World of Warcraft: Midnight’s Class and Addon Changes Finally Make Sense

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As a huge World of Warcraft fan, I’m so excited to hear it’s finally coming to Xbox! It’s not a direct release, but the new Xbox consoles are supposed to be able to run full Windows. That means anything you can run on a PC – like Microsoft Office or League of Legends – will work on the Xbox too. And that includes World of Warcraft! This is the first time the game will officially be available on a console, which is amazing news for those of us who love the game but prefer playing on a big screen in the living room.

This announcement is major news for console gamers, but it also clarifies recent concerns from World of Warcraft players. The upcoming Midnight expansion is significantly changing how classes are played and how addons work, which has sparked debate within the community. However, bringing WoW to consoles helps explain why Blizzard is making such dramatic changes to the game.

World of Warcraft: Midnight is Preparing For an Xbox Release

Blizzard is Making Big Changes in World of Warcraft’s Next Expansion

Each new World of Warcraft expansion brings changes to how classes are played, and Midnight is bringing particularly significant ones. While the extent of these changes differs between each class specialization, every class will feel noticeably different. A common goal behind all these World of Warcraft adjustments is to make combat easier and more streamlined.

Beyond the changes in the upcoming Midnight update, Blizzard is also adjusting World of Warcraft’s API, which will limit how some addons work. The goal appears to be eliminating the need for “essential” addons and making the game fairer for players who don’t use them. Features commonly found in popular addons, like damage trackers and boss alert systems, are being built directly into the game. Unfortunately, these changes could mean the end for many well-known World of Warcraft addons, including:

  • WeakAuras (confirmed, ending development)
  • ElvUI (confirmed, pausing development)
  • RCLootCouncil
  • MethodRaidTools
  • Details! Damage Meter

Blizzard has offered explanations for recent changes, but the real reason might be something they haven’t revealed. Sources at Windows Central suggest the next Xbox will essentially be a powerful PC capable of running any Windows program, including Battle.net and World of Warcraft. Although Blizzard and Microsoft haven’t linked these changes to the new console’s technical capabilities, it seems highly likely that the console’s ability to run PC programs played a significant role.

Microsoft hasn’t announced the name or release date of the next Xbox, but some reports indicate it might be called “Xbox Prime” and launch in 2027.

How WoW: Midnight’s Class Changes Will Help Console Players

These changes might spark debate, but they could greatly benefit players using controllers. Simplifying the controls and reducing the number of buttons will make the game more accessible for those who prefer controllers. Although World of Warcraft isn’t currently designed for controller play, it’s reasonable to expect an alternative control system for the console version, much like Final Fantasy 14 offers on PlayStation and Xbox.

Based on what we know about the new Xbox, it seems fans should be able to install add-ons since it runs on Windows. However, it’s unclear how well these add-ons will work on consoles, so it’s difficult to say if the current restrictions are connected to that.

The news about World of Warcraft coming to Xbox consoles explains a lot of recent updates. While improvements like the new user interface, Cooldown Manager, Combat Assisted Highlight, and One-Button Rotation are already great for PC players, they could be especially helpful for those playing on consoles. These changes likely weren’t only made for a console release, but they’ll definitely make the game better on those platforms.

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2025-10-28 00:35