World of Warcraft Reveals Midnight Roadmap

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Okay, so Blizzard just dropped the 2026 plans for World of Warcraft, and it looks awesome! They’re talking about adding raid bosses in smaller patches, making Labyrinth delves way bigger, and even adding totally new game modes like Prop Hunt. They’re keeping a lot of the details under wraps for now, but honestly, 2026 is looking like a really good year to be a WoW player, no matter what version you like to play!

The new expansion for World of Warcraft is almost here, officially launching on March 2nd! Until then, players can dive into the Pre-Expansion Update, which features significant improvements to core game systems, tweaks to character classes, and a special in-game event called Twilight Ascension.

World of Warcraft 2026 Roadmaps Explained

Image via Blizzard

Blizzard has shared details about the future of World of Warcraft after the Midnight expansion. During a recent presentation, they unveiled a plan for updates coming in 2026. A new patch, 12.0.5, will launch this spring, introducing “Void Assaults,” a world event where players defend important areas of Midnight from Xal’atath’s forces. Also coming is a fun new mini-game called Prop Hunt, where players hide in Silvermoon City disguised as objects, and others try to find them before time runs out.

With Patch 12.0.7 arriving later this spring, players can look forward to a new story campaign and escalating Void Assaults. A surprising new challenge will also appear: a standalone raid against a giant Spore Walker, likely located in Harandar. Plus, the popular Turbulent Timeways Timewalking event will be back for its sixth time in World of Warcraft.

The first big update for Midnight, patch 12.1, is coming this summer. While not much was revealed, data from the WoW: Midnight beta hints that the update might take place on Atal’Utek, the enigmatic island east of Zul’Aman. Players can anticipate all the usual features of a major patch, such as a new zone to explore, a raid, a dungeon, a world boss, a continuing story campaign, delves, and various general improvements – including updates to Player Housing.

Ion Hazzikostas, the game director for World of Warcraft, announced that updates to the game’s social features and friend system are coming in patch 12.1.

With the release of Patch 12.1.5 this fall, two new features are coming to the game. First, a new raid will be available, and this one will directly advance the game’s story. Second, a new type of large dungeon called Labyrinths will be introduced. These Labyrinths are designed to be massive, offering players the option to complete the entire dungeon at once or tackle it in smaller sections, either solo with a companion or with a group. They are similar to the mega-dungeons planned for the upcoming World of Warcraft: The War Within expansion.

Image via Blizzard

The final update for this year is scheduled to be version 12.1.7. It will include more quests for the story campaign, the seventh Turbulent Timeways event, and holiday-themed content – likely for Hallow’s End or the Feast of Winter Veil. Plus, the team behind Plunderstorm is creating a brand new, separate game mode. Details are scarce, but a preview image suggests it might be the mysterious spooky game teased at last year’s PAX East. It could be a social deduction game similar to Among Us, or an asymmetrical survival game like Dead By Daylight, potentially featuring the Witches of Drustvar.

Image via Blizzard

So, Blizzard just announced a cool freebie for us World of Warcraft players! If you’re a subscriber and log in before Midnight comes out, you can snag a Dark Portal Housing decor item. It’s a nice little perk for just playing the game, which is awesome!

What’s Coming Next in World of Warcraft: Classic?

The next content update for Mists of Pandaria Classic, Escalation, is coming this spring, followed by Siege of Orgrimmar this summer. Blizzard hasn’t announced what their plans are beyond that, so players will probably have to wait until BlizzCon on September 12th to find out what’s next for the game.

Blizzard has announced the plan for Classic Fresh servers through the end of The Burning Crusade, including the Fury of the Sunwell update coming later this year. They haven’t said if these servers will continue to Wrath of the Lich King Classic or if they’re planning any further developments like Classic+. While World of Warcraft producer Holly Longdale hinted at a big reveal during their recent showcase, details will likely be shared at BlizzCon.

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2026-01-29 23:04