was revealed. We are entering the Mantle Vault in 12.2, aptly named Eclipse, where the World Soul, Azeroth, is being kept.
Xal’atath is there to possess Azeroth, making her nigh unstoppable by any threat. And as promised back in 2023, things are not going to end up well for our champions. Even more information about what players can expect in Midnight‘s last major content patch and beyond was revealed during the Midnight What’s Next panel.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
Talebound is the newest limited-time Game Mode in World of Warcraft Midnight
As teased back at PAX East 2025, Talebound has been officially revealed. This game mode will be massively different from their previous limited-time mode, Plunderstorm. Talebound takes the MMO and changes it into a roguelike action RPG through numerous mini adventures where you gain power between each run. We are caught in a storyteller’s web, forcing us into their favorite horror tales where we must find our way to survive the grim tales being told.
Talebound also appears to involve, in some ways, the return of Drustvar’s Drust as well as Sire Denathrius and his denizens of Revendreth. Each of the four tales that we explore will feature these enemies, old and new, along with unique loot, bosses, and puzzles. Only with the loot we get from each run will we one day be able to defeat the Storyteller and escape.
We’ll also be playing three unique classes in this mode: the hunter-like Slayer, who uses guns, swords, and knives to slay foes; the light-based Inquisitor, who utilizes holy and light attacks from a distance; and the Witch, who uses more nature- and alchemy-like attacks to eliminate enemies. Interestingly, each class will also come with a block, double jump, and dodge, with mobility and fast reflexes being key to surviving. Overall perfect for the upcoming spooky season, even if it’s only on PTR in October.
World of Warcraft Midnight 12.2, Eclipse, will take us to the deepest depths of Azeroth
With not much revealed for 12.1.7, we do know that whatever happens after Kith’ix’s rise and the fallout of 12.1.5 in 12.1.7 will lead us to Xal’atath’s newest known location, The Mantle Vault. A mix of Azerite crystal and Titan machines, we’ll have our final stand against Xal’atath and the Devouring Host to save Azeroth. From the clips shown, The Mantle Vault is a massive, expansive underground zone that feels reminiscent of Deepholm.
The Mantle Vault is also where we will finally meet the crystalline Dwarf-like race, the Thraegar (think legendary versions of Earthen from The War Within). And since we’re underground, we’ll also be fighting an army of underground-based creatures, known as the Deepskar. Plus, a great feature introduced in 12.1, Lairs, a new take on world bosses, is returning with The Gearhold, where we will fight an Azerite-infused bat creature.
Along with a new zone and raid, Eclipse will also introduce a new 3-boss dungeon, Thraegar’ Stand. Man, Blizzard loves adding 3-boss raids to their major patches, huh. Speaking of the raid, we’ll be diving into the newest 8-boss raid, The Worldcore. This new raid will be where we will finally battle Xal’atath, who is the final boss of The Worldcore.
By beating Xal’atath, the first legendary of The Worldsoul Saga will be obtainable for casters: Midnight’s Edge. This is a beautiful one-handed weapon for casters that looks like an even more void-infused version of Xal’atath’s prison when we first met her, Blade of the Black Empire.
Season 3 will see the return of Notorious Mythic + dungeons and a New Legacy Dungeon
The Mythic+ dungeon pool will be changing once again with Midnight season 3. Blizzard is continuing their thematic takes on dungeon selection with a focus on ones about imprisonment, torture, and delving underground.
Four previous Mythic + dungeons return: The Underrot, Iron Docks, Sanguine Depths, and Uldaman: Legacy of Tyr. There will also be the addition of a new legacy Mythic + dungeon from Cataclysm, The Stonecore. Definitely an interesting mix that is once again on the nose for the season’s storytelling.
Mythic + rewards are also changing once again this season. These have been expanded to offer more rewards for those who reach a Mythic+ score of 3400, and for those who are in the top 1% at the end of the season. With Eclipse, a new Top 5%, and all Top % based rewards will now be Spec-based instead of overall. A highly welcome addition for those who don’t play meta specs or classes.
World of Warcraft Midnight Season 3 Delves are the Culmination of Midnight‘s Prey system
With the new delves in The Mantle Vault, we’ll once again have a new Delve Nemesis to challenge us. This time, it’s the man who’s pushed us to slay powerful foes and absorb their anguish. Astalor Bloodsworn is the newest Nemesis boss who adds more variants that include additional difficulty variations.
Prey isn’t going away, even as Astalor loses it and turns on us. Anguish is bubbling up in The Mantle Vault, and we’ll have new Prey targets to hunt down. As part of 12.2, we’ll also get a new difficulty for Prey hunts, Agony mode.
Massive Player Customization Updates!
For a Paladin expansion, Paladins have felt shafted up to this point. No new race class combos… until now. Night Elves, Darkspear Trolls, AND FORSAKEN can now become Paladins. Just in time to match the addition of Forsaken Paladins in World of Warcraft Forever. With the Forsaken especially, they are known to be damaged by the light. So with Eclipse, a new questline diving into how they have embraced the Paladin ways will reveal all.
Now, while this isn’t coming in 12.2, we got a tease of what to expect in 12.2.5 regarding Transmogging. At the start of Midnight, transmogging was massively overhauled to allow outfits to be changed by spec, time of day, location, etc. FINALLY, we’ll now also no longer have armor restrictions!! Plate wearers can transmog on cloth armor, and vice versa. The ultimate player customization has just gotten massively better.
Housing Finally Adds Mannequins for Transmog Display
A long-requested feature is finally being added to Housing. We’ll unlock mannequins that can be placed in our houses and will be customizable with transmog to show off. As part of the panel, they revealed that Mannequins of many different body types will be made available.
Wrath of the Lich King is the Next Remix
After 12.2.7 and before the launch of The Last Titan, we’ll be revisiting Northrend for a little taste of the past with Wrath of the Lich King Remix. Not much is known about how this will fit with the remix style of ever-increasing power, but WotLK is an excellent way to remind us of Northrend’s past as we are about to experience its new modern take. Plus, we’ll finally have an easier way to get the Time-lost Proto Drake mount.
Midnight has been a great expansion so far. And its end is no different. With battling Xal’atath at the door of Azeroth’s core, to massive updates and changes for delves, seasonal content, and player customization, World of Warcraft Midnight is pitched to end on a very high note. Now to see just how it all will come crashing down and what will remain of Azeroth for The Last Titan.
World of Warcraft Midnight is available now on PC.
