World of Warcraft is still going strong after 21 years for good reason–the game is constantly introducing new content and ideas to keep the over-two-decade-old MMORPG feeling like new, and 2026 will be no exception.
During a recent State of Azeroth 2026 presentation, Blizzard revealed a new player-housing focused cinematic, the current state of the game, and what the next year in Azeroth will look like. It’s a year bolstered by a new expansion release and all the new adventures that a major update entails. Midnight will introduce zones both new and reimagined for players to explore, while elements of the expansion, like a new Void-themed Demon Hunter specialization and player housing, are playable right now as part of the expansion’s pre-patch.
Looking ahead, the year will be filled with content updates every eight weeks, keeping in line with Blizzard’s live-service strategy that began in Dragonflight and has remained consistent for the last few years. While many of the updates, especially the major content patches, contain what players have come to expect, there’s more than a few surprises. Among them are a new form of content called Labyrinths that Blizzard has described as the mega-dungeon equivalent of delves, as well as teases we still don’t know much about, like a new game mode from the team behind WoW’s Plunderstorm battle royale and expansion remix events. Blizzard has also detailed what to expect from WoW Classic and is teasing something big on that front, though fans will likely have to wait until BlizzCon to learn more.
Below, you’ll find a breakdown of what to expect from WoW the year in WoW. Keep in mind that later content patch details are still vague, but do at least give some idea of what to expect post-Midnight launch. Housing updates also don’t have specific release dates, but are in the works and expected to arrive over the course of the year. With that said, let’s dive into what the next year of Azeroth looks like, and how WoW is still one of the best MMORPGs to play in 2026.
Midnight Pre-Patch
Available now, the Midnight pre-patch brought many of the under-the-hood changes for the upcoming expansion, among them a stat and level squish, talent tree adjustments, and significant changes to what add-ons can and can’t do. Going hand-in-hand with the add-on changes is the addition of in-game damage meters and boss alerts, with Blizzard finally looking to add much of the utility players once relied on via add-ons to the base game.
The pre-patch additionally added new customization features for player housing and monthly neighborhood events called Endeavours, an overhaul to transmog, and a new ranged-damage Demon Hunter specialization called Devourer. For those looking to learn the PvP ropes, a new Training Grounds feature lets players face off against bot opponents in various battlegrounds. Midnight’s Twilight Ascension pre-patch event, meanwhile, is a great way to level up new characters or gear out some existing ones ahead of the expansion’s launch. The event will run until Midnight’s launch.
Midnight’s Release
WoW’s 11th expansion, Midnight, arrives March 2, but those who preorder the game’s Epic Edition get three-day early access. Midnight will raise the MMO’s level cap to 90 and introduce four zones for players to explore–two brand-new and two dramatically reimagined from The Burning Crusade. Players will embark on a new story campaign to stop Xal’atath’s Void invasion of Azeroth.
The expansion comes with all the new content players have come to associate with major WoW updates. There will be eight new dungeons to conquer, as well as 11 delves and a new delve companion, Valeera Sanguinar. A new open-world system called Prey will see players hunting down (or being hunted by) powerful foes, which should add some new flavor to questing. A new social hub, the Arcantina, will serve as a place for players to sit back, relax, and interact with various WoW NPCs. There’s also a new playable allied race, the Haranir, to unlock. Last but not least, a new battleground and outdoor War-mode PvP zone called Slayer’s Rise is coming as well.
Midnight Season 1 will start March 17 and introduce two new raids for players to conquer–the six-boss raid Voidspire and the single-boss Dreamspire raid. The season also marks the start of the next several months of Mythic+, which will feature four new Midnight dungeons as well as four returning dungeons from previous expansions. A few weeks after the start of Season 1, a two-boss raid, March on Quel’Danas, will unlock.
Patch 12.05
The first Midnight content patch brings two main events for players to participate in. For PvE enjoyers, the .05 patch will continue Midnight’s story with “Void assault” world events. On the PvP side, the update will introduce a new PvP prop-hunt event that will see players transform into decor in an effort to hide while an opposing team attempts to sniff them out.
Patch 12.07
Blizzard is going all-in on additional raids outside its normal, major seasonal updates, with patch 12.07 set to introduce a single-boss raid. No other details are currently known about what the raid will entail (Blizzard is keeping much of the details close to its chest to avoid story spoilers), but said it wants to experiment with a more frequent raid cadence and smaller raid formats. The patch will additionally “escalate” Void assaults, though exactly what that means remains unknown. In what is quickly becoming a tradition, the patch will also bring back the Turbulent Timeways Timewalking event.
Patch 12.1
The further out the patch, the fewer details we have, but patch 12.1 will include much of what players expect from a major update, including a large new outdoor zone, a continuation of the expansion’s story, an additional raid, dungeon, and delve, and, of course, a refresh for the Mythic+ season. Outside new content, the update will also bring UI improvements, new housing features, and an overhaul to WoW’s in-game friend system, though Blizzard has yet to share additional details on what that will look like.
BlizzCon 2026
Blizzard’s mostly annual fan convention is back after what will have been a nearly two-year hiatus. This year’s BlizzCon is September 12-13 (a change from its usual November timeframe), and while Blizzard isn’t spoiling all its surprises, expect more information about the final expansion in the Worldsoul Saga–The Last Titan–what’s next for WoW Classic, and more. Blizzard said the team will be sharing how it views the “next 20 years” of WoW, so there should certainly be some major news and announcements from the show.
Patch 12.1.5
The first post-BlizzCon content update of the year, patch 12.1.5 might also be the most exciting, as it will introduce a new form of content called Labyrinths. These are essentially extra-large delves inspired by mega dungeons that can be completed either in a single sitting or in chunks over a period of time. In keeping with Blizzard’s new raid strategy, the patch will also add yet another single-boss raid.
12.1.7
WoW’s .7 patches are quickly becoming ones to look forward to, and patch 12.1.7 won’t be any different. That’s because in addition to new story content and the return of the Turbulent Timeways event, the patch is set to introduce a mysterious new “standalone mode.” What the mode will be is anyones guess, but it’s coming from the same team behind Plunderstorm and its recent expansion Remix modes, instantly making this a patch worth keeping an eye on.
WoW Classic
While all the updates above are for the modern, “retail” version of WoW, there’s plenty going on in the world of WoW Classic, with Blizzard currently operating multiple old-school versions of the MMORPG. Mists of Pandaria Classic will receive its Escalation, Siege of Orgrimmar, and Timeless Isle patch updates later this year, with the game’s Anniversary Realms set to progress to The Burning Crusade on February 5 before going through that expansion’s various updates.
As for the big new thing from the WoW Classic team, Blizzard certainly seems poised to make some news on that front. The WoW showcase makes a point of having executive producer Holly Longdale close to making a major announcement, only to be interrupted at the last second. Will it be the long-rumored and often asked for Classic+? That remains to be seen, but expect an announcement of what’s next at BlizzCon.
Housing Updates
Players have wasted no time making all kinds of impressive housing creations, and housing is a major new pillar of the game going forward. Blizzard looks to be busy absorbing feedback and implementing new features on that front. While there isn’t an exact timeline on when new housing features will be coming, Blizzard did dedicate a section of the showcase to it, outlining some of the upcoming additions players can expect. Future housing updates Blizzard is prioritizing include pet and mount integration, more advanced decoration tools like the ability to mass select as well as copy/paste housing objects, and the power to import and export housing creations.
WoW Ambassador Program And Charity Pet Pack
On the community font, Blizzard revealed plans for a WoW Ambassador program that will seek to connect players with similar goals, playstyles, and interests in the name of “fostering inclusivity.” As in previous years, Blizzard will once again offer a Charity Pet Pack, this time in the form of a dog named Roofus and pet-themed housing decor. Proceeds from the pack will support Habitat for Humanity.
