World of Warcraft: Midnight will release globally on March 2, 2026.
The second part of the Worldsoul Saga and the 11th overall expansion for Blizzard's MMORPG, Midnight will take you to new and reimagined zones, let you try out new abilities, and face "all-new Delves, dungeons, and raids."
Applications for the beta test are now open, and over the course of the test, Blizzard will be "inviting community veterans, press, fansies, friends, and family" to check out the upcoming expansion.
Players who have bought the Epic Edition will also get the chance to participate in the beta, as well as get three days' early access, which means they can get stuck in from February 27.
You also don't have to wait until March to set up home if you've purchased any edition of the Midnight expansion — don't forget that Housing Early Access will kick off next week on December 2, so you'll be able to select a neighborhood, choose a house, and start making it cosy weeks before the expansion drops.
Blizzard provided a roadmap to its expansions plans back in BlizzCon 2023. The second of three expansions announced at the time, Midnight follows last year's The War Within, and will take place in Azeroth's "Old World" in Quel'thalas, where Void forces have invaded and are trying to destroy the Sunwell and plunge the world into darkness.
We played the first 10 hours last month, writing in IGN's World of Warcraft: Midnight preview: "There's still a lot of the Midnight alpha to see. Try as I might, they wouldn't even let me into the mysterious realm of Zul'Aman! But having played it basically every waking hour since I got access, which was about 10 hours ago as I write this, I am certainly impressed with the new zones and the customization housing allows, and I'm excited to see where the story of the Worldsoul Saga goes next."
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Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
