Blizzard is still tweaking class balance before the release of World of Warcraft: Midnight. They announced on February 24 that the Unholy Death Knight will be slightly weakened, but Mages and Priests will receive some defensive improvements. This means the popular Death Knight specialization will be a little less durable, while those other classes will gain some added protection.
A final tuning adjustment will happen shortly before those who pre-ordered the World of Warcraft: Midnight Epic Edition gain early access to the game. As the 11th expansion to Blizzard’s popular MMORPG, Midnight will feature updated versions of classic areas like Silvermoon City, Eversong Woods, and Zul’aman – originally seen in The Burning Crusade. Alongside revisiting Quel’thalas, Midnight introduces entirely new locations, including Harandar, the underground home of the Haranir. Players will also be able to unlock the Haranir as a playable race by completing quests within the Midnight expansion.
Blizzard Makes One Final Round of Pre-Midnight Class Tuning
Just a week before the release of the Dragonflight expansion’s Midnight update, Blizzard announced another set of adjustments to how different character classes perform in World of Warcraft. These changes will go live on February 24th after a short period of server maintenance. Specifically, the Unholy Death Knight, currently a very durable damage-dealing class, will see a reduction in its defenses. A key ability, Rune of the Apocalypse, will have its damage-reducing effect weakened, going from a 5% reduction to just 1%. This means Unholy Death Knights will take more damage in battles as they head into the Midnight content.
The February 24th patch isn’t just for Unholy Death Knights. Windwalker Monks, who focus on dealing damage in close combat, will also be improved. The Calming Presence talent will now reduce all damage taken by 6%, a significant increase from its previous 3% reduction. Additionally, the Avoidance benefit from the Martial Instincts talent will be stronger, increasing by 3% for each point spent in the talent, up from 2%. The amount of physical damage Martial Instincts provides will stay the same.
Two of the most vulnerable spellcasters in World of Warcraft are getting stronger defenses. Mages, already known for dealing a lot of damage in World of Warcraft: Midnight, will also take slightly less damage. The Arcane Warding talent will now reduce magic damage by 4% per point, an increase from 2%. Their protective spells, like Prismatic Barrier and Ice Barrier, will also absorb 5% more damage based on the mage’s health. Priests are also receiving three defensive improvements. Angelic Bulwark will now absorb damage equal to 25% of the Priest’s maximum health, up from 15%, giving them more time to recover. The Spell Warding talent will reduce magic damage by 3% per point, increased from 2%, and the Strength of Soul talent will now increase a priest’s Stamina by 6% instead of 4%.
More Class Changes to Come After Midnight’s Launch
Image via Blizzard With the recent changes to stats and item levels in World of Warcraft before the Midnight expansion, any adjustments to how much damage players do need to be carefully considered. While World of Warcraft has big plans for Midnight and its Classic versions through 2026, balancing the different character classes will continue to rely on what players think and what the developers observe. It remains to be seen which classes will be made stronger or weaker before the first raid content arrives in Midnight in the coming weeks.
World of Warcraft: Midnight Class Tuning Update Notes (February 24, 2026)
Death Knight
- Unholy
- Rune of the Apocalypse Famine effect now reduces the damage the target deals to caster by 1% (was 5%).
Mage
- Arcane Warding now reduces magic damage taken by 4/8% (was 2/4%).
- All Mage Barrier spells absorb an additional 5% maximum health.
Monk
- Windwalker
- Calming Presence now decreases damage taken by 6% (was 3%).
- Martial Instincts now increases Avoidance by 3/6% (was 2/4%).
Priest
- Angelic Bulwark now absorbs damage equal to 25% of your maximum health (was 15%).
- Spell Warding now reduces magic damage taken by 3%/6% (was 2%/4%). Not applied to PvP combat.
- Strength of Soul now increases Stamina by 6% (was 4%). Not applied to PvP combat.
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2026-02-22 22:34