Winter Veil
While we can't confirm that these are all Winter Veil related, there's certainly a winter feel to them - and they look a lot like a Krampus-style transmog. At least one comes from the Trading Post, and its flavor text reveals a Drust theme!
Ensemble: Frost Revenant's Guise of the Wight
Ensemble: Frost Revenant's Guise of the Wight Variant
Ensemble: Embered Guise of the Wight
Ensemble: Wood Haunter's Guise of the Wight
Ensemble: Ice-Walker's Guise of the Wight
Embered Hide Piercer Frost Revenant's Hide Piercer Ice Walker's Hide Piercer Wood Haunter's Hide Piercer Embered Bell-Crook Frost Revenant's Bell-Crook Ice Walker's Bell-Crook Wood Haunter's Bell-Crook Embered Frost Fetish Frost Revenant's Frost Fetish Ice Walker's Frost Fetish Wood Haunter's Frost Fetish
NEW Use a power up 3 times in the tree defence activity.
Hallow's End
In the same way we can't confirm that these are all Hallow's End related, the candy theme really only points towards one thing - and the Ghost Buster reference with the back piece matches the new achievement, I Ain't Afraid of no Ghost.
Blue Raspberry Lollibop Cherry Lollibop Cotton Candy Lollibop Grape Lollibop Lemon Lollibop Orange Lollibop Sour Apple Lollibop Spearmint Lollibop Vacpack 84-X
Find Pepe wearing his spooky scarecrow costume.
New reward: Decor Reward: Scarecrow Pepe
NEW Collect and deposit 10 ghosts in any neighborhood.
NEW Complete all 3 candy quests from one of the 3 zones accessible from neighborhoods.
NEW used to award pepe decor
]]>
If you're going to be at BlizzCon, Wowhead would love to see you and say hi! Keep an eye out for some of our writers wearing Wowhead sweatshirts, and we'd love to meet and hear from our readers. See you at the show!]]>
Rogues have better clarity with Thistle Tea when using the Cooldown Manager (meaning it's now in there!)
Echoing Maul shouldn't trigger unintentionally anymore in Den of Nalorakk runs
You won't lose the buff from Afflicted Soul in multiple situations anymore
Various fixes to different Delve stories
September 10, 2026
Classes
Death Knight
Unholy
Resolved an issue causing Magus of the Dead to occasionally spawn at extreme vertical differences.
Hunter
Survival
Corrected an issue where the initial damage of Wildfire Bomb would not happen if the Hunter was affected by crowd control effects while the bomb hit the target.
Corrected an issue where Strike As One would not deal damage with a Raptor Swipe that benefit from Tip of the Spear if Aspect of the Eagle is active.
Mage
Hero Talents
Spellslinger
Fixed an issue causing Splinters from Augury Abounds to sometimes strike crowd-controlled targets when other non-crowd controlled targets are available.
Paladin
Holy
Fixed an issue that caused Ringing of the Heavens to not function if cast as Lightsmith while targeting an enemy.
Protection
Fixed an issue where Glory of the Vanguard was not dealing full damage to its primary target.
Rogue
Both versions of Thistle Tea can now be tracked in the Cooldown Manager.
Shaman
Restoration
Fixed an issue where Soothing Rain did not properly reduce the cast time of Healing Rain by 0.5 seconds.
Delves
Fixed an issue where Domanaar Enforcer’s could Devour an already dead corpse.
Explorer’s League Supplies and the Abandoned Restoration Stone will now appear in the Twilight Crypts delve variant “Loosed Loa.”
Dungeons and Raids
Den of Nalorakk
Addressed an issue where Nalorakk’s Echoing Maul can sometimes trigger unintentionally.
The Venomous Abyss
The Lost Explorers
Mor’zahi’s damage escalation during Final Ascension will now reset if his cast is interrupted.
Player versus Player
Evoker
Fixed an issue where Unburdened Flight was causing Deep Breath to move the player forward during Hover.
Hero Talents
Chronowarden
Fixed an issue where Warp was still causing the player to become immune to snares while talented into Unburdened Flight.
Prey
The buff from Afflicted and Tormented Souls is no longer removed on death, by entering a battleground or arena, or by switching specializations, and cannot be accidentally removed by the player.
]]>
Sporebearer Fungal Strider
In Patch 12.1.5, Blizzard is adding a new Vendor mount, Sporebearer Fungal Strider. This mount costs 5 million gold by default and is only available for purchase during the Midnight expansion. While this mount has customizable vendors, it only comes with a mailbox and repair vendor by default, and buying the Auction House or Transmog Vendors will cost an additional 1.5M gold and 500k gold, respectively.
If you want to get the mount and all the vendors, this will cost seven million gold!
Price Comparison of Vendor Mounts
Of the many mounts in World of Warcraft, there are only a few vendor mounts. The first vendor mount mostly only offered repairs and vendors, but over time, the benefits expanded to include Auction Houses and Mailboxes. Most of these mounts are available with Gold, although some are on the Battle.net store for real money. After the introduction of the WoW Token, the lines between the two have become increasingly fuzzy, with in-game gold having an inherent dollar value based on the current market value of the token.
MountVendorsPrice
Reins of the Traveler's Tundra MammothRepair / Vendor20,000 Gold
Reins of the Grand Expedition YakRepair / Transmog120,000 Gold
Reins of the Mighty Caravan BrutosaurAuction House / Repair5,000,000 Gold
Reins of the Trader's Gilded BrutosaurAuction House / Mailbox$90 USD
Grizzly Hills PackmasterVendor / Transmog$20 USD
Sporebearer Fungal StriderAll7,000,000 Gold
With the original Brutosaur, historical token data doesn't go back that far - but for those players active and earning the mount back then, many remember that tokens were about 300k each. This means that players would have needed roughly 17 tokens if starting from scratch, costing about $340 USD. At the time, this was by far the most expensive mount ever released - and the cost has only gone up now that this mount is no longer available except for the BMAH, where it goes for gold cap when it is rarely seen.
The Gilded Brutosaur was originally available to celebrate WoW's 20th anniversary event on October 24th, 2024. This cost $90 USD, and according to WoWToken historical data, the rough cost of the WoW Token in NA at this time was ~200k. To account for additional taxes, players would likely need to buy 7 WoW tokens, making this cost about 1,400,000 Gold through WoW Token conversions.
The Gilded Brutosaur was available again briefly on November 17th, 2025. Again according to historical data, the WoW Token cost was ~350k on this date on NA servers. This would have made the mount cost roughly 2,450,000 Gold. Even at this more expensive WoW Token cost, this mount was still way cheaper than both the limited-time Brutosaur from BfA and the upcoming Fungal Strider.
If you wanted to buy the Fungal Strider using real money to get gold, we can also do the same calculation in reverse. The WoW Token is sitting at around 240k right now on NA servers. You would need ~29 WoW Tokens to get 7 million gold at current prices. Each WoW Token costs $20 USD, and thus, if you wanted to buy this mount using real money converted through WoW Tokens, it would cost ~$580 USD. That's a lot of money!
Potential for the Future
This is definitely the most expensive mount yet, but there is potential for more.
A vendor in Harandar will sell you access to the additional, interchangeable NPCs, including NPCs such as an auctioneer or a transmogrifier. We’re also considering adding additional mount NPCs in future patches.
Currently, this mount only has the 4 types of mount vendors we've seen so far: repairs, mailbox, auction house, and transmog. If Blizzard adds a brand-new type of vendor in the future, we could see more vendor upgrades, possibly at a cheaper price point, but this is far from confirmed. For now, this mount will likely be a gold sink and a collector's item due to its limited-time nature.]]>
Patch 12.1.5 Overview Player Housing Overview
Most of these achievements are fairly trivial at max level, only requiring some time investment, so if you don't already have them, now's the time to go grab them while you wait for the patch.
Complete the Ardenweald storylines listed below.
New reward: Decor Reward: Restored Night Fae Sigil
Restored Night Fae Sigil
Discover the hidden treasures of Bastion.
New reward: Runic Kyrian Reliquary
Defeat each of the following Legion Generals by completing each of the Greater Invasion Point scenarios.
New reward: Decor Reward: Ceremonial Lightforged Standard
Slay 500 non-trivial demons in Krokuun, Eredath, and the Antoran Wastes.
New reward: Decor Reward: Shielded Lightforged Pylon
Shielded Lightforged Pylon]]>
Corrosive Coins can now be farmed for guaranteed amounts daily on alts after Prey Journey rank 6 instead of just one character per day
Several class bugfixes that could affect DPS
Better tracking for specific spells in the Cooldown Manager
Adjustments for the Venomous Abyss to smooth out visual cues and fight transitions
Void Elf and Blood Elf eyebrows have been fixed for some of this month's Trading Post items
Delves can now award Zul'jarra's Forces reputation from Bountiful Chests
September 9, 2026
Achievements
Soft Underbelly is now an account-wide achievement.
Classes
Death Knight
Blood
Resolved an issue causing Grip of the Dead from Death and Decay to permanently be active on targets.
Druid
Guardian
Fixed an issue where Wild Guardian was incorrectly increasing Thrash and Mangle damage regardless of whether Rank 3 was selected.
Paladin
Protection
Fixed an issue that caused Glory of the Vanguard to sometimes fail to deal damage to distant targets.
Priest
Fixed an issue where Flash Heal could not be tracked on the Cooldown Manager for Discipline and Shadow specializations.
Shaman
Enhancement
Fixed an issue where damage from Doom Winds could interrupt channeled effects, such as the Font of Venomous Rage trinket.
Totemic: Fixed an issue where Crash Lightning could cause unintended targets to be hit by Windfury Weapon.
Warrior
Arms
The Venomous Abyss 4-set Bonus – The Winding Up bonus Slam damage buff can now be tracked in the Cooldown Manager.
Rend is now able to be tracked in the Cooldown Manager.
Protection
The Venomous Abyss 2-set Bonus – The “Vengeful Shield” bonus Shield Slam damage buff can now be tracked in the Cooldown Manager.
Rend is now able to be tracked in the Cooldown Manager.
Delves
Fixed an issue that prevented Bountiful Coffers from rewarding Zul’jarra’s Forces reputation.
Dungeons and Raids
Den of Nalorakk
Addressed an issue where player pets were unable to damage The Winter Squall.
The Venomous Abyss
Entombed Sentinels
Toxic Droplets are no longer instantly stepped on if they land directly on top of a player.
Living Venom no longer pierces immunities.
The Lost Explorers
Fixed a visual effect issue that sometimes occurred when the tortollans were empowered.
Hoji will now teleport back to the main platform if he falls from the bridge.
Ula’tek
Added in health backstops to ensure the boss transitions out of Rage of the Shackled when reaching specific health thresholds.
Items
Fixed an issue causing the Preternatural Antivenom trinket effect to only be applied to the trinket wearer.
Void Elf and Blood Elf eyebrows are now visible when wearing either the Aquatic or Brick Gloomcap.
Removed Bouncy Mushrooms collision.
Player versus Player
Evoker
Preservation
Fixed an issue where Stasis could be used in the starting room of arenas and battlegrounds to store spells for after the gates opened.
Prey
Players may now receive 500 Corrosive Coin daily on each character that defeats Ral’kala after reaching Preyhunter’s Journey rank 6 (was only the first character).
]]>
Schedule
Day One Schedule
10:30 a.m. PDT (18:30 BST) Opening Ceremony
12:00 p.m. (20:00 BST) World of Warcraft:What's Next - Join the World of Warcraft team for a first look at the next chapter of Azeroth, with new adventures, features, and surprises for players old and new.
2:00 p.m. PDT (22:00 BST) Building Cutscenes in World of Warcraft - Watch Blizzard artists build a World of Warcraft cutscene, tracing the process from storyboards and performance through animation, lighting, and final polish.
2:45 p.m. PDT (22:45 BST) World of Warcraft: What’s Next II - Discover what's ahead for World of Warcraft as the development team previews upcoming adventures, features, and updates.
3:30 p.m. PDT (23:30 BST) World of Warcraft Developers x Creators Showcase - Join creators and World of Warcraft developers for live gameplay, conversation, and community fun.
4:45 p.m. PDT (00:45 BST) BlizzCon Community Night - Celebrate the creativity and artistry of the Blizzard community with an evening of live entertainment featuring contests, special guests, and shared moments.
Esports
12:45 p.m. PDT (20:45 BST) MDI 2026 Grand Finals | Dignitas vs Big Lucky - Watch Dignitas and Big Lucky battle for a place in the MDI Grand Final.
2:00 p.m. PDT (22:00 BST) MDI 2026 Grand Finals | Liquid vs. Mandatory - Watch Liquid and Mandatory battle for a place in the MDI Grand Final.
4:30 p.m. PDT (00:30 BST) Classic Cup: Warcraft III – Legacy Match - Decorated Warcraft III champions TeD and ToD, look to settle old scores. Join us for a showcase match celebrating the strategy, rivalries, and legacy of Azeroth's iconic real-time strategy game.
5:30 p.m. PDT (01:30 BST) MDI 2026 Grand Finals | Championship Match - Watch the final teams race to become Mythic Dungeon International 2026 Champions.
5:45 p.m. PDT (01:45 BST) Classic Cup: Warcraft III – Entertainment Match - Warcraft Creator Ahmpy and Warcraft III developer Brad Chan team up with champions TeD and ToD for a Warcraft III showcase 2v2 match. Join us to see which creative strategies rule day.
Day Two Schedule
10:00 a.m. PDT (18:00 BST) World of Warcraft: Deep Dive - Go deeper with the World of Warcraft team for a guided look at the systems, adventures, and design ideas shaping the next journey through Azeroth.
10:45 a.m. PDT (18:45 BST) World of Warcraft Housing- Crafting Coziness and Creative Freedom - World of Warcraft’s Housing Devs share how the housing system evolved into a sandbox for creative freedom and player expression.
11:45 a.m. PDT (19:45 BST) World Building in World of Warcraft- Join world builders from the World of Warcraft development teams as they unpack the craft of building memorable worlds, from cultures and geography to visual language, history, and the details that make a setting feel lived in.
1:15 p.m. PDT (21:15 BST) World of Warcraft: Art Design - See how World of Warcraft artists enhance familiar landscapes while preserving the spirit of Azeroth.
2:15 p.m. PDT (22:45 BST) World of Warcraft: Design Deep Dive - Join developers of World of Warcraft as they give a closer look at the design process.
4:15 p.m. PDT (00:15 BST) World of Warcraft Hardcore: What’s Next - Join World of Warcraft developers for a discussion of Hardcore design, community stories, hard-earned lessons, and surviving Azeroth with one life.
5:20 p.m. PDT (01:20 BST) Closing Remarks - Join World of Warcraft developers for a discussion of Hardcore design, community stories, hard-earned lessons, and surviving Azeroth with one life.
6:00 p.m. PDT (02:00 BST) Live Performance- Le Sserafim (In-Room Experience Only) LE SSERAFIM takes the BlizzCon stage for a live performance celebrating the group's latest collaboration with Overwatch. Musical performances will not be livestreamed and are exclusive to in-person attendees.
Esports
10:45 a.m. PDT (19:00 BST) AWC Grand Finals | F Tier vs. Guild Bean - Watch the Arena World Championship quarterfinalists compete for a place in the semifinals.
12:00 p.m. PDT (20:00 BST) AWC Grand Finals | Streamerzonegg vs One Lun Travel - Watch the Arena World Championship quarterfinalists compete for a place in the semifinals.
2:00 p.m. PDT (22:00 BST) AWC 2026 Grand Finals | Echo vs. TBD - Watch the Arena World Championship semifinalists battle for a place in the Grand Finals.
3:00 p.m. PDT (23:00 BST) AWC 2026 Grand Finals | Gators Back vs TBD - Watch the Arena World Championship semifinalists battle for a place in the Grand Finals.
5:00 p.m. PDT (01:00 BST) AWC 2026 Grand Finals | Championship Match - The best remaining Arena teams meet in the Arena World Championship Grand Finals to determine the BlizzCon champion.
6:30 p.m. PDT (02:30 BST) Trophy Ceremony
See the complete schedule of events at BlizzCon.com, then after the Opening Ceremony, check back again here or visit BlizzCon.com to see the fully updated schedule.
Watch BlizzCon 2026 Live from Home
BlizzCon 2026 will be streaming select programming live for everyone! Check out our full Viewership Guide for all the details on how and where to tune in to the Opening Ceremony, major panels, esports, and more as programming will vary by channel. *
Streamer Schedule
Watch your favorite streamers live from the show floor during BlizzCon 2026 or live from the streamer’s channels. Check out our schedule below.
Saturday, September 12
9:30 a.m.–11:45 a.m. PDT
12:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. PDT
2:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. PDT
4:00 p.m.–6:45 p.m. PDT
Xaryu
Xaryu
Kelani
SsQRush (TW)
Savix
Savix
Savix
Savix
sodapoppin
sodapoppin
sodapoppin
sodapoppin
Esfand
Esfand
Esfand
Esfand
Soap
Joardee
Joardee
Joardee
Kalamazi
AresLP
Touchpadwarrior
Fiamma
AnnieFuchsia
GameMeneer (EU)
Layria
calebthe doc
Emeelzia
Sarthe
Nobbel
azuna
Ebonhardt
Ebonhardt
Snupy
Taliesin and Evitel
Morrog (EU)
Altertime
Altertime
Altertime
Sunday, September 13
9:30 a.m.–11:45 a.m. PDT
12:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. PDT
2:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. PDT
4:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. PDT
Fandy
BigBoxLittleBoxUnbox
BigBoxLittleBoxUnbox
LaoBu (TW)
Chromie
Mika
Snowmixy (EU)
artemirgaming
Bansherz
GameMeneer (EU)
WochiTV
Layria
meeix
meeix
MrGM
stoneyshe
Jaythebard
AllariaCosplay (EU)
Bansherz
Cinderys (EU)
WoWGrandma
Krista
Jedith
Valeindia2
Bunten
AresLP
MahrioJr
Meggoart
Savix
Savix
TodoWarcraft (EU)
SeungWooDaddy
Crix
Sco
Savix
RenieHouR (KR)
Joardee
Joardee
PandaTv
Atolanos
Joardee
Meet and Greet World of Warcraft Streamers at BlizzCon
BlizzCon attendees can meet some of their favorite World of Warcraft streamers during special meet-and-greet sessions in Hall A. Check out the schedule below.
Saturday, September 12
Sunday, September 13
12:30 p.m.–1:15 p.m. PDT
1:45 p.m.–2:30 p.m. PDT
Naguura
Scripe
Nobbel
Gingi
Taliesin and Evitel
Meeres
MrGM
Verb
Preach
Hearthjacks
PandaTv
Maystine
3:45 p.m.–4:15 p.m. PDT
4:45 p.m.–5:30 p.m. PDT
Max
Meggoart
Scott
Soul
Hopeful
Valeindia
Imfiredup
Emeelzia
Impec
WowGrandma
Shay
Bunten
Tobo
TouchpadWarrior
Ksp
Stef Sanjati
Shakib
Kalamazi
6:00 p.m.–6:45 p.m. PDT
Tyler1
AnnieFuchsia
Guzu
Xaryu
Earn World of Warcraft Rewards
Tune in to eligible Warcraft streams on Twitch or the official World of Warcraft YouTube channel to earn rewards during the show! If you’re attending BlizzCon in person, you can link your BlizzCon Pass to your Battle.net Account no later than September 18, 2026** to claim all the available rewards. Rewards and eligibility vary by game, stream, and platform, so check out the World of Warcraft Rewards overview to learn more.
Watch the AWC and MDI Grand Finals Live
We’re bringing the best talent in the world to BlizzCon 2026 to put their skills to the test with the Arena World Championship (AWC) and Mythic Dungeon Invitational (MDI) Grand Finals live from the convention.
Come join us in person from the BlizzCon Stage or enjoy every exciting moment from home on the official World of Warcraft Twitch or YouTube channels as Azeroth's top heroes compete for honor, the BlizzCon trophy, and a share of the $600,000 combined AWC & MDI prize pool on September 12 and 13.
Learn everything you need to know about these events in our overview article.
Helpful Details for BlizzCon Attendees
Attending BlizzCon? Visit the Know Before You Go: BlizzCon 2026! article on the official BlizzCon.com site to learn more about the floor plan, how to get your badge, accessibility options, and more.
Celebrate BlizzCon® 2026 with the World of Warcraft BlizzCon Bundle
Get three BlizzCon® digital in-game goodies when you purchase the World of Warcraft® BlizzCon Bundle. Take to the skies of Azeroth on the Rabbit’ath Void rabbit mount, don the Garb of the Dawnfire Phoenix transmog ensemble, and add the Perch of the Dawnfire Phoenix to your home—showcasing a phoenix’s transformation from hatchling to majestic form. This bundle is available on the Battle.net Shop.
Individual BlizzCon® Digital Bundles are available on the Battle.net® Shop through September 28, 2026.
Left: World of Warcraft x Rocklove Necklace and Earings Right: Emrrrgl Murloc Funko Pop!
Bring the excitement of BlizzCon 2026 home with official merchandise celebrating Blizzard's legendary worlds. Shop apparel, collectibles, accessories, toys, and exclusive BlizzCon gear inspired by World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and more.
Visit the Gear Store Now
*Select BlizzCon programming will be livestreamed over official channels, including Opening Ceremony, major panels, and esports competitions. Musical performances and some other elements will not be livestreamed and are exclusive to in-person attendees at the Anaheim Convention Center only.]]>
However, it's been marred by design quirks and bugs that have ranged from tolerable at best to actively harmful, and the 12.1 raid tier unfortunately highlights the latter. Today, we're going to briefly highlight some of the frustrating peculiarities with this ability and how it could be impacting your performance in this raid (also, if anyone says it doesn't fit the theme of the spec, you owe us an iced coffee).
from the middle out
One of the most unique things about Wildfire Bomb that is generally fun to play with in a perfect world is the way the AoE of the ability works. The quick explanation is that you throw the bomb at a target and a cone of wildfire explodes behind the target, igniting everything hit (there's also a very small circle explosion around the target, but it's very small and unimportant now). It's thematic, flavorful, and introduces positioning consideration to gameplay. However, as mentioned, that is just in a perfect world.
The cone does not explode out of the target's hitbox, but rather the center of their model. One of the biggest examples of how this can be frustrating is on static/stationary bosses. As the explosion always comes out from behind the target, generally this cone explosion does not function on a large boss, as the back of the boss's hitbox tends to exist outside of bounds in a space we can't interact with.
Additionally, the cone from Wildfire Bomb has to hit the center of any target's hitbox; it can't hit the edge. If you're fighting a pack of cursed serpentine trolls, for example, and the edge of one of their hitboxes is seemingly in the cone, it won't even damage them as their center mass is outside of the cone. This can be really tricky to keep in mind in the middle of combat, especially for newer players to the spec.
In this image below, the Hunter throws her Wildfire Bomb at the snake in the front, and the cone explodes behind it, damaging the two snakes behind it that have the center of their hitboxes hit, while the snake in the back completely avoids damage, even though the edge of the hitbox would be visually hit.
This problem is especially egregious in this tier with the Twin Fangs encounter.
As you can see, throwing a Wildfire Bomb at either snake means this is effectively a single-target spell, as no matter where you position, the cone explodes behind the boss's model (NOT behind their hitbox), so there is no way to damage the other snake. Even if you stood on the edge of the arena, or went for a swim behind the snake on the left, for example, the cone would simply not reach the center of the other snake's hitbox, so nothing at all would happen.
In the dropdown below, we've prepared many, many more examples. These are just the more recent examples, and we could do this all day. This is also not a problem unique to raiding! Although Mythic+ generally has a more tame boss design when it comes to raw size, lately some dungeons have featured bosses that are large or static (or both), most notably in dungeons like The Rookery, The Blinding Vale, and Maisara Cavers. We have just been sort of lucky that the relevant encounters haven't featured many important adds.
More WFB Tomfoolery
This bomb won't hit the boss.
This bomb won't hit the adds
This bomb won't hit the boss
You guessed it, won't hit the adds.
This bomb won't hit both bosses.
Technically hittable, but needs to be much closer than you would expect or would be able to intuit based on visuals alone.
Not even close.
Yup, won't hit boss.
Won't hit both bosses.
why now?
Even though this design quirk has existed since 2018 (yes, the ability is that old), why are we just now highlighting it? Well, 12.1 is a perfect storm of everything making this previously annoying problem too frustrating to ignore. In previous seasons, Wildfire Bomb was typically too weak for us to really care, such as in Vault of the Incarnates, Sanctum of Domination, and Nerub-Ar Palace. We also didn't typically play any sort of builds that would reward us for hitting multiple enemies, or the adds involved weren't an important factor in the encounters. However, Wildfire Bomb is very strong now; our tier-set bonus revolves around the ability, and both of our Hero trees involve a fair amount of extra Wildfire Bombs to use, not to mention our AoE gameplay loop focuses on maximizing the targets hit by Wildfire Bomb.
Moving forward, we are hoping to highlight how the quirks of this ability, while fun in a vacuum, are getting to a point where it may be time to look into changing how the ability works to bring it in line with every other AoE ability in the game.
such as?
The on-the-surface simplest solution is to change the way the AoE works on the ability. Whether it be making it so the cone just has to touch the edge of the hitbox or the impact of the bomb itself damages anything with overlapping hitboxes, that would take away a lot of the not-so-satisfying friction of the ability. Some similar changes have been made in the last year to abilities like Caustic Spatter or Wild Thrash with under-the-hood hitbox adjustments and grace ranges with overlapping hitboxes. Other solutions could involve replacing the cone entirely with a pbaoe around the target like Explosive Shot, or even adding the radial as a choice node.
At this point, Wildfire Bomb as a concept is almost definitely too iconic to completely replace. However, a frequently suggested change would be to bring back an old Survival favorite in Butchery and Frankenstein it to function similarly to Wildfire Bomb's damage breakdown and cooldown (i.e. 18 second base cooldown, with a large initial impact and a dot on all targets hit).
To keep the ability more thematically Hunter and less Warrior spinning in a circle, the ability could drop Wildfire Cluster, another loved old Survival ability. Another suggestion is to re-attempt Flamefang Pitch as a choice node next to Wildfire Bomb itself, essentially functioning like a Wildfire Bomb you can aim yourself or that leaves a patch on the ground.
]]>
The C'thraxxi and Keeper Tyr
While Kith'ix debuts as a raid boss in the upcoming patch 12.1.5, his backstory stretches years back. Kith'ix is one of the monstrous C'thraxxi, a caste of void creatures who served as high-ranking generals of the Black Empire for millennia before the Titans ordered the planet. As servants of the Old Gods, the C'thraxxi are significantly harder to kill than the average mortal, and if left unchecked, their corpses slowly regenerate over time - a process that can be accelerated with outside aid.
When the Titans arrived on Azeroth, they quickly realized that the Old Gods and their forces could not safely be killed - only contained. At the same time as the Old Gods were buried beneath the planet and locked away, their C'thraxxi generals were killed and sealed away as well, with Kith'ix among their ranks. For years they stayed slumbering, until they were awakened by an unlikely hand: the Titan Keeper Loken.
In the time since the Titan Pantheon's departure from Azeroth, Loken came under the influence of Yogg-Saron, deep within his prison underneath Ulduar. Utilizing Loken's paranoia towards his fellow Keepers, Yogg-Saron was able to implant the Curse of Flesh into the Forge of Wills responsible for creating new Titanforged soldiers, conspired with Helya to lock Odyn away in the Halls of Valor, and ultimately corrupted the rest of the Keepers into the bosses we would later fight during Wrath of the Lich King.
Of the Keeper's ranks, the only two not to be corrupted were Tyr and Archaedas, both of whom managed to hide from Loken before he could enact his schemes. Loken would later discover that the pair had worked with their friend Ironaya to steal the Discs of Norgannon, recording devices that had knowledge of all of Loken's crimes - knowledge that could be presented to Algalon and the Pantheon, should Tyr and Archaedas manage to contact them.
Fearing for his own life, Loken made the desperate choice to free two of the C'thraxxi generals from their prison: Kith'ix and Zakajz. Pursuing Tyr and Archaedas as they traveled south, the C'thraxxi eventually caught up with them in the lands now known as Lordaeron in the modern day. Rather than lose all of their Titanforged allies and potentially forfeit the Discs of Norgannon, Tyr made the choice to stay behind while Archaedas and Ironaya fled south to hide in Uldaman.
On his own, Tyr was evenly matched with both of the C'thraxxi, and he knew that he could not hold them there indefinitely. Choosing to sacrifice his life to save his allies, Tyr exploded with such force that he and Zakazj died then and there, and sent Kith'ix reeling. While Tyr and Zakazj were buried in the region later known as Tirisfal Glades, the wounded Kith'ix fled southwest and collapsed into a deep hibernation.
The Aqir and Troll War
The land where Kith'ix collapsed was the mountains that would one day make up the heart of the Zandalari Empire. While the trolls thrived in those mountains, expanding their empire across all of ancient Kalimdor, the site of Kithix's body was buried by the loa and deemed a forbidden site.
Kithi'x stayed in hibernation for millennia, undisturbed by the trolls until the arrival of one particularly relevant character: Xal'atath. Still trapped within the Blade of the Black Empire at this point, Xal'atath manipulated a Gurubashi troll named Zan'do into discovering Kith'ix's burial site. Believing Kith'ix to be an undiscovered loa, Zan'do and his followers performed blood offerings to awaken him.
The final act of their ritual was to plunge Xal'atath into Kith'ix's hide, rousing him from his slumber to look upon a world no longer ruled by the Old Gods. Believing that the destruction of troll civilization would please his masters, Kith'ix reached deep underground and found swarms of buglike Aqir still in hiding since the days of their Black Empire. Gathering them together under his command, he created a new empire of his own: Azj'Aqir.
After waiting patiently for their numbers to swell, Kith'ix led the aqir from their tunnels and up onto the surface, quickly overtaking the scattered troll tribes and claiming vast swathes of Kalimdor. As the aqir swarms closed in on the Zandalar Mountains, the Zandalari united the remaining troll tribes into a singular force: the Empire of Zul. Putting aside their differences, tribes like the Gurubashi, Drakkari, and Amani all agreed to follow Zandalari commands in routing the aqir armies.
After gathering all their strength - troll and loa combined - the troll armies managed to push the aqir back from Zandalar, and subsequently divided their forces across Kalimdor to retake troll lands. While the Drakkari pushed far north to fight off corrupted Titanforged that the aqir had conquered, and the Gurubashi spread out across the south to divide the aqir into smaller forces, the Amani were given a vital task: to kill Kith'ix.
Having been wounded in the fight against the loa in Zandalar, Kith'ix fled to the northeastern edge of Kalimdor, bolstered directly by his aqir. After cutting directly through the aqir army, the Amani managed to confront Kith'ix and - at the cost of many Amani lives - bring him down in a battle that cemented the Amani as legendary warriors. Atop Kith'ix's corpse, they built their nation of Zul'Aman, which would one day split into its own Amani Empire.
...at least, that was the official story, as known by most trolls. In Midnight, we learned a new truth: the Amani did not defeat Kith'ix alone. Led by Strongblood Jak'mo and his sister Nek'zali, the Amani tribe of old held resentment towards the Zandalari for their connection to the loa. Having no loa of their own, they often yearned for an Empire ruled by them and their own gods.
When the battle against Kith'ix came, the Amani were losing severely. Rather than die honorably for nothing like her brother wanted, Nek'zali chose to achieve victory with a loa of her own. Together with her followers - and a number of blood sacrifices of her own people - she summoned Ula'tek from the Rift of Aln deep below Azeroth. For days, Kith'ix and Ula'tek battled, killing as many Amani as their fight with the aqir had.
Ultimately, Ula'tek defeated Kith'ix, but she was severely wounded in the battle. After bleeding out across the land, Ula'tek died as well, and instead of the praise Nek'zali expected from her actions, she was met with scorn. In order to prevent their new empire from being built on such horrific sacrifice, Jak'mo chose to bury Ula'tek's corpse, as well as Nek'zali and all of her followers... and underneath it all, the corpse of Kith'ix was buried as well.
Kith'ix in Midnight
The true story of Kith'ix and Ula'tek was a secret that would stay buried for millennia, through the Sundering, the Shattering, and even the many awakenings of the Old Gods throughout WoW's story. It wasn't until Midnight that his potential as a weapon for the Void finally came to light, thanks to the actions of the Twilight's Blade.
While their actions in the base leveling campaign were rather vague, it was clear that the Twilight's Blade were assaulting Zul'Aman in search of something, not merely to sow chaos. Across their various outposts, excavation tools could be found, making it plain that they were attempting to dig something up. Kith'ix was the obvious suspect, but it wasn't until Arator's chapter of the recent 12.1 campaign that their goal became clear.
In pursuit of information about Xal'atath, we instead uncover information about Kith'ix. In the wake of Zul'jan's attempts to awaken Ula'tek and control her as a weapon for the Amani, his actions also resulted in the release of Kith'ix. As it turns out, Ula'tek's corpse was not entombed merely to prevent her from rising again, but to act as a seal on the prison of Kith'ix as well. With her now dead, nothing is stopping the C'thraxxi general from reawakening.
As revealed in the patch 12.1.5 preview, Kith'ix's return is the next stop in the Worldsoul Saga. Newly released from his prison, Kith'ix is joined by the Aqir armies still buried beneath Eversong Woods and Zul'Aman, leading to Aqir Invasions in both zones. Additionally, the next chapter of the campaign will see us joining the blood elf and Amani leaders as they begrudgingly work together to take the fight directly to Kith'ix in the newest one-boss raid.
With his role as our next raid made clear, only one lingering question remains about Kith'ix: how does this tie back to Xal'atath? We have been told in developer interviews that while patch 12.1 seems like a detour from the ongoing story of the Worldsoul Saga, it will ultimately connect back to Xal'atath's ongoing schemes.
Currently, Xal'atath's plan is rather clear: using the Devouring Host she sent through the Darkwell, she plans to strike at the Worldcore containing Azeroth's worldsoul. That is a rather far cry from an aqir infestation in zones she has already laid siege to during the leveling campaign... but Kith'ix may not be serving her plans, exactly.
During her Lorewalking quests, we learned that Xal'atath was trapped in the Blade of the Black Empire by the Old Gods themselves, after attempting to deceive and overthrow them. While her power may have been used to awaken Kith'ix from his slumber, she would likely be known as an enemy of the Black Empire to someone as high-ranking as Kith'ix. Perhaps his role in guiding us to 12.2 is not as an ally of Xal'atath, but an enemy - one that we may take advantage of to help our allies figure out her location.
Whether Kith'ix ends up surviving his raid and fleeing to join Xal'atath in 12.2, or causing some other adverse effect that allows us to pursue her, that question will have to wait until we see the story that releases with patch 12.1.5 - a story you are hopefully more well informed about, now that you know exactly who Kith'ix is.]]>
Greetings!
The raid testing schedule is very fluid and subject to the realities of a test environment. There’s the possibility of having to change the time of a testing session, change the bosses being tested, or cancel a test entirely due to bugs, server hardware issues, etc.
Multiple vendors are set up on the PTR in Silvermoon City, Stormwind, and Orgrimmar to allow players to quickly and easily test out end-game content (Profession Vendors and Trainers, Class Set Vendors, PvP Gear Vendors, and Trinket Vendors).
Keep an eye on the PTR forum for the encounter feedback threads and the latest information. Thank you in advance for testing and providing feedback.
The Unbinding of Kith’ix Raid Testing Schedule
Wednesday, September 16
Kith’ix
Heroic Difficulty – 13:30 PDT (16:30 EDT, 22:30 CEST)
Mythic Difficulty – 14:30 PDT (17:30 EDT, 23:30 CEST)
Q: How do I get into the raid zone?
A: In Silvermoon City, Orgrimmar, or Stormwind, you may speak to Nexus-Lord Donjon Rade to teleport into the raid zone while it is open for testing. (The option to teleport will not be available when the zone is not open for testing.)
Q: What character should I use to test the raid?
A: Whichever you prefer. We will be scaling players’ effective level to 90 for raid testing, and their item level to an appropriate threshold for the encounter(s) being tested.
Q: How long does testing last?
A: The primary purpose of testing is to give us the information we need to balance the encounters, evaluate how mechanics are playing out in practice, and identify bugs. Once we’re satisfied that we’ve received that information for a given encounter, we’ll be shutting down testing. Usually this takes around 1 hour per encounter, but there are no guarantees.
Q: How do I report feedback or bugs?
A: We’ll be posting encounter feedback threads each week prior to the start of the raid tests. Additionally, you can also submit your feedback through the in-game Issue Reporter tool.]]>
Shadowlands, Battle for Azeroth, and Warlords of Draenor are all receiving themed greenery, from Drust-inspired shrubs to delicate weeping willows fresh out of Shadowmoon. Mushrooms, tree roots, stumps, ivy, and more have all been discovered, so there's something for everyone and every room!
Draenor Player Housing Foliage
Most of the decor from WoD looks like it would be right at home in Shadowmoon Valley, so players will find cool and jewel tones for a darker take on design.
Small Shadowmoon Shadebrush Everbloom Forest Floor Mature Star Lily Embaari Beech Tree Huddled Nightmarsh Blossom Elaborate Karabor Hedge Karabor Hedge Shadow Lily Bloom Gloomshade Glowpod Young Sentinel Tree Spiritwood Oak Stump Sentinel Tree Root Nagrand Heart Ivy Skysong Sentinel Tree Lunarfall Beech Tree Incineratus Grass Patch
Some of the decor is also datamined, but the model data isn't ready yet - Blizzard still has placeholders for these images.
Pale Shadowmoon Willow
Verdant Shadowmoon Willow
Karabor Beech Tree
Nagrand Clover Cluster
Kalandrios Lily
Mature Spiritwood Oak
Curved Karabor Hedge
Highmaul Sentinel Tree
Wandering Sentinel Tree
Stonecrag Sentinel Tree
Nagrand Wild Wheat
Aborius Pod Plant
Overgrown Valuun Shrub
Verdant Mire Scale-Leaf
Shadowlands Foliage
Whether you want a Nathrian vibe or long for the golds and blues of Kyrian fields, there's plenty to choose from!
Nathrian Reaching Briar Large Nathrian Bladebush Starseed Sapling Endmire Anima Blossom Large Nathrian Briar Root Nathrian Leafy Briar Nathrian Sinstain Bush Nathrian Sinstain Ivy Cluster Lonely Banewood Pine Windswept Elysian Willow Lush Elysian Lily Brightburned Nathrian Clawbush Windswept Elysian Skyplume Windswept Elysian Shrub Brightburned Nathrian Root Nathrian Thicket Hedge Dormant Wildseed Leaning Wildgrove Tree Hanging Wildseed Lush Wildgrove Fern Hanging Wildgrove Ivy Radiant Elysian Water Lily Winged Elysian Spiralbloom Celestial Grovebush Hanging Elysian Skyvy Lush Elysian Bellflower Bush Fae Animashroom Circle Spherical Nathrian Topiary Fae Animashroom Blooming Celestial Dreamleaf
Some of the decor is also datamined, but the model data isn't ready yet - Blizzard still has placeholders for these images.
Nathrian Sinstain Oak
Small Nathrian Briar Root
Nathrian Rubyroot Growth
Windswept Elysian Grass
Sparse Elysian Pondweed
Lush Elysian Lotus
Elysian Heart-Lotus
Lush Celestial Moonbough
Fae Lantern Blossom
Small Shimmering Moonvine
Nathrian Forked Briar
Nathrian Fungal Rotcap
Pale Nathrian Rose
Verdant Elysian Crownblossom
Elysian Skyfrond
Elysian Bulbflower
Leaning Celestial Orchid
Endmire Sinsticker Bush
Wildgrove Leaf Pile
Battle for Azeroth Foliage
BfA might not have received as many pieces as Shadowlands or Draenor, but one of the most requested themes has been hit for its foliage: Drust!
Withered Crimson Oak Drustvar Leaf Clump Withered Barrow-weed Scarlet Drustvar Thornwood Lush Drustvar Witchfern Drustvar Glowcap Cluster Twisted Crimson Root Short Crimson Oak Stump Short Drustvar Oak Stump Drustvar Shelfcap Snowbound Highroad Pine Drustvar Leaf Patch Arching Crimson Ivy Tall Crimson Oak
Some of the decor is also datamined, but the model data isn't ready yet - Blizzard still has placeholders for this image.
]]>
Bonus Trader's Tender
Starting today until September 23rd, every day that players log into WoW will earn them progress toward a brand-new Feat of Strength achievement: Winds of Particularly Mysterious Fortune. This achievement awards 500 Trader's Tender and requires players to log in on 5 different days from now until September 23rd at 1:00 PM Pacific Time.
Bonus Experience and Reputation
In addition to the login bonus, there's a global buff for all players which helps with leveling new characters. Players will have the following bonuses from now until September 23rd:
20% bonus experience from level 10 to 89.
50% bonus reputation, excluding Zul'jarra's Forces and Captain Tokka's Crew.
Quests and kills while leveling characters can earn Mysterious Satchels.
Blue Post
The Winds of Mysterious Fortune are blowing in your favor, so tie down your hat and prepare to collect the fortunes whirling about.
When : September 8 through 22 (the event begins and ends with weekly realm restarts)
The Forecast Calls for Trader’s Tender
While the gales are gusting during the Winds of Mysterious Fortune event, complete the Feat of Strength achievement “Winds of Particularly Mysterious Fortune” to earn 500 Trader’s Tender.
Simply log in with any character on any five days during the event, and you’ll be able to collect 500 Trader’s Tender in the Collector’s Cache chest to spend at the Trading Post.
A Buff to Speed Things Along
Take advantage of the Winds of Mysterious Fortune 20% experience buff to get your level 10–89 characters up to speed. Catch up on your alts and finish missed content and unlocks while facing the dangers in World of Warcraft: Midnight.
This buff is automatically applied at login during the event and provides a 50% reputation gain with all factions worldwide, excluding Zul’jarra’s Forces and Tokka’s Crew.
You Get a Satchel, and You Get a Satchel
As the wind blows, so do satchels chock-full of valuable and unique items. While questing and adventuring, players below level 90 can earn Mysterious Satchels bursting with goodies by looting creatures or as a bonus reward for completing quests.
Mysterious Satchels contain various unique and valuable items, including temporary stat boosts, visual alterations, a chance for bonus gear appropriate to your level and specialization, and 10% experience potions that stack with the 20% experience buff, to a maximum of 30%. Experience potions are Warbound items that can be consumed during the event or saved until after the event for use on your other level 10–89 characters. However, any stat or elemental potion effects will not work in Mythic+ raids or rated PvP content.
If you think Mysterious Satchels are amazing, you’ll love Pristine Mysterious Satchels. The first Mysterious Satchel drop you earn each day will be Pristine quality, giving you a greater chance to earn even more valuable rewards.
May the Winds of Mysterious Fortune be at your back and the road rise up to meet you as you traverse the lands and skies of Azeroth.]]>
Scythe of Elune
The Scythe of Elune appeared as an Artifact weapon in World of Warcraft: Legion, but there's a questline from Vanilla WoW where it's mentioned, and it never reaches a fitting conclusion in the Vanilla world.
The Scythe of Elune as seen in "Modern" WoW
This Alliance-only questline begins in Ashenvale with The Howling Vale and is picked up from Sentinel Melyria Frostshadow at Forest Song. In all, there are 9 quests in this chain, and it involves ample travel. The locations you'll travel to throughout this chain are Ashenvale, Darnassus, Ratchet, Booty Bay, Darkshire (in Duskwood), and then back to Darnassus.
Sentinel Melyria Frostshadow
During this chain, you learn about Velinde Starsong, a Night Elf who was sent to Ashenvale to deal with the demon threats, but the Night Elves alone weren't enough. After praying to Elune, Starsong was eventually led to the Shrine of Mel'Thandris, where she discovered the hidden Scythe of Elune. This allowed her to summon Worgen to do away with the demon threat, but the Worgen summoning didn't stop. She then learned of Archmage Arugal, the final boss in the Shadowfang Keep dungeon, who had also summoned Worgen. She set out on a journey to find Argual, and this questline essentially follows her path before her demise in Roland's Doom in Duskwood.
Velinde Starsong sought out Archmage Arugal
When you arrive at Roland's Doom while on the quest The Scythe of Elune, you see a vision of Starsong and learn that she lost the Scythe and is remorseful for her failed duty. After this step is completed, you head back to Darnassus to turn in the quest Answered Questions, where Thyn'tel Bladeweaver says, "Another matter for another time, however. I owe you my thanks in no small amount for what you have accomplished," and that's where this story ends and is not picked up again.
Vision of Starsong at Roland's Doom
However, while on the quest Return to Sven, you acquire Jitters' Completed Journal, where he mentions having found the "haft of the Scythe jutting from that pile of rubble." Later in that same journal, Jitters mentions the Dark Rider from Season of Discovery, which involves acquiring a new rune for you to use at Level 40. The Dark Riders were also in search of the Scythe of Elune in Duskwood. Ultimately, the questline ends in Vanilla WoW with the Scythe lost and the Dark Riders searching for it. Perhaps we revisit those same Dark Riders from Season of Discovery in Classic+.
The Mystery of the Shady Rest Inn
As Alliance and Horde players alike cross into Dustwallow Marsh from The Barrens, you'll find the Shady Rest Inn along with three clues: Black Shield, Theramore Guard Badge, and .
The destroyed Shady Rest Inn in TBC
The Black Shield leads both Horde and Alliance players to a blacksmith in their respective zone hubs, which include Brackenwall Village for the Horde and Theramore for the Alliance. Both NPCs determine it belongs to a Tauren.
The Blacksmith NPCs for both Alliance (left) and Horde (right)
As for the hoofprints, both factions ultimately send someone to investigate further. Then, regarding the Theramore Guard Badge, the factions differ in their approaches.
Suspicious Hoofprints (left) and the Theramore Guard Badge (right)
It was learned that the badge belonged to Lieutenant Paval Reethe. On the Alliance side, a party is dispatched to locate Reethe. Players on the Horde side confront Reethe with Ogron. While confronting him, an Alliance party, led by Lieutenant Caldwell, shows up, and the Horde player defeats them after Caldwell's party defeats Reethe. Now, all possible parties with knowledge of the situation are dead, and this quest line comes to an end before a quest line picks back up in The Burning Crusade, which pins the demise of the Shady Rest Inn on the Grimtotem Tauren. Perhaps this ending from TBC can be brought into Classic+, or maybe there's another ending to this story.
Lieutenant Caldwell before Horde players defeat him
The Platinum Discs (Uldum)
At the conclusion of the Uldaman dungeon, players can click on the platinum discs in the treasure room after defeating the final boss, Archaedas, to acquire the quest, The Platinum Discs.
From here, players will take the discs to either Ironforge (Alliance) or Thunder Bluff (Horde). This leads you to another quest called Portents of Uldum/Portents of Uldum. This quest links the discs in Uldaman to a gate in southern Tanaris. Once you arrive at this gate in southern Tanaris with your Miniature Platinum Discs and click on the Uldum pedestal, you'll bring your findings and clues back to Ironforge or Thunder Bluff after learning that the pedestal requires the Plates of Uldum to proceed.
Once you return, there are hints at adventuring to Uldum, including High Explorer Magellas (Alliance) stating, "Be sure to check back with us soon... Uldum beckons!" When the final quest in this series, A Future Task/A Future Task, is turned in and Uldum is referenced, it's never heard from again until it becomes a playable zone in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. This is certainly a zone we could see appear in Classic+.
The final quest before Uldum is dropped]]>
Labyrinthine indeed!
Quests
As the description says, The Labyrinth of Kindo'Jan is a series of weekly quests that ultimately rewards two Myth armor pieces, much like the seasonal PvP introduction questline. We don't know exactly what these pieces will be yet, but it should be a compelling reward for non-raiders.
NEW Into the Labyrinth
Description: Introductory Questline to Labyrinth
NEW The Labyrinth of Kindo'Jan
Description: 6 Step Weekly Unlocked Quest Line to obtain 2 myth armor pieces of your choice
Transmog
While unlikely to be the extent of new armor models in Patch 12.1.5, we've datamined a very handsome helm, shoulder, and cape mini-set perfect for trolls and channeling their tribal spirits.
We've also datamined a tusked Amani-themed backpiece in several colors, though the style is a bit different, so it's not quite clear if it will be related to the labyrinth or not.
Toys
There are also several new toys, each of which is available from the Labyrinth. While most can simply be found within the megadelve, Loa-Blessed Victory stands out as a reward for defeating the titular final boss and our new nemesis: Kindo'jan!
Loa-Blessed Victory
Drop: Kindo'Jan
Zone: The Labyrinth of Kindo'jan
Trail of Halazzi
Treasure: Ancient Chest
Zone: The Labyrinth of Kindo'jan
Nalorakk's Strength Charm
Treasure: Ancient Chest
Zone: The Labyrinth of Kindo'jan
Feathers of Akil'zon
Treasure: Ancient Chest
Zone: The Labyrinth of Kindo'jan
Rite of Jan'alai's Flame
Treasure: Ancient Chest
Zone: The Labyrinth of Kindo'jan
Achievements
Finally, there are a whole lot of new achievements to discover, awarding several titles and a Loa-Blessed Wayfarer mount!
Completionists will have a lot to look forward to, particularly those interested in a longer piece of content by finishing all nine chambers in one run.
NEW Enter Kindo'jan's Labyrinth for the first time.
NEW Defeat Kindo'jan within his Labyrinth.
Reward: Title: Loa-Blessed
NEW Complete a total of 100 Chambers within Kindo'jan's Labyrinth.
NEW Complete 9 Chambers within a single run of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth.
NEW Complete 9 Chambers within a single run of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 11.
Reward: Title: Maze Runner
These achievements allow players to showcase their mastery over the Labyrinth, including a Hall of Fame-style achievement only available during the first week of Patch 12.1.5!
NEW Defeat Kindo'Jan in the Labyrinth on Tier 11 without any other players in your party during Midnight Season 2.
Reward: Loa-Blessed Wayfarer
NEW Defeat Kindo'jan in his Labyrinth on Tier 11 without any other players in your party, before the first reset following his introduction.
Reward: Title: Fabled Vanquisher of Kindo'jan
NEW Defeat Kindo'jan in his Labyrinth without loosing any lives on Tier 11 after completing all 9 chambers without any other players in your party during Midnight Season 2.
Reward: Title: Lone Raider
Most of these should be completed naturally over the course of exploring the Labyrinth.
NEW Loot 10 Mislaid Oddities within Kindo'jan's Labyrinth.
NEW Loot 50 Mislaid Oddities within Kindo'jan's Labyrinth.
NEW Gather all 3 Elemental Hexmasks while within Kindo'jan's Labyrinth.
NEW Find and open all Ancient Chests hidden in Kindo'jan's Labyrinth.
Reward: Title: Treasure Hound
NEW Open the locked door hidden within Kindo'jan's Labyrinth.
NEW Open the locked door hidden within Kindo'jan's Labyrinth 20 times.
Reward: Title: Lockpickin'
These are all pretty straightforward, just like normal delves.
NEW Complete 3 chambers of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 1.
Reward: Unlock: Tier 2 delves in Midnight Season 2
NEW Complete 3 chambers of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 2.
Reward: Unlock: Tier 3 delves in Midnight Season 2
NEW Complete 3 chambers of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 3.
Reward: Unlock: Tier 4 delves in Midnight Season 2
NEW Complete 3 chambers of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 4.
Reward: Unlock: Tier 5 delves in Midnight Season 2
NEW Complete 3 chambers of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 5.
Reward: Unlock: Tier 6 delves in Midnight Season 2
NEW Complete 3 chambers of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 6.
Reward: Unlock: Tier 7 delves in Midnight Season 2
NEW Complete 3 chambers of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 7.
Reward: Unlock: Tier 8 delves in Midnight Season 2
NEW Complete 3 chambers of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 8.
Reward: Unlock: Tier 9 delves in Midnight Season 2
NEW Complete 3 chambers of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 9.
Reward: Unlock: Tier 9 delves in Midnight Season 2
NEW Complete 3 chambers of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 10.
Reward: Unlock: Tier 10 delves in Midnight Season 2
NEW Complete 3 chambers of Kindo'jan's Labyrinth on Tier 11.
Reward: Unlock: Tier 11 delves in Midnight Season 2
]]>
This welcome surprise can be seen through the event dates in our database and the PTR calendar, both of which list the event as active from September 8th through the 23rd. This could also line up with the potential launch of Patch 12.1.5, giving players an opportunity to finish leveling any alts before new content arrives.
The PTR calendar shows the event starting tomorrow...
The odd part is that this event is only listed on the PTR. The live calendar has no listing, making it unclear whether the event will actually start tomorrow or not. With no confirmation, we'll just have to wait and see what the weekly reset brings.
... but no such event exists on the live calendar.]]>
The Effigy of Dundun toy is available after reaching Rank 3 in the Midnight Season 2 Delver's Journey track, which players who have been keeping up with their Delves should have achieved. If not, it's still a fairly simple grind: reaching Rank 3 requires 0 Delver's Journey Delver's Journey and can be earned from the following sources:
Completing Bountiful Delves
Looting a Bountiful Coffer using a Restored Coffer Key
Looting a Primeval Arcane Remnant from Delve Chests and turning in the Weekly Quest,A Gnawing Void of Curiosity
After reaching Renown 3, the Effigy of Dundun toy can be purchased from Telemancer Astrandis in Silvermoon City for 0 Voidlight Marl.
GLORIUS ABUNDANCE!
The effect lasts for 30 minutes, and it's shapeshift-friendly as well. The only trade-off is that the toy has a 1-hour cooldown, meaning a player cannot remain transformed indefinitely like the Forgotten Momento and Saptor Salve toys allow, plus an early death will cut the glorious abundance short. While unfortunate, this toy can still create some good laughs on your next raid night or dungeon run!]]>
Instead of our standard row images, take a look at each weapon, cloak, and mount in 3D below - just click the 3D button on each card to see these items in Wowhead's Dressing Room.
Chef Ensembles
The full ensemble comes in six different colors, and two of them (Executive Chef and Head Chef) are currently sourced from the Trading Post. It's likely the others will be too, but we can't say for certain.
Ensemble: Executive Chef's Uniform
Ensemble: Sous Chef's Uniform
Ensemble: Grill Chef's Uniform
Ensemble: Pastry Chef's Uniform
Ensemble: Sauce Chef's Uniform
Ensemble: Head Chef's Uniform
Back Transmogs
A matching set of serving tray back pieces has also been datamined. Similar to the ensembles, only two of them currently have sources attributed; the rest are unknown.
Baker's Amethyst Tray Baker's Citrine Tray Baker's Emerald Tray Baker's Morganite Tray Baker's Sapphire Tray
Weapons
Shields and 2-Handed Staffs that match the sets have also been discovered - not every color has a matching version, so you'll want to mix and match!
Baker's Amethyst Bulwark Baker's Citrine Bulwark Baker's Emerald Bulwark Baker's Morganite Bulwark Baker's Sapphire Bulwark Baker's Enchanted Cookbook Baker's Fiery Cookbook Baker's Frosty Cookbook Baker's Mysterious Cookbook
Matching Mounts
It's almost certain that these mounts are meant to match the Chef sets. With each of them labeled as coming from the Trading Post, we think there's a Chef-based month in our future (maybe even November for Thanksgiving)!
Hot Motocross Bunmover 4000 Hot Motocross Bunmover 4600 Hot Motocross Bunmover 4200 Hot Motocross Bunmover 4400
]]>
Patch 12.1.5 Overview The Trading Post Guide
Instead of our standard row images, take a look at the reward models in 3D below - just click the 3D button on each card to see these items in Wowhead's Dressing Room.
NEW Hot Motocross Bunmover 4400 Hot Motocross Bunmover 4400
Category: Mounts
Cost: 500 Trader's Tender
NEW Hot Motocross Bunmover 4600 Hot Motocross Bunmover 4600
Category: Mounts
Cost: 500 Trader's Tender
NEW Stylish Crimson Top Hat Stylish Crimson Top Hat
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Aubergine Warturkey Aubergine Warturkey
Category: Mounts
Cost: 500 Trader's Tender
NEW Carrot Gloomcap Carrot Gloomcap
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Crown of Carrot Springflowers Crown of Carrot Springflowers
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Crown of Rosy Springflowers Crown of Rosy Springflowers
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Rosy Gloomcap Rosy Gloomcap
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Gunslinger's Rosy Lid Gunslinger's Rosy Lid
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Carrot Dunecloth Skirt Carrot Dunecloth Skirt
Category: Transmog
Cost: 35 Trader's Tender
NEW Carrot Dunecloth Vest Carrot Dunecloth Vest
Category: Transmog
Cost: 35 Trader's Tender
NEW Rosy Dunecloth Belt Rosy Dunecloth Belt
Category: Transmog
Cost: 30 Trader's Tender
NEW Rosy Dunecloth Skirt Rosy Dunecloth Skirt
Category: Transmog
Cost: 35 Trader's Tender
NEW Carrot Dunecloth Belt Carrot Dunecloth Belt
Category: Transmog
Cost: 30 Trader's Tender
NEW Rosy Dunecloth Vest Rosy Dunecloth Vest
Category: Transmog
Cost: 35 Trader's Tender
NEW Bandit's Rosy Highboot Bandit's Rosy Highboot
Category: Transmog
Cost: 40 Trader's Tender
NEW Bandit's Carrot Highboot Bandit's Carrot Highboot
Category: Transmog
Cost: 40 Trader's Tender
NEW Steel-Plated Cushion Boots Steel-Plated Cushion Boots
Category: Transmog
Cost: 40 Trader's Tender
NEW Baker's Morganite Tray Baker's Morganite Tray
Category: Transmog
Cost: 150 Trader's Tender
NEW Baker's Citrine Tray Baker's Citrine Tray
Category: Transmog
Cost: 150 Trader's Tender
NEW Baker's Morganite Bulwark Baker's Morganite Bulwark
Category: Transmog
Cost: 150 Trader's Tender
NEW Baker's Citrine Bulwark Baker's Citrine Bulwark
Category: Transmog
Cost: 150 Trader's Tender
NEW Baker's Enchanted Cookbook Baker's Enchanted Cookbook
Category: Transmog
Cost: 150 Trader's Tender
NEW Baker's Fiery Cookbook Baker's Fiery Cookbook
Category: Transmog
Cost: 150 Trader's Tender
NEW Cotton Candy Lollibop Cotton Candy Lollibop
Category: Transmog
Cost: 150 Trader's Tender
NEW Orange Lollibop Orange Lollibop
Category: Transmog
Cost: 150 Trader's Tender
NEW Ensemble: Head Chef's Uniform Ensemble: Head Chef's Uniform
Category: Transmog Sets
Cost: 700 Trader's Tender
NEW Ensemble: Executive Chef's Uniform Ensemble: Executive Chef's Uniform
Category: Transmog Sets
Cost: 700 Trader's Tender
NEW Ensemble: Sorcerer's Carrot Garb Ensemble: Sorcerer's Carrot Garb
Category: Transmog Sets
Cost: 100 Trader's Tender
NEW Gill'el Gill'el
Category: Pets
Cost: 250 Trader's Tender
NEW Ensemble: The Seafarer's Winter Collection Ensemble: The Seafarer's Winter Collection
Category: Transmog Sets
Cost: 600 Trader's Tender
NEW Whaletested Crest-Horn Whaletested Crest-Horn
Category: Mounts
Cost: 500 Trader's Tender
NEW Festive Eve Festive Eve
Category: Pets
Cost: 250 Trader's Tender
NEW Camo Winter Toque Camo Winter Toque
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Azure Gloomcap Azure Gloomcap
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Camo Gloomcap Camo Gloomcap
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Crown of Azure Springflowers Crown of Azure Springflowers
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Crown of Camo Springflowers Crown of Camo Springflowers
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Gunslinger's Azure Lid Gunslinger's Azure Lid
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Gunslinger's Camo Lid Gunslinger's Camo Lid
Category: Transmog
Cost: 50 Trader's Tender
NEW Camo Dunecloth Belt Camo Dunecloth Belt
Category: Transmog
Cost: 30 Trader's Tender
NEW Azure Dunecloth Belt Azure Dunecloth Belt
Category: Transmog
Cost: 30 Trader's Tender
NEW Azure Dunecloth Skirt Azure Dunecloth Skirt
Category: Transmog
Cost: 35 Trader's Tender
NEW Azure Dunecloth Vest Azure Dunecloth Vest
Category: Transmog
Cost: 35 Trader's Tender
NEW Camo Dunecloth Skirt Camo Dunecloth Skirt
Category: Transmog
Cost: 35 Trader's Tender
NEW Camo Dunecloth Vest Camo Dunecloth Vest
Category: Transmog
Cost: 35 Trader's Tender
NEW Bandit's Camo Highboot Bandit's Camo Highboot
Category: Transmog
Cost: 40 Trader's Tender
NEW Bandit's Azure Highboot Bandit's Azure Highboot
Category: Transmog
Cost: 40 Trader's Tender
NEW Ice Walker's Frost Scepter Ice Walker's Frost Scepter
Category: Transmog
Cost: 165 Trader's Tender
NEW Ice Walker's Frost Fetish Ice Walker's Frost Fetish
Category: Transmog
Cost: 165 Trader's Tender
NEW Ice Walker's Hide Piercer Ice Walker's Hide Piercer
Category: Transmog
Cost: 165 Trader's Tender
NEW Ice Walker's Bell-Scythe Ice Walker's Bell-Scythe
Category: Transmog
Cost: 165 Trader's Tender
NEW Ominous Dirk of the Ice Queen Ominous Dirk of the Ice Queen
Category: Transmog
Cost: 170 Trader's Tender
NEW Ominous Edge of the Frostwolf Ominous Edge of the Frostwolf
Category: Transmog
Cost: 260 Trader's Tender
NEW Ominous Wand of the Ice Queen Ominous Wand of the Ice Queen
Category: Transmog
Cost: 170 Trader's Tender
NEW Ominous Iceglaives of the North Ominous Iceglaives of the North
Category: Transmog
Cost: 175 Trader's Tender
NEW Ensemble: Ice-Walker's Guise of the Wight Ensemble: Ice-Walker's Guise of the Wight
Category: Transmog Sets
Cost: 700 Trader's Tender
NEW Ensemble: Sorcerer's Azure Garb Ensemble: Sorcerer's Azure Garb
Category: Transmog Sets
Cost: 100 Trader's Tender
NEW Ensemble: Sorcerer's Camo Garb Ensemble: Sorcerer's Camo Garb
Category: Transmog Sets
Cost: 100 Trader's Tender
NEW Brrrgl Brrrgl
Category: Pets
Cost: 250 Trader's Tender
NEW Ice Walker's Bell-Crook Ice Walker's Bell-Crook
Category: Transmog
Cost: 165 Trader's Tender
Mounts
Hot Motocross Bunmover 4400 Hot Motocross Bunmover 4600 Aubergine Warturkey Whaletested Crest-Horn
Pets
Festive Eve Brrrgl
Helm Transmogs
Stylish Crimson Top Hat Carrot Gloomcap Crown of Carrot Springflowers Crown of Rosy Springflowers Rosy Gloomcap Gunslinger's Rosy Lid Camo Winter Toque Azure Gloomcap Camo Gloomcap Crown of Azure Springflowers Crown of Camo Springflowers Gunslinger's Azure Lid Gunslinger's Camo Lid
Leg Transmogs
Carrot Dunecloth Skirt Rosy Dunecloth Skirt Azure Dunecloth Skirt Camo Dunecloth Skirt
Chest Transmogs
Carrot Dunecloth Vest Rosy Dunecloth Vest Azure Dunecloth Vest Camo Dunecloth Vest
Belt Transmogs
Rosy Dunecloth Belt Carrot Dunecloth Belt Camo Dunecloth Belt Azure Dunecloth Belt
Boot Transmogs
Bandit's Rosy Highboot Bandit's Carrot Highboot Steel-Plated Cushion Boots Bandit's Camo Highboot Bandit's Azure Highboot
Back Transmogs
Baker's Morganite Tray Baker's Citrine Tray
Ensembles
Weapon Transmogs
Baker's Morganite Bulwark Baker's Citrine Bulwark Baker's Enchanted Cookbook Baker's Fiery Cookbook Cotton Candy Lollibop Orange Lollibop Ice Walker's Frost Scepter Ice Walker's Frost Fetish Ice Walker's Hide Piercer Ice Walker's Bell-Scythe Ominous Dirk of the Ice Queen Ominous Edge of the Frostwolf Ominous Wand of the Ice Queen Ominous Iceglaives of the North Ice Walker's Bell-Crook
]]>
Items Crafted With Heart of Darkness
Below are all of the items that can be crafted using Heart of Darkness, sorted by the profession they're created by. Players can loot Hearts of Darkness from trash mobs in Hyjal Summit and Black Temple.
Some of the best items crafted using Hearts of Darkness include the following:
Swiftheal Wraps are best-in-slot for Restoration Druids, a strong option for Healing Priests and Restoration Shamans.
Bracers of Nimble Thought are best-in-slot for Balance Druids, Shadow Priests, Elemental Shamans, Affliction/Destruction Warlocks, and a strong option for Arcane Mages.
Dawnsteel Bracers are strong for Holy Paladins.
Bindings of Lightning Reflexes are best-in-slot for Retribution Paladins and strong for Enhancement Shamans.
Shoulders of Lightning Reflexes are best-in-slot for Enhancement Shamans.
ItemHearts of Darkness NeededTradeable
Bindings of Lightning Reflexes4Yes
Boots of Shackled Souls2Yes
Bracers of Renewed Life4Yes
Bracers of Shackled Souls1Yes
Greaves of Shackled Souls3Yes
Living Earth Bindings4Yes
Living Earth Shoulders2No
Redeemed Soul Cinch2Yes
Redeemed Soul Legguards3Yes
Redeemed Soul Moccasins2Yes
Redeemed Soul Wristguards1Yes
Shoulderpads of Renewed Life2No
Shoulders of Lightning Reflexes2No
Swiftstrike Bracers4Yes
Swiftstrike Shoulders2No
Waistguard of Shackled Souls2Yes
ItemHearts of Darkness NeededTradeable
Dawnsteel Bracers4Yes
Dawnsteel Shoulders2Yes
Shadesteel Bracers1No
Shadesteel Girdle2Yes
Shadesteel Greaves3Yes
Shadesteel Sabots2Yes
Swiftsteel Bracers4Yes
Swiftsteel Shoulders2No
ItemHearts of Darkness NeededTradeable
Bracers of Nimble Thought4Yes
Mantle of Nimble Thought2No
Night's End1Yes
Soulguard Bracers1Yes
Soulguard Girdle2Yes
Soulguard Leggings3Yes
Soulguard Slippers2Yes
Swiftheal Mantle2No
Swiftheal Wraps4Yes
]]>
Subscribe to the Pull 10 YouTube channel for weekly episodes, follow them on Twitter, subscribe to their Patreon for excluisive content, and be sure to check out the Classic+ Project to vote and discuss everything you think should be included in the next iteration of WoW Classic.]]>
How to Unlock Venomous Abyss Raid Skip
In order to unlock The Venomous Abyss Raid Skip, players must defeat the Coiled Altar encounter three times, across three different weeks, to complete the The Venomous Abyss: Deception Unmasked. Each difficulty has its own quest that needs to be completed.
How the Raid Skip Works
The raid skip allows players to skip to Coiled Altar, but players must still defeat Nek'zali in order to access the encounter. Once Nek'zali has been defeated, players can open the first door with their blood in order to enter the Twin Fangs encounter room, and then talk to Zul'jarra to open the door to the Coiled Altar!
After defeating Ula'tek, players can still defeat the remaining bosses, with Twin Fangs being available after defeating both Vashnik and Sszorak.]]>
Not at all coincidentally, delve content in Patch 12.1.5 is also being expanded with the addition of labyrinths: significantly larger delves designed to be progressed at the player's pace instead of the typical one-shot scenario, making them a sort of megadelve that offers another avenue of progression for solo and small group players.
The first of these activities is the Labyrinth of Kindo'jan, which also comes with its own Hall of Fame achievement to defeat its final boss solo within the first week of release, similar to seasonal delve nemesis bosses.
Meet your new nemesis!
Exactly how players will obtain these new glove enhancements remains to be seen, though we can presume they will be related to exploring the labyrinth itself. Interestingly, the bonuses cannot be applied to items higher than 334, which would exclude the 344 item level Grasps of the Eternal Shadow from Mythic Coiled Altar and Aberrant Commander's Gauntlets from the upcoming Kith'ix raid boss. This could be an oversight, though, with the actual intent of just restricting the enhancements to Midnight Season 2 item-level gear.]]>
Primal Nether on Badge of Justice Vendor
Prior to Phase 3, Primal Nethers were only obtained in Heroic dungeons. Now, with the launch of Phase 3, players can acquire them from the Badge of Justice vendor G'eras in Shattrath City for and 10 badges.
Badge of Justice Currency Guide
While Primal Nether is available from the Badge of Justice vendor, they remain bind-on-pickup (BOP), just like its Heroic Dungeon drop counterpart. You can't flip them directly for profit, but using extra badges to make consumables is a great way to earn extra gold.
What to Use Primal Nethers On
At this point in TBC Anniversary, the most popular uses for Primal Nethers are to craft Leg armor enchants such as Golden Spellthread, Nethercleft Leg Armor, and Runic Spellthread. Each of these costs 1 Primal Nether.
That said, in total, Primal Nethers are used to craft more than 100 items. Another popular use for these is crafting the Epic Engineering goggles, such as Deathblow X11 Goggles.]]>
These statues are now available for pre-order from Sideshow Collectibles. While priced high, each statue is sculpted with translucent resin and features built-in LED lighting, delivering a high-quality finish of two iconic Warcraft characters.
Valeera Sanguinar
The Valeera Sanguinar statue is currently listed for pre-order at $400 USD, with expected shipping January - March 2027.
1/6 scale, H: 38cm W: 18cm D: 16cm
Sideshow Collectibles
Description
“Watch your back.”
Sideshow, HEX Collectibles, Blizzard Entertainment are thrilled to present the Valeera Sanguinar 1/6 scale statue, bringing the Blood Elf assassin into the real world, fully capturing her deadly elegance.
Standing poised and commanding, Valeera exudes a striking presence. Beneath her red hood, her signature blonde hair is tied high, while her billowing cloak captures a mesmerizing, dynamic moment.
Wisps of smoke rise from the rugged terrain beneath her. The iconic golden dragon coils along the right side of the base, balanced by a translucent mana crystal on the left. Finished with an exclusive nameplate and the classic Attack and Health values on the front, the diorama base delivers an unparalleled epic atmosphere.
The head sculpt features built-in LED lighting, illuminating her eyes with the signature fel-green glow of the Blood Elves. Additionally, her dagger blades and the rock crevices are treated with a special fluorescent paint. Under UV light, the lethal glow of her blades and surging shadow energy comes to life, maximizing the ultimate assassin aesthetic.
Each statue comes with a certificate of authenticity, complete with a handwritten unique number, adding to its collectible value.
Just like the brand concept of HEX Collectibles, our team has always looked at ways to push the boundaries of design and capture the essence of each character we love. HEX Collectibles will continue to bring beloved characters to life with our dynamic style of design.
Don't miss your chance to add this Valeera Sanguinar 1/6 Scale Statue to your Warcraft collection today!
Tyrande Whisperwind
The Tyrande Whisperwind statue is currently listed for pre-order at $975 USD, with expected shipping January - March 2027. The design takes inspiration from her Hearthstone Signature Card art.
H: 61cm W: 41cm D: 30cm
Sideshow Collectibles
Description
“Draw forth the moon!”
HEX Collectibles and Blizzard Entertainment are thrilled to present the Signature Tyrande statue, bringing the card art from the game into the real world, fully capturing her divine grace and ethereal beauty in a picturesque style.
This piece masterfully blends traditional Eastern ink-wash aesthetics with the Night Warrior's fierce presence. Tyrande leaps dynamically, wielding her iconic Moon Glaive. Every detail of her ornate armor features weathered gold accents and inlaid red gems. Her flowing moon-white skirt, adorned with delicate leaf patterns, flawlessly translates the elegant brushstrokes of the 2D illustration into a stunning 3D masterpiece.
Her loyal spirit owl, Dori'thur, soars alongside her, its layered blue feathers perfectly complementing her agility. The diorama base is beautifully crafted with rugged rocks and twisting pine branches, framed by a breathtaking full moon backdrop.
Built-in LED lighting illuminates the moon as well as the eyes of both Tyrande and Dori'thur, creating an immersive and picturesque atmosphere.
Each statue comes with a certificate of authenticity, complete with a handwritten unique number, adding to its collectible value.
Just like the brand concept of HEX Collectibles, our team has always looked at ways to push the boundaries of design and capture the essence of each character we love. HEX Collectibles will continue to bring beloved characters to life with our dynamic style of design.
Don't miss your chance to add this Signature Tyrande Statue to your Warcraft collection today!
Past Products
In addition to these new statues, Sideshow Collectibles has many other designs, like The Lich King and Invincible, Jaina Proudmoore, Varian Wrynn, and many more. Their designs are not just limited to Warcraft as well, offering designs for Diablo characters and many other popular titles.
]]>
This has to be the most popular class/spec combination that players would want to see come back in Classic+. Shaman's original talent tree has a lot of tank/mitigation talents when you spec into the Enhancement tree, like Shield Specialization, Anticipation, and Toughness. They would also have abilities like Stoneclaw Totem and Earth Shock that allow them to generate high threat. At lower levels, they also can actually be very viable tanks in leveling dungeons. Despite all that, however, Shaman never got gear in their armor type - being both Leather and Mail - that really allowed them to achieve that role to its highest potential.
Season of Discovery would give the Shaman new runes such as Spirit of the Alpha, Shield Mastery, Overcharged, and Way of Earth, which would allow the Shaman to be an actual shaman tank with these new runes engraved as abilities. Once we got to Phase 4, Shaman tanks would also get tier sets that continued to strengthen this class/spec combination.
Since a lot of the talents currently exist in the Vanilla talent tree, it could easily be something that could be implemented once again in Classic+, and arguably the most in-demand build to make a return in another Classic game.
Melee Survival Hunter
Melee Hunter became extremely popular when it was introduced in Season of Discovery. Although you could say that the Melee Hunters were secretly Fury Warrior mains hidden in disguise, it was still a very popular class/spec combination in Season of Discovery. Runes like Dual Wield Specialization, Flanking Strike, and Melee Specialist made this possible, with content creators like Sarthe very much hyping this class and spec!
The Burning Crusade sees Hunters practicing a rotation involving "melee weaving"; perhaps the Melee Hunter in Classic + could do the exact opposite, weaving in ranged abilities while their primary abilities are melee! Although maybe it shouldn't gap the rest of the DPS classes like it did during Phase 2 of Season of Discovery.
Protection Paladin Tank
This one's weird because, technically, yes, Protection Paladins do exist in Vanilla. However, it isn't well known that they lack the abilities, spell coefficients, and gear to actually truly be a viable tank in raid content. The Vanilla Protection Paladin lacks a taunt and misses out on any true gear and set bonuses that push the Paladin Tank to actually gain power and just perform in a raid. Tanks tend to tailor themselves around their team, but a team with a Protection Paladin would need to tailor themselves around the tank, which is counterintuitive.
Finally...
The Protection Paladin in SoD was built more or less around the Wrath of the Lich King Protection Paladin, with iconic abilities like Hammer of the Righteous, Shield of Righteousness, and Avenger's Shield. The rune Malleable Protection would also mimic both Touched by the Light and Divine Protection, again even strengthening the Wrath-like Protection Paladin build.
However, would this be the ideal build for the Paladin Tank? There is an argument for players to yearn for more of a TBC-like Protection Paladin, pushing more towards Spell Power and focusing on consecration, rather than focusing on Attack Power and the Wrath-born abilities mentioned above. What would you prefer? Let us know in the comments!
The Controversial Oddballs
These next few we want to group together because these are truly the "oddballs" that would stir quite a controversy if added. We, of course, are talking about the Arcane Mage Healer, Warlock Tank, and Rogue Tank. It's hard to tell if players truly want these classes to return based on the argument of what the "spirit" of Classic is.
The intent of these new class/spec/builds was to have more tanks and healers available through popular classes people already played. However, is that the direction players want in a Classic Plus game? Blizzard has shown through trial and error that all of these unique class/spec/builds can work, especially Rogue tank, as it was one of the best tank classes in SoD, but is this the direction most players are interested in in a game outside of SoD? We can't definitively answer this, but we'd love to know your thoughts in the comments!]]>
Tidal Burst Mitigation
High Warlord Naj'entus has a pretty nerve-wracking mechanic with his Tidal Burst, dealing 8500 raid-wide damage after breaking his Tidal Shield. There are only a handful of ways to mitigate this damage, but doing so will be greatly beneficial to your raid overall. Immunities such as Divine Shield and Ice Block will fully protect you from this damage. Mages can also apply Frost Ward to absorb 1100 of the 8500 Frost Damage.
Priest's Power Word: Shield will also absorb some of this damage, and the first should be cast on the tank and anyone with lower maximum HP. The last way to mitigate a healthy amount of damage would be to use the Pendant of Thawing's on-use effect, but this is a bit unnecessary and expensive. However, what everyone should do is use a Master Healthstone immediately after Tidal Burst goes out.
Bring the Wind Reavers Down
The two Dragonmaw Wyrmcallers are always paired with two Dragonmaw Wind Reavers up in the sky. Whenever you aggro the Wyrmcallers, the nearby Wind Reavers will aggro as well. They will stay in the sky and cast their spells on raid members unless players who have threat on them run away from them, forcing them to come down to be in reach of them. However, an easy way to get them grounded quickly is to have a Paladin "bubble pull" with Divine Shield, and once you aggro the Wyrm Callers, the Reavers will immediately come down into melee range as well.
Skip The Ashtongues
The first Ashtongue pack you'll encounter is after defeating Supremus and taking down the Illidari demons guarding the entrance into the temple. In this pack, you'll find an Ashtongue Feral Spirit, which has an insanely large aggro radius. However, if you get a Mage to aggro it while they have Invisibility on, it'll only pull the Fel Spirit, and not the rest of the pack.
After killing the Feral Spirit, you can now skip the rest of the Ashtongue pack if your goal is to save time in raids. However, if you're looking for reputation and trash drops, then just take this trash pack down!
Pre Reliquary/Bloodboil Trash Tips
Before you face either the Reliquary of the Lost or Gurtogg Bloodboil, there are trash packs with Bonechewer Shield Disciples and Bonechewer Blade Furys, along with a couple of other mobs. We recommend first taking down the Blade Furys, as they have a consistent threat drop and Whirlwind, making them incredibly dangerous. A Hunter should place a Frost Trap between the melee/tanks and the ranged/healers to allow the tanks to pick up threat again whenever threat drops. Also, the tanks should make sure they are the top two threat targets on both Blade Furys; that way, when they swap threat, they're only swapping to the next tank.
Next, the Bonechewer Shield Disciples cast this very annoying Shield Wall that does nothing but delay their inevitable death. To prevent them from casting this, a Warlock should Death Coil them as they get close to 20%, as if they go to 20% or lower while having this horror effect on them, it'll prevent them from casting it completely, even after the effect wears off.
The Illidari Council
This fight is arguably the hardest encounter of the phase, as everyone has responsibilities to manage while surviving and avoiding as much raid damage as possible. A war of attrition, not a DPS check, this fight can be brutal for players inexperienced in TBC and not sure of the mechanics. The first tip we have for this fight is for tanks to have a designated pattern of where to move if AoE lands on them; this includes Blizzard, Consecration, and Flamestrike. We recommend moving in an order of 4 spots as shown below, to always telegraph where you are going next for healers and DPS to have planned out, versus moving at random. Make sure no ranged or healers are in this pathing to prevent a spot from getting AoE early.
Next, make sure healers know their assignments for when unavoidable damage, like Deadly Poison/Envenom, goes out. Deadly Poison occurs after Veras reappears from Vanish after exactly 30 seconds, and Envenom happens immediately after Deadly Poison's timer is finished. Assign a healer such as a Resto Druid or Holy Priest to keep these players alive when this goes out. This is on a strict timer, so it's very easy to predict as well. Deadly Poison deals 4000 damage in 4 seconds, and Envenom deals 4250 damage, totaling 8250 damage.
Speaking of Veras, did you know he only has 136 Armor total? Compare this to Gathios and Malande, who have 6193 Armor. This means that when Faerie Fire is cast on him, he will be reduced to 0 armor, making him the best target for your physical DPS when he's active. He is also stunnable, meaning he can also be stripped of his Avoidance as well during that stun. He is also the only member of the council who is tauntable; however, tanks, your taunt might not work when he reappears after Vanish until he picks a threat target, so you'll want to get some damage/threat build on him beforehand, as he'll most likely have aggro on healers when reappearing.
Our final tip for council, and something that can be applied to fights such as Gurtogg Bloodboil, Mother Shahraz, and Illidan Stormrage, is to run an additional healer on this fight if you are struggling to complete it. Although the longer this fight goes, the more you risk running out of mana mid-encounter, there is so much raid damage that can go out that a 6th healer could prevent all possible deaths that may be happening in your progression.]]>
Minimap Rotation
In Season 2, a new type of addon module has started to be made for boss mechanics. While addons are still banned from seeing a lot of information about a player's location, including coordinates, one thing that addons can hook onto is the minimap rotation:
MinimapCompassTexture:GetRotation()
Using this, addons can determine which way your character is facing. Once an addon determines direction, it can show players visual elements to help with positioning.
Aiming Lines - Vashnik and Ula'tek
On Mythic Vashnik and Mythic Ula'tek, players get a debuff that will fire waves down indicated paths. For Vashnik, players want to aim these at Totems on the ground, while on Ula'tek, players want to avoid hitting other players.
Due to minimap rotation, addons and modules can draw aiming lines over your UI that rotate dynamically with your character. This shows you the direction the waves are going, and with a longer guideline than the in-game provided ones.
Sszorak Radar
On Sszorak, one mechanic is to place Venomous Cysts on the correct markers so that players won't fall off during the damage amp phase. With everything going on during the encounter, it's sometimes hard to see the World Markers on the ground.
Because of this, a module was developed and is available in NSRT that shows players which marker they are currently facing. As they spin, so does the map, showing which marker they are facing at all times.
Ula'tek Intermission
During the Intermission on Mythic Ula'tek, players need to soak specific tentacle slams to survive. There are only a few patterns for the Intermission, and someone can indicate the order using a macro press. Once the addon knows the order, it can correctly assign where players should go. With the help of minimap rotation, it can show a directional arrow pointing players to their next soak, which will always point in the correct direction.
Azta'rec Delve Boss
The Memory Game on the Azta'rec Delve boss was controversial in the community, mostly due to the power of addons. During the first week of the Delve Boss, while players were eligible to earn Fabled Let Me Solo Him: Azta'rec, the Azta'rec Helper Addon automatically recorded and repeated the Memory Game with no additional user input. Since players are likely facing the middle, the addon used minimap rotation to determine which quadrant the player was likely in.
This unfortunately appears to be fixed now, and manual input is required.]]>
September 4, 2026
Classes
Druid
Balance
Stellar Amplification can now be tracked in the Cooldown Manager.
Twin Moons’ range is now increased by target combat reach, meaning it can spread to farther targets when attacking large enemies.
Shaman
Enhancement
Corrected an issue where the Venomous Abyss 4-set bonus was not properly increasing the upfront damage of Crash Lightning.
Dungeons and Raid
The Venomous Abyss
Ula’tek
Fixed an issue where applications of Ingested Venom could apply on a target affected by Serpent’s Bite.
Housing
Endeavors
VacationSeason
Fixed instances where collecting a Secret Souvenir could fail to grant achievement credit. Players who were affected by this bug should see their achievement progress retroactively granted upon entering a housing neighborhood. Taggi is sorry for the mishap.
Items
Fixed an issue where some non-set class armor items appeared to be eligible for redundant Catalyst conversion.
Fixed an issue causing the Preternatural Antivenom trinket absorb effect to have a reduced cap for healer specializations as well as healing for a lower percentage of incoming damage than intended.
]]>
The Unbinding of Kith'ix is a new raid in Patch 12.1.5, similar to Sporefall with Rotmire. Ula'tek bound Kith'ix in his lair, and with Ula'tek now defeated, he has returned. Players will take on Kith'ix himself with the help of Lady Liadrin!
The Kith'ix encounter overview is listed in the Dungeon Journal:
Kith'ix calls upon his Voidswarm to fight alongside him as he assaults players with an array of powerful dark magic.
Upon reaching 100 energy, Kith'ix attempts to smother his enemies with Suffocating Darkness. Lady Liadrin holds the darkness at bay while gathering power to banish it with Divine Radiance.
At 25% health, Kith'ix stuns players with Stygian Howl and Liadrin rescues them with Last Light, beginning a race to slay Kith'ix before his Eightfold Eclipse snuffs out Liadrin's Light.
This raid looks to be another great one for players to get powerful loot from, since, similar to venomcursed loot, there will be Myth 9/6 gear that can drop.]]>
The Unbinding of Kith'ix raid only has one boss, Kith'ix. This boss drops new Cantrip Armor pieces, Trinkets, and a new Hearthstone! On each difficulty, gear drops at 3/6 on the respective track, except for Mythic, which drops at Myth 9/6:
LFR: Item Level 285 (Veteran 3/6)
Normal: Item Level 298 (Champion 3/6)
Heroic: Item Level 311 (Hero 3/6)
Mythic: Item Level 344 (Myth 9/6)
Armor
There are 4 new pieces of Cantrip Armor. These armor pieces are all on Tier Slots, allowing them to be catalyzed into Tier Pieces with the cantrip effect. These cantrip effects have a benefit if you wear a Venomcursed gear piece, which is dropped by Ula'tek.
Weapons
Two new weapons are available: a 1-Handed caster sword and a 2-Handed Sword. There's already a 2-Handed weapon (Maze-roa, Warlord's Fury) from Coiled Altar, which also has a set bonus, so we'll have to see which weapon 2-Handed players use.
Trinkets
Three new trinkets have been added: one tank trinket, one DPS trinket, and one healer trinket.
Ring
A new cantrip ring drops off of Kith'ix, with the stats of heavy Mastery and Haste. This will be the highest item level ring possible in Season 2 so far!
Collections
A new decor item and Hearthstone will drop from Kith'ix as well.
Dungeon Journal
If you're looking for information on the Kit'hix encounter, we've datamined the In-Game Dungeon Journal.
Phase 1: Kith'ix tries to overwhelm enemies using an array of adds and Darkness Magic, while Lady Liadrin tries to push back the darkness with her Light.
Phase 2: At 25% health, it's a race against time to finish off Kith'ix before he can finish casting Eightfold Eclipse.
Kith'ix
Defeated long ago, Kith'ix was restrained deep in the Vaults of Ula'tek by Ula'tek herself. With her defeat, the C'Thraxxi has returned, intent on wiping out not just the Amani, but any who would oppose him.
Overview: Kith'ix calls upon his [Voidswarm] to fight alongside him as he assaults players with an array of powerful dark magic.
Upon reaching 100 energy, Kith'ix attempts to smother his enemies with [Suffocating Darkness]. Lady Liadrin holds the darkness at bay while gathering power to banish it with [Divine Radiance].
At 25% health, Kith'ix stuns players with [Stygian Howl] and Liadrin rescues them with [Last Light], beginning a race to slay Kith'ix before his [Eightfold Eclipse] snuffs out Liadrin's light.
Damage Dealers:
[Light's Embrace] greatly reduces the damage of [Extinguish].
Damage Dealers:
Aqir that are not slain before Kith'ix casts [Suffocating Darkness] become greatly empowered.
[Light's Embrace] greatly reduces the damage of [Extinguish]. (Raid Finder)
Damage Dealers:
Aqir that are not slain before Kith'ix casts [Suffocating Darkness] become greatly empowered.
[Light's Embrace] greatly reduces the damage of [Extinguish].
Applications of [Digestive Juices] can stack and inflict heavy damage if [Gut Reaction] is triggered in rapid succession. (Normal, Heroic, Mythic)
Healers:
[Light's Embrace] greatly reduces the damage of [Extinguish].
Healers:
[Abyssal Grasp] drags players into the darkness if its heal absorb effect is not removed quickly enough.
[Light's Embrace] greatly reduces the damage of [Extinguish]. (Raid Finder)
Healers:
[Abyssal Grasp] drags players into the darkness if its heal absorb effect is not removed quickly enough.
[Light's Embrace] greatly reduces the damage of [Extinguish].
Applications of [Digestive Juices] can stack and inflict heavy damage if [Gut Reaction] is triggered in rapid succession. (Normal, Heroic, Mythic)
Tanks:
[Light's Embrace] greatly reduces the damage of [Extinguish].
Tanks:
Kith'ix's [Commanding Presence] greatly reduces damage taken by nearby aqir.
[Dark Devastation] leaves Kith'ix's target [Devastated], greatly increasing damage they take.
[Light's Embrace] greatly reduces the damage of [Extinguish]. (Normal, Heroic, Mythic, Raid Finder)
Stage One: Darkness' Domain
Voidswarm: Kith'ix tears open void portals over 6 sec, inflicting 216279 Shadow damage every 2 sec and summoning aqir servants.
Venomous Hulk (Normal, Raid Finder)
Venom Roar: The Venomous Hulk roars with toxic fury, inflicting 100 Nature and 617939 Physical damage to players in a cone in front of it and knocking them back.
Venomous Hulk (Mythic, Heroic)
Venom Roar: The Venomous Hulk roars with toxic fury, inflicting 100 Nature and 617939 Physical damage to players in a cone in front of it and knocking them back.
Incubation: The aqir is filled with Mindstinger Eggs that burst from its body on death. (Heroic, Mythic)
Mindstinger
Mindsting: The Mindstinger flies to a player and injects them with a mind toxin, stunning them and inflicting 92691 Nature damage every 1 sec for 5 sec.
Voidweaver (Normal, Raid Finder)
Voidweave: The Voidweaver conjures a sphere of turbulent void and focuses its energies on random players, inflicting 15 Shadow damage every 1 sec for 8 sec.
Nightfall: The Voidweaver lashes out at all players with piercing darkness, inflicting 20 Shadow damage every 2 sec and increasing damage taken from Nightfall by 20%.
This effect stacks.
Voidweaver (Mythic, Heroic)
Voidweave: The Voidweaver conjures a sphere of turbulent void and focuses its energies on random players, inflicting 15 Shadow damage every 1 sec for 8 sec.
Nightfall: The Voidweaver lashes out at all players with piercing darkness, inflicting 20 Shadow damage every 2 sec and increasing damage taken from Nightfall by 20%.
This effect stacks.
Incubation: The aqir is filled with Mindstinger Eggs that burst from its body on death. (Mythic, Heroic)
Mindstinger
Mindsting: The Mindstinger flies to a player and injects them with a mind toxin, stunning them and inflicting 92691 Nature damage every 1 sec for 5 sec.
Bomber Beetle (Normal, Heroic)
Fixate: Bomber Beetles single-mindedly pursue random players.
Gut Reaction: Bomber Beetles violently explode after 30 sec or upon contact with any player, coating all players in Digestive Juices.
This effect kills the Beetle.
Digestive Juices: The Bomber Beetle's acidic viscera inflicts 98870 Nature damage every 1 sec for 4 sec. This effect stacks.
Bomber Beetle (Mythic)
Fixate: Bomber Beetles single-mindedly pursue random players.
Gut Reaction: Bomber Beetles violently explode after 30 sec or upon contact with any player, coating all players in Digestive Juices.
This effect kills the Beetle.
Digestive Juices: The Bomber Beetle's acidic viscera inflicts 98870 Nature damage every 1 sec for 4 sec. This effect stacks.
Incubation: The aqir is filled with Mindstinger Eggs that burst from its body on death. (Mythic)
Mindstinger
Mindsting: The Mindstinger flies to a player and injects them with a mind toxin, stunning them and inflicting 92691 Nature damage every 1 sec for 5 sec.
Suffocating Darkness: Upon reaching 100 energy, Kith'ix creates a swirling storm of darkness that inflicts 8 Shadow damage to all players every 1 sec as it closes in around them, and applies Dark Frenzy to any surviving aqir.
Abyssal Grasp: Void tendrils emerge from the darkness and grab random players, gradually pulling them in and absorbing the next 617939 incoming healing.
After 8 sec, any players this effect is not removed from are immediately dragged into the darkness.
Suffocation: Kith'ix's storm of darkness pacifies players caught within, reduces their movement speed by 30%, and inflicts 247176 Shadow damage every 1 sec.
Dark Frenzy: Suffocating Darkness infuses aqir with raw void energy that increases their attack and movement speed by 100%, grants immunity to crowd control effects, and inflicts 185382 Shadow damage to all players every 1 sec.
Lady Liadrin
Refulgent Bulwark: Liadrin forms a protective barrier of Light in the area around her, greatly slowing the approach of Suffocating Darkness.
Divine Radiance: Upon reaching 100 energy, Liadrin unleashes radiant Light that burns away all traces of Suffocating Darkness and stuns Kith'ix for 8 sec.
Exhausted: Unleashing Divine Radiance places immense strain on Liadrin, reducing the effectiveness of Light's Embrace and Refulgent Bulwark, and increasing the damage of Suffocating Darkness by 10%. This effect stacks.
Extinguish: Kith'ix charges up and releases a devastating shockwave that inflicts 1112290 Shadow damage to all players and removes Light's Embrace.
Lady Liadrin
Light's Embrace: Liadrin scatters motes of soothing Light that envelop players on contact, reducing all Shadow damage they take by 90% for up to 8 sec.
Unspeakable Horrors: Kith'ix floods the minds of random players with unspeakable horrors for 6 sec, after which they succumb to Overwhelming Fear.
Overwhelming Fear: Forced to cower in fear by Kith'ix's Unspeakable Horrors for up to 6 sec.
Upon expiration or removal, release a piercing scream that inflicts 65 Shadow damage to all players, reduced based on distance.
Twisted Appendage: Kith'ix manifests shadowy tentacles that lash out at nearby players, inflicting 494351 Shadow damage to any players hit.
Dark Devastation: Kith'ix hurls an immense mass of darkness at his current target, inflicting 180 Shadow and 270 Physical damage to players within 15 yards on impact and leaving them Devastated. (Normal, Raid Finder)
Devastated: Increases Physical damage taken by 150% and Shadow damage taken by 150% for 25 sec. This effect stacks.
Dark Devastation: Kith'ix hurls an immense mass of darkness at his current target, inflicting 180 Shadow and 270 Physical damage to players within 15 yards on impact and leaving them Devastated.
In Heroic and Mythic difficulty, Dark Devastation leaves behind a Voidscar. (Heroic, Mythic)
Devastated: Increases Physical damage taken by 150% and Shadow damage taken by 150% for 25 sec. This effect stacks.
Voidscar: A churning mass of void energy that inflicts 185382 Shadow damage to players on contact and knocks them back.
Eclipse Fragment: Suffocating Darkness energizes Voidscars, causing them to release powerful fragments of void energy that are slowly drawn toward Liadrin.
Contact with a player destroys the fragment and inflicts 49435 Shadow damage every 1 sec for to players within 3 yards. This effect stacks.
Contact with Liadrin triggers Lost Refulgence.
Lost Refulgence: Eclipse Fragments that reach Liadrin inflict 49435 Shadow damage to all players every 1 sec for 2 sec and reduce the size of Refulgent Bulwark. This effect stacks.
Commanding Presence: Kith'ix's commanding presence protects aqir within 0 yards, reducing all damage they take by 50%. This does not affect Eggs. (Normal, Heroic, Mythic, Raid Finder)
Stage Two: Last Light
Stygian Howl: Upon reaching 25% health, Kith'ix howls with otherworldly fury, stunning all players.
He then absorbs all of his own minions and abilities and begins casting Eightfold Eclipse.
Eightfold Eclipse: Kith'ix begins a ritual to plunge his enemies into endless darkness, manifesting eclipses that inflict 65 Shadow damage to all players.
Once the final eclipse is manifest, they converge upon Lady Liadrin, snuffing out her Light and killing all players instantly.
Null Gate: Kith'ix focuses void energy on random players for 5 sec, then tears open a Null Gate at their location, inflicting 40 Shadow damage and applying Nullify to other players within 5 yards.
Nullshards: Shards of pure void energy scatter from Null Gates, inflicting 148305 Shadow damage and applying Nullify to players on contact.
Nullify: Inflicts 8 Shadow damage every 1 sec. This effect stacks.
Upon reaching 4 applications, affected players are instantly killed.
Negation: Kith'ix floods his current target with negative energy, inflicting 370763 Shadow damage every 1 sec for .
Contact with a Null Gate removes this effect immediately and destroys the Null Gate.
Upon expiration or removal, the negative energy explodes outward inflicting 180 Shadow damage and 270 Physical damage to players within 15 yards. (Normal, Heroic)
Negation: Kith'ix floods his current target with negative energy, inflicting 370763 Shadow damage every 1 sec for .
Contact with a Null Gate removes this effect immediately and destroys the Null Gate.
Upon expiration or removal, the negative energy explodes outward inflicting 180 Shadow damage and 270 Physical damage to players within 15 yards.
In Mythic difficulty, this ability applies multiple stacks and inflicts damage on expiration based on the number of stacks remaining. (Mythic)
Lady Liadrin
Last Light: Liadrin's unbreakable resolve shines through as she becomes a conduit of pure Light, fully healing all players and granting them Luminous Grace.
Luminous Grace: Increases all damage done by 100% and all healing done by 100%.
]]>
PREY
Added catch-up mechanics to increase renown gains. Players below rank 3 will receive 4000 Journey progress (a full rank) per hunt, which takes precedence over and does not trigger the Journey progress earned from your first four hunts a week. Players between ranks 3 and 8 will receive 2000 Journey progress from each of their first four hunts a week.
Developers’ notes: We want to make it easier with the 12.1.5 update for new players, returning players, or those who simply didn’t invest heavily in running Prey so far during Season 2 to engage with the content without feeling like they wouldn’t be able to catch up. These changes make it substantially easier for a player to complete their Prey Journey and receive the associated rewards, including decor and Hero track equipment in conjunction with Delves.
Each Prey renown track requires 4,000 Preyseeker's Journey to unlock, with 1,000 awarded for each of the first four hunts of any difficulty completed each week. Although it is possible to get ahead, subsequent hunts beyond those initial four only award 50 progress each, severely restricting the ability to grind out levels quickly.
Naturally, this encourages diligent players to complete four hunts and gain a single level of renown each week, which would place them towards the end of the Season 2 renown track by the time Patch 12.1.5 arrives... unless they fall behind. The bonus progress awarded in Patch 12.1.5 compensates for that, halving the number of hunts required to reach rank 8, after which those players can finish off the final two ranks normally.
While not everyone is crazy about Prey and its power progression is quickly outscaled by other activities, the activity does open up a wide variety of cosmetic rewards, including weapon and armor transmog, mounts, pets, decor, and even a title, all unlocked at various levels of renown. So, even if you've neglected the activity over these past four weeks, you should be able to catch up and finish in short order.
Surely there's something to strive for!]]>
Looking for livestreams, guilds to watch, and analytics to dive into? Check out the Wowhead RWF Coverage Article for the latest lists of streamers, raid coverage, and boss guides.
Day 17: Liquid Wins!
It's been a weird race, and the ending certainly continued that trend! Echo had an amazing night of progression, were closing in on a kill, but hotfixes and bugs and a clutch performance from Liquid caused the 5th race in a row to go their way. Dratnos and Tettles once again gave us fantastic coverage of the Race to World First - they'll return for the next race, where we'll see if Liquid sweeps another expansion or if Echo and Method rise up to become the new champions.]]>
BlizzCon 2026 Is Nearly Here: Watch Live, Earn Rewards, and More
There’s a buzz in the air, and you can almost hear the footfalls of the March of the Murlocs, the cheering voices, and the cries of “For the Horde” and “For the Alliance” ringing out from the Anaheim Convention Center as BlizzCon 2026 opens its doors for thousands.
Whether you’re attending in person, watching from home, or hosting your own watch party, here’s an early look at the schedule, livestream details, World of Warcraft drops, esports, and more to help you make the most of the show.
Click to Learn More
Get the Drop on New Rewards During BlizzCon 2026
BlizzCon 2026 will stream select programming live for everyone, and we’ve got a bucketful of rewards just waiting for you to claim.
Watch any eligible World of Warcraft stream on Twitch.tv from September 12 at 9:30 am PDT to September 27 at 10:00 am PDT or on the official World of Warcraft YouTube channel from September 12 at 9:30 am PDT until September 13 at 7:00 pm PDT to claim a bucket full of rewards including: 200 Trader’s Tender, Cuddly Blue Grrgle Housing decor item, Fluffy Comfy Flying Quilt Mount, and the Venomous champion’s Illustrious Banner.
Attending BlizzCon in person? You can still receive these rewards by linking your BlizzCon Pass to your Battle.net Account no later than September 18, 2026.
Rewards and eligibility vary by game, stream, and platform.
Click to Learn More
The AWC and MDI Grand Finals Arrive Soon at BlizzCon 2026!
After months of preparation and hard-fought battles, the world’s best WoW teams have risen to the challenge to compete in the Grand Finals, returning to BlizzCon for the first time since 2019.
The Arena World Championship and Mythic Dungeon International Grand Finals are here! Come join us live from the BlizzCon Stage or enjoy from home as Azeroth's top heroes compete for honor, the BlizzCon trophy, and a share of the $600,000 combined AWC & MDI prize pool on September 12 and 13.
Click to Learn More
Midnight 12.1.5 Overview: New Adventures Await
In the Curse of Ula’tek, our heroes challenged and defeated Ula’tek, the great-winged, writhing avatar of hatred that lurked deep beneath the Coiled Isle, constricting something the Amani believed to be long-dead, Kith’ix.
In the next content update to Midnight, we delve beneath Ula’tek’s chamber and into Kith’ix’s prison, and the dramatic finale of this epic saga.
The 12.1.5 content update is currently on the PTR, and you can log in to experience:
New Story Campaign: “The Promise of Tomorrow”
New Single-Boss Raid: The Unbinding of Kith’ix
New Expanded Delve-Like Experience: Labyrinths
New Outdoor Event: Aqir Invasion
Mid-Season 2 Refresh: Ascendant Venomstones
Click to Learn More
Curse of Ula’tek: The Venomous Abyss Raid Finder Wing 3 Now Live!
Within the depths of the Venomous Abyss, Ula’tek stirs once more. Awakened by Zul’jan’s actions, this ancient force of hatred, corruption, and venom threatens to unleash her brood from the heart of an eight-boss raid dungeon.
Gather your allies, carve a path through the vaults, and face Ula’tek in her inner sanctum.
We look forward to joining you in the Venomous Abyss!
Click to Learn More
WoW Roofus Pack Raises More Than $1.3M for Habitat for Humanity
Earlier this year, players adopted Roofus through the Roofus Pack promotion in support of Habitat for Humanity. The cheerful builder, Roofus, joined players across modern World of Warcraft and WoW Classic progression realms as an in-game companion pet linked to a real-world cause, and Paw Pal Housing Decor items helped make players’ houses feel a little more like home.
During the promotion, Blizzard donated 100% of the purchase price of The Roofus Pack to Habitat for Humanity.
Thank you to everyone who adopted Roofus, shared the promotion, or helped spread the word. Your support raised more than $1.3 million USD for Habitat for Humanity.
Click to Learn More
Let us journey alongside you, regale you with tales of adventure in faraway places, map out roads less traveled, and direct your gaze toward the legendary challenges that await. Return each week to the World of Warcraft news site, where together we'll uncover your destiny.]]>
Arator's Doubts in the Light
Arator has arguably been the main character of Midnight, featuring as the protagonist in Eversong Woods, Voidstorm, and even his own personal leveling campaign chapter. Throughout those stories, he has served as a skeptical lens against the zealous devotion to the Light held by those around him, such as Liadrin, Lothraxion, and even his father Turalyon.
By the end of the leveling story, he finds himself with a more secure relationship to the Light, finding ways in which it can be wielded in times of peace and defense rather than war and death, as he thought paladins should. With that confidence, he was able to spearhead the defense of Quel'Thalas against the Void, rallying the elven tribes of Azeroth together to stop Xal'atath at the Darkwell.
Amidst that story, however, he also suffered the loss of both of his parents yet again. At the conclusion of the Voidspire raid, Xal'atath severely wounds Alleria with the Blade of the Black Empire, drawing the dark naaru from inside her and leaving her seemingly on death's door. When the naaru was used to convert the Voidspire into a conduit to corrupt the Sunwell into the Darkwell, both Alleria and Turalyon fell down into its depths, with Arator only barely surviving thanks to Magister Umbric's intervention.
Since the restoration of the Darkwell into the newly formed Dawnwell, a measure of peace has settled over Quel'Thalas, but Arator instead has been spending his days sulking near its waters, praying to the Light for answers about the whereabouts of Xal'atath and his parents. It is there that we find him in the final chapter of patch 12.1's campaign, as we arrive with Umbric to convince Arator to aid us in a new mission.
At the Dawnwell, Arator reveals that even though he asks day after day, the Light has given him no answers about any of his questions. Despite the shift in his relationship with the Light during his personal campaign, Arator also experienced a number of moments that made him doubt not just his own faith, but the nature of Light itself during Midnight. Even from the opening moments of the expansion, when fending off the Devouring Host, he unleashed the Light so wrathfully that he burned himself and his armor, an experience he brings up numerous times throughout the leveling story.
Alleria Windrunner says: Tell me of Silvermoon, Arator. How bad was it?
Arator says: Honestly, if not for the Light forces intervening when they did, we would have lost everything.
Alleria Windrunner says: I see. And your father, is he well?
Arator says: He... I fear the Light... blinds him, Mother. In his rage, he... he struck down an innocent.
Alleria Windrunner says: Who, Arator?
Arator says: That... doesn't matter now. What matters is that if the Light can turn someone like him wrathful...
Alleria Windrunner says: You fear succumbing to it yourself.
Arator says: I already did, fighting the Void. You see these embers I bear? I burned myself in wrath. They remain as a reminder.
Alleria Windrunner says: Of what?
Arator says: That there's something... wrong with the Light.
Arator says: That thought terrifies me more than the Void ever could.
When the Light overtook Turalyon at the Amani Pass, he ended up wounding his own son instead of his intended target, and that moment wasn't the first time the Light has overtaken Turalyon either. In the novel Blood Ties, we see Turalyon give himself over fully to the Light to save his son, resulting in near-catastrophe when the zealous, singular purity of the Light began turning on their allies.
Nothing existed for Turalyon now other than Arator. Arator, his only blood, so bright, loved by the Light, loved by Alleria, loved by him—
Arator, and the unholy thing that had snatched him right before his father’s horrified gaze. Tears poured down his face, and his heart was gripped with fear.
But not for long.
Screaming rose around him, the sounds of a fight still going, of anguished cries. Turalyon did not heed them. He roared his fury, uttered words that were raw and powerful, calling on the Light’s justice and power to annihilate this wretched, terrible being of fel, of darkness, of cruelty. To use him, however it saw fit, to accomplish this task.
Turalyon felt the Light answer at once, racing through him, its radiance, its heat, building, enveloping him, ready to be unleashed.
He called for justice.
Fury.
Wrath.
The world went white.
A male figure, tall and powerfully built, wrapped in gleaming, harsh white-gold light that obscured his features but flooded every part of the rocky space.
It was, as she knew and feared it would be, her beloved.
And yet it was not.
Alleria had seen Turalyon call upon the avenging aspect of the Light many times before. But it had never done this to him. As the sun lit the land, as a naaru shimmered and gleamed, thus was Turalyon. His white hair was the hue of a shaft of sunlight, his skin glowed gold, and brilliance poured from him almost like a waterfall of Light.
And his face… His handsome features were contorted in sheer, perfect rage. The scars on his face burned white, and his eyes were now twin suns. He was shouting, his melodic voice ringing out yet still his, still beautiful; church bells not calling the faithful to fellowship, but sounding the warning of a conflagration. The words were filled with hate, fury, and righteousness, but Alleria could not understand them, only feel their power.
Even during the ultimate fight against Xal'atath during the Voidspire raid, one of the biggest threats ended up not being the Devouring Host, but our very own allies in the Vanguard of the Light. Pushed to paranoia and zealotry just like Lothraxion was in the leveling campaign, the Vanguard commanders turn on Alleria and Arator, forcing us to kill them.
Suffice it to say, Arator's doubts in the Light did not start with this story in patch 12.1, but it certainly seems like they are coming to a head. Even though he wishes that he had fallen through the Darkwell alongside his parents, Arator is still here, with his current path yielding no results. Instead, Umbric offers him another path: the Void.
Magister Umbric: When I look upon the Void, do you know what I see?
Arator: Nothingness?
Magister Umbric: Possibilities. Infinite possibilities.
Magister Umbric: Through which there is always a way forward.
Arator: You found something.
Magister Umbric: A new lead: activity in the Twilight's Blade that may point to Xal'atath's whereabouts.
Magister Umbric: I want you to investigate it with me.
Arator: Well then. If the Light doesn't have the answers, maybe the Void will.
Exposure to the Void
Despite accepting Umbric's offer to pursue the possibilities he saw within the Void, Arator's mind is rather singularly focused on his pursuit of Xal'atath when we arrive at Deatholme. With the Twilight's Blade as strong as ever, we investigate the camp to find clues from various commanders, conspicuous troll tablets, and a strangely helpful voidling.
Throughout these pursuits, Arator constantly prods Umbric to use his mastery of the Void to pull more direct answers from the minds of the Twilight cultists, which Umbric refuses. To Umbric, wielding the Void in such a single-minded manner doesn't just risk too much for the sake of efficiency; it is the first step down a descent into becoming the monsters many believe his people to be.
Magister Umbric says: Amani relics... why would the cult bring these here?
Arator says: We should be asking them. And forcing them to answer.
Arator says: Umbric, why not use the Void to pry into the cultists' minds?
Magister Umbric says: No, Arator. Such measures are too dangerous for my liking.
Magister Umbric says: It seems Xal'atath has abandoned her underlings.
Twilight Death-Dealer says: This is our chance to prove ourselves!
Arator says: Serves them right. But they might still know enough to lead us to her.
Arator says: Umbric, we'd make faster progress if you'd just pull the information from these cultists' minds with the Void.
Arator says: I've seen my mother do it before, and I know you can do it too.
Magister Umbric says: I could. But tell me, Arator... how did things play out when Alleria used the Void in that way?
Arator says: We... got what we needed. But it was a struggle. One that ended in the death of the ethereal we were questioning.
Magister Umbric says: Such is the nature of the Void. It is volatile and all-consuming. To wield it comes with immense risk.
Magister Umbric says: And even if it didn't... what's to stop me from doing it again? I would be shredding the psyches of my foes for the sake of expediency.
Magister Umbric says: If I were to use the Void to extract the knowledge we seek, it could very well tear our minds asunder in the process.
Magister Umbric says: There are those who accuse me--and all void elves--of being monsters. I will not prove them right.
Amidst delving through Deatholme for information, we also empower the voidling with more and more energy, eventually discovering its true identity: Lord Antenorian. The former magistrate of Tranquillien was last seen as the final boss of the Ruins of Deatholme delve, where he fled after nearly destroying Tranquillien with the Twilight's Blade and being promptly abandoned by Xal'atath. With his former underlings now in a similar position, he took advantage of our presence to enact revenge and regrow his strength.
When Antenorian flees into the Void to escape us, Arator's single-minded crusade once again overtakes him, and he recklessly jumps into the portal without hesitation. Unwilling to lose Arator to the Void like his parents were, Umbric enters behind him, and we aid Arator in fending off the Void -- and hopefully knocking Antenorian out of the null space in the process.
Arator says: Umbric, help! It... it hurts!
Lord Antenorian yells: What's this? Does the child of Light drown in the Void?
Arator says: It's all happening again! I'm--I'm falling!
Magister Umbric says: Focus, Arator. Find your center in the darkness!
Arator says: Is this... is this what they felt?
Magister Umbric says: The Void will tear you apart if you let it! Envision our escape in your mind's eye
Lord Antenorian yells: Foolish mortals! You cannot survive the Void! Whereas I am empowered by it!
Magister Umbric says: Arator. See the path to victory. How do we hit him hard and fast?
Arator says: My shield! Take it.
Inside, Arator writhes against the Void due to his connection to the Light as a paladin. The holy bubble around him only barely protects him, but he lowers it to throw us his shield, allowing us to force Antenorian out of the Void -- and exposing Arator to its raw power in the process.
While we swiftly follow him and exit into Zul'Aman, Arator is still overtaken by the Void, panicking and desperately trying to shrug it off. On the advice of Umbric, Arator manages to control the Void in an oddly remarkable amount of time, focusing for mere moments to dissipate it.
Once Arator recovers, he discusses the true reveal from our time in Deatholme: the Darkwell was not merely a conduit, but a gateway. When examining the cinematic at the end of Quel'danas, this becomes rather clear, with the beam at the center of the Darkwell traveling downwards into Azeroth. If you look closely, you can even see the armies of the Devouring Host all traveling down at a rapid pace, and Xal'atath herself heads in that direction just before she closes it off.
Despite Arator's exposure to the Void and its endless possibilities and Umbric's chastising words, Arator continues his singular desire to pursue Xal'atath... but it already sounds like he has managed to find a viable path towards managing the Void, even after one encounter.
Arator says: What was that place?
Magister Umbric says: Nowhere, and everywhere in between.
Magister Umbric says: Antenorian blindly opened a rift into it, and you followed him without a second thought.
Arator says: I couldn't let him get away. Not when he can tell us where Xal'atath's gone.
Magister Umbric says: And how could you pursue Xal'atath if you yourself had been lost or torn apart?
Magister Umbric says: We are both fortunate that you were able to maintain your sense of self for as long as you did.
Arator says: Toward the end, I could feel... not control, exactly. More like I was riding a wave without sinking beneath it.
Magister Umbric says: Hmm. That's usually the most one can hope for when dealing with the Void. Keep that in mind, Arator.
After investigating the Twilight's Blade in the area where we landed, we learn that they are searching for some kind of Dark General, one that was unleashed in the aftermath of Ula'tek's defeat. Umbric quickly discovers Antenorian's location, but while we close in on him, he manages to hold us in his grasp -- at least, until Arator intervenes.
In a moment of pure spontaneity, Arator is able to wield the Void with enough mastery to effortlessly peer into Antenorian's mind, uncovering exactly what the Twilight's Blade have been searching for: Kith'ix, the C'thraxxi general who was brought back from death by Xal'atath eons ago, and who fell against Ula'tek and the ancient Amani at the birth of their empire.
The sudden ability to wield the Void is not all that Arator shows off in this moment, however. After retrieving the necessary information with the Void, Arator is still able to wield the Light as a paladin, using it to strike Antenorian down once and for all.
Lord Antenorian says: You fall right into my trap!
Arator says: No!
Magister Umbric says: Arator, what are you doing?
Arator says: I--It just happened! But... I can see into his mind!
Arator says: There's... a giant monstrosity... and a name! Kith'ix!
Lord Antenorian says: I know not where Xal'atath has gone. But I do know that with Ula'tek slain, Kith'ix is free to rise again!
Lord Antenorian says: You will drown in blood!
Arator says: This ends now!
Magister Umbric says: All this time, Ula'tek was preventing Kith'ix from being resurrected. And now there's nothing left to stop its return.
Arator says: Nothing... except us. We need to report back to Silvermoon. Now.
Magister Umbric says: Arator, what you did in that tomb...
Arator says: I know. And you can lecture me later. We need to warn Lor'themar of what we've learned.
Having learned only small amounts about Xal'atath and her plans with the Darkwell, and much more about another threat unleashed thanks to Zul'jan's actions in patch 12.1, Arator makes a difficult choice: to put aside his focused pursuit of Xal'atath and instead devote himself to the search for Kith'ix.
Lor'themar praises him for this, seeing it as similar to the sacrifices made by his mother Alleria back in Warcraft 2, but he also expresses worry to Umbric about Arator's newfound use of the Void. Ultimately, it seems like Arator's single-minded pursuit of Xal'atath has given him not only the ability to still wield the Light despite his doubts, but also the ability to resist the downsides of the Void and wield it to great effect. Despite this, Umbric and Lor'themar worry about what might happen to Arator in the future, given the history of his star-crossed parents.
Arator says: As much as I want to pursue Xal'atath, I can't abandon Quel'Thalas or Zul'Aman in a time of need. You have my blade.
Lor'themar Theron says: Facing evil at great personal cost... You are your mother's son, Arator.
Lor'themar Theron says: Umbric. Something has changed in Arator. What happened out there?
Magister Umbric says: We pursued our quarry into a rift in the fabric of reality. To survive it, I had to give Arator a haphazard lesson in how to manipulate the Void.
Lor'themar Theron says: But Arator is a paladin of the Light. How could he do that without causing a violent reaction?
Magister Umbric says: I'm tempted to attribute it to sheer luck. Yet both you and I know that Arator possesses a willpower like few others.
Magister Umbric says: Though he does not wield the Void, I suspect his determination to find Xal'atath gives him the strength to withstand its presence even while calling upon the Light.
Lor'themar Theron says: Let us hope that remains to be true. I've seen what happens when those two forces collide. There is a reason Turalyon and Alleria so often drift apart.
Magister Umbric says: And Arator is son to both of them. Perhaps in more ways than one.
Magister Umbric says: I will keep an eye on him, and guide him when he needs it. Arator has touched the Void... and that seldom happens only once.
The Child of Light and Shadow
No matter one's thoughts on Arator, there is one clear question on the minds of many lore fans after seeing this questline: Is Arator the Child of Light and Shadow?
To understand this question, it is important to understand what the Child of Light and Shadow actually is. The prophecy surrounding the title first showed up during Legion, during our first interaction with the prime naaru Xe'ra. After retrieving her heart and safeguarding it from the Legion, we receive a vision from her where she beseeches us to aid her Army of the Light by bringing her the prophetic child: Illidan Stormrage.
Xe'ra says: I am Xe'ra, one of the first naaru to be forged here during the great ordering of the cosmos.
Xe'ra says: You have come to the crucible of all creation in search of answers. Listen then, and find enlightenment.
Xe'ra says: In a time now long past, a great battle was fought that would determine the fate of all worlds. It was in that final battle that the all-powerful titan Pantheon fell to one of their own: Sargeras.
Xe'ra says: After the fall, none were left to oppose the will of Sargeras. Unfettered, the dark titan and his Burning Legion would go on to annihilate countless worlds in their Burning Crusade.
Xe'ra says: From the ashes of those ravaged worlds, survivors arose to stand against the demons. They became known as the Army of the Light.
Xe'ra says: But now, the Golden Army teeters upon the precipice of oblivion as their campaign on Argus nears its terminus. Should they fall, the Legion will initiate a new Burning Crusade, and with it the cosmos will tremble.
Xe'ra says: I am here now on a mission of desperation. I seek the child of Light and Shadow: the boy destined to end the age of demons.
Xe'ra says: The one called Illidan Stormrage.
Over the course of the expansion, Xe'ra gave us visions of Illidan's past, preaching about his worthiness as someone willing to sacrifice anything to ensure the Legion's downfall. As a night elven child marked from birth with unique golden eyes, Illidan had always been destined for great things -- even if he sacrificed those very eyes in his pursuit of the power needed to defeat the Legion.
To Xe'ra, the prophesied Child of Light and Shadow was someone entrenched in darkness and "redeemed" by the Light. She did not simply intend to guide this chosen one to victory against the Burning Legion, but into the ultimate battle between Light and Void as well.
When Xe'ra finally met Illidan, things went... poorly. After arriving on Argus and reuniting her heart with her body, Xe'ra insisted that he was destined to fulfill the prophecy. As a being of pure Light, her view of the future is uniform and singular, and quite opposite to the endless possibilities glimpsed in the Void. In her view, if Illidan is the prophesied Child of Light and Shadow, she must fulfill that prophecy at any cost.
In one of the franchise's more iconic scenes, Illidan rejects Xe'ra's forced attempt to "redeem" him through Lightforging -- and in turn, rejects his role as the child of prophecy. In his view, there is no singular chosen one or grand prophecy to guide them, but their own mortal determination to survive.
...Of course, such definitive statements seldom deter lore fans. Even amidst Illidan's climactic rejection of prophecy, another storyline was occurring at the same time on Argus: the return of Alleria and Turalyon. Where Turalyon was shown to fully embrace his paladin origins as a Lightforged commander of the Army of the Light, Alleria went down a new path and embraced the Void's powers. Once an inseparable couple, the two were now divided between Light and Shadow -- and in the middle was Arator.
Freshly reintroduced into the story and reunited with his parents, Arator was the obvious next choice for the Child of Light and Shadow. The prophetic title was quite literal in his case, with one parent leading the Light's forces, and the other spearheading ways to wield the Void for good. His split heritage no longer just meant a divide between elves and humans, but between cosmic forces, and speculation certainly ran wild.
Arator was not the only speculated candidate during Legion, however. At the time, rumors surrounding the prophetic use of Light and Void also frequently circulated around Warcraft's other notable holy blonde protagonist, Anduin Wrynn.
Back during the Cataclysm, before the words "Child of Light and Shadow" had ever directly been uttered, Anduin had the hand of prophecy on him thanks to his tutelage under Velen. During some of his first lessons towards becoming a priest of the Light under the Draenei leader, the Prophet bore witness to a vision of the ultimate war between Light and Shadow -- and a grand holy warrior at its center.
He spun to face the prince, surprised, as he often was when it came to humans, by how quickly the child seemed to be becoming a man, by the adult in the words hurled at him. And as soon as Anduin came into view, the world changed.
Instead of the prince, an armored warrior stood before him, his plate helm and breastplate shining with the essence of the Light itself. The warrior wielded a sword forged from the same material as the armor, held it aloft as he perched on an outcropping... Whether it was on another world or Azeroth, Velen couldn't quite tell. And suddenly the dark sky above erupted with the combined chivalry of Azeroth's races. The blood elves, orcs, trolls, tauren, and even the accursed undead and scheming goblins rode flying mounts of every sort and description. They were armored and armed with magical weaponry glowing with so much power it hurt Velen's eyes to look at them. Beside the legions of the Horde, the ancient night elves charged with humans, dwarves, and gnomes, whose ancestors formed the original Alliance, and the shape-changing worgen were united with them. Velen's own Draenei bolstered the army, their ranks adorned in otherworldly metals and bearing crystalline maces and swords.
The Alliance and Horde were not alone.
Dragons swooped and soared in formations that made the sky resemble a giant multicolored, reptilian wing. They blanketed the horizon with their physical size and numbers, and when they roared a challenge, it shook not just the earth Velen stood on, but the universe as well.
And yet, for all this, the greatest shock to Velen's senses came as he saw those that flew just beyond the army of dragons. The naaru had taken the field, so many that Velen didn't understand how creation could contain them. The power of these beings of Light filled Velen's heart with hope, swept away the lonely centuries, and left him in wonder that he could ever despair, that the dark, no matter how terrible, could ever truly reign.
And then a shadow fell.
It was vast and empty and swallowed all light that entered it. Velen knew it would be all-consuming until, at last, it would turn and devour itself, endlessly gnawing on nothing in the Great Dark Beyond, removing all meaning from the universe, from the most heart-breaking sonata to the most arresting sunset. It was too terrible to see, to comprehend, and yet the army headed straight for it. And the light began to fade...
Standing before the Prophet was only a human man-child, eyes wide and passionate, saying something unintelligible to him.
With the direct parallel wrought between this holy warrior and Anduin by Velen in this short story, the obvious assumption is that the vision Velen had was of Anduin in the distant future. We had similar visions of Anduin's potential future in Legion as well, when his comic ended in the far future, where an elderly Anduin led the forces of the Light against the Shadow.
Anduin also had many small moments of peeking into darker forces as well. Since a young age, countless characters have made the obvious parallel between him and Arthas, as blonde, Light-wielding princes with a great love for their people. During Battle for Azeroth, the burdens of leadership even began to weigh heavily on him, and in the Shadows Rising novel, Anduin started to use shadow magic in small amounts.
Anduin made a soft sound of disgust and stood, hovering over her, considering her for a long and tense spell. A wisp of purple energy traveled down his arm, gathering in his palm. It happened in a blink, coming and going, dissipating before Mathias could see for certain what the king had done.
It startled Anduin enough to make him stumble backward. Shaw felt Jaina’s eyes upon him, and he glanced her way. If he was rattled before, the fear etched upon Jaina’s brow shook him to the core. Anduin winced, breathing hard, shaking out his hand before leaning back against the wall. Shaw knew better than to be staring when the king’s eyes began to roam their faces for a reaction.
However, Anduin seems to have fallen out of this role as the prophesied holy warrior since then. His time in the Shadowlands related much more to the powers of Death than anything Void-related, and in the aftermath of his domination by the Jailer, Anduin was traumatized so severely that he refused to use the Light for years. While he ultimately re-embraced it during his time in Khaz Algar, his path seems directed down the route of a healer rather than a prophetic paladin.
For Arator, meanwhile, the hints about his role in this prophecy have increased exponentially with his story in Midnight, even before this questline in patch 12.1. His revamped model alone has an incredibly on-the-nose set of dragon tattoos snaking up his arms and onto his head, with one inked in Light and the other in Shadow.
His story in Midnight also reflects his status as a unifying force: at every turn, Arator has an open mind towards those who choose to wield dark magics for the good of Azeroth, and it is his ability to unite the elves that ultimately results in the creation of the Dawnwell as a balanced font of Light and Void powers.
Now, in patch 12.1, all of those allusions and visual motifs become much more real in his story, as he finally begins to wield the Void -- all while still wielding the Light as well. Discipline Priest players might wonder why such a feat is anything special, but historically, the use of Light and Void in tandem results in a disastrously explosive end for their wielders.
In the story remaining in Midnight, the grand fight between Light and Shadow has yet to truly happen. The Devouring Host has traveled below Azeroth's surface (almost certainly to the Worldcore housing Azeroth's worldsoul), and the Vanguard of the Light similarly disappeared at the same time. Wherever they went is likely also where we will find Alleria and Turalyon -- be they dead or alive.
The Worldsoul Saga has also introduced another prophecy surrounding the grand battle between Light and Void: Renilash. Given to the people of the distant Arathi Empire by their holy Emperor, this prophetic conflict is the reason why we meet the half-elven Arathi in Hallowfall to begin with, and while we certainly had a conflict between Light and Void in that zone, it was just as inconclusive as the ongoing events of Midnight.
As the climax of Midnight's story, 12.2 may involve a proper, direct clash between these cosmic forces and their armies... and a character like Arator will certainly be standing in the middle of such a conflict now that he has begun to wield the powers of both Light and Void. Whether such a battle results in the vision Velen saw all the way back in Cataclysm or something else remains to be seen with the upcoming patch story.
With all of that in mind, the question remains: is Arator the Child of Light and Shadow? Only time will tell.]]>
One massively popular feature from Season of Discovery was its world PvP events. They were so well received that players were actually disappointed that more weren't added following the Blackrock Mountain Event during Phases 4 and 5. The first event in Ashenvale mimicked that of Alterac Valley, where raid teams had to take down the opposite faction's bosses, and whoever was the first to do so would win the event. Although players did criticize that, similar to Alterac Valley, there was a huge focus on PvE in a PvP game, the large-scale battles that would occur when raid teams would cross paths were nothing short of epic, and who doesn't love large-scale world PvP?
Image taken from a Reddit Post highlighting the Ashenvale Event
Along with Ashenvale, we also got the infamous Bloodmoon Event, where players, no matter the faction, would hunt each other down and turn in their blood for rewards. This bloodbath answered the complaints players had from its predecessor, and was so popular it was brought back at level 60!
Finally, the Blackrock Mountain PvP event was another smash hit. Already a pinnacle for world PvP, this event capitalized on that by giving players a massive increase in Honor gained from kills here. Maybe not all events were loved or executed properly in the eyes of the players, but having World PvP events that players, even on PvE servers, can participate in was a very popular feature in SoD that we'd love to see in Classic Plus.
New and Reimagined Dungeons and Raids
A feature that almost doesn't even need mentioning because it's an obvious one; Season of Discovery capitalized on providing players with either new or reimagined dungeons throughout its entirety. We would first see the reimagined side through "Level Up Raids", with Blackfathom Deeps, Gnomeragan, and Sunken Temple. Even if each phase wasn't perfect or had its flaws (looking at you, incursions), the level-up raids that came from the level-bracketed phases were very well done.
DUST TO DUST
The level-up raids not only brought a new scope to these classic dungeons, but they also provided players with something a lot of them hadn't seen in a while: a challenge. Encounters like BFD's Kel'ris, Gnomeregan's Mechanical Menagerie, and Mekgineer Thermaplugg, and several encounters in Sunken Temple, actually provided players with meaningful mechanics and not just a mob with a unique name and some BoP loot. It made players have to think, react, and move throughout several of these boss encounters. And maybe there's a little bias here, but that is way more fun than just standing still and practicing your rotation on a boss!
And then, of course, we got new content with the infamous Karazhan Crypts and Scarlet Enclave. Although we did get some changes to the endgame raids, and also got a new dungeon with Demon Fall Canyon before, the content and creativity we saw from the developers were the pinnacle of new content in Season of Discovery, and a fantastic way to send off this seasonal server. The Dungeons & Dragons-inspired Karazhan Crypts had players searching every nook and cranny for any clue, item, or easter egg that may have been hidden throughout. From Dark Souls references, class-specific unlockable bosses and rooms, Zul'Farrak easter eggs, challenging boss encounters, and a unique "torch mechanic", this made for such a fun first playthrough, and players still had more to learn the more they cleared this dungeon!
The final raid tier of the server, Scarlet Enclave, gave players what they've wanted for so many years: a Scarlet Crusade-themed raid. And this raid did not disappoint (with the exception of it being a little overtuned at launch). All boss encounters were fun, unique, and gave players a challenge in Classic content. Encounters would shoot players out of cannons, allow them to pick which mechanics a boss would have, have them kill protodrakes, fight resurrected Scarlet Monastery bosses, all the way to fighting the Ashbringer itself! On top of that, we had incredibly lore-important characters such as Balthazar and Lillian Voss, and the developers gave us great backgrounds on new enemies such as Beatrix and Caldoran, with quest chains that gave us a reason to want to take these Scarlet zealots down (this one's for you, Bartholomew!)
Screenshot taken from this Reddit Post showing their appreciation for this raid
Class Tuning and Class Quests
One of the most championed aspects of Season of Discovery was the class tuning through runes and class quests. Now, do players want a 1:1 copy of runes in Classic+? We're not so sure of that. That said, the adventures players went on to acquire these runes were very fun and focused a lot on class fantasy.
Rogues had to stealth through unique dungeon ID's to complete missions from a mysterious and anonymous quest giver; Paladins assisted Gregory the Truthbearer, and the list goes on. These rune quests could be an inspiration for new class quests for Classic+.
The Truthbearer
The balance that SoD had made it so every class and spec was viable. Class balance can seem important, but players often say the phrase "everyone shouldn't get to do everything". Although players would like to see Protection Paladins, Retribution Paladins, Balance Druids, Shadow Priests, etc, be more viable in a Vanilla Azeroth, the extent to which they got it in SoD may have been too much. Rotations and abilities often become much larger, feeling more like Wrath of the Lich King, and for some classes, feeling even closer to modern WoW than to classic.
However, most players would agree that class adjustments would be welcomed, and SoD definitely experimented with that. Perhaps a happy medium could be found between original Vanilla and SoD, perhaps something more similar to that of The Burning Crusade? Regardless, SoD gave people that opportunity to feel what "meme specs" would feel like if they were more viable and even optimal in a raid setting.]]>
Labyrinth of Kindo'jan
The Labyrinth of Kindo'jan is WoW's first Labyrinth Delve coming in Patch 12.1.5. The maps show how large this delve is, with sprawling pathways and numerous segments.
The Unbinding of Kith'ix Raid
The Unbinding of Kith'ix raid is a one-boss raid in Patch 12.1.5! Players take on Kith'ix himself, with Lady Liadrin helping players in a continuation of the Midnight story.
]]>
Ula'tek Waves can no longer been avoided by swimming in the Lava.
The Darkwell now remains for players who have not completed the relevant campaign step.
Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique trinket will no longer hit out of combat enemies.
Here you'll find a list of hotfixes that address various issues related to World of Warcraft: Midnight, Mists of Pandaria Classic, Season of Discovery, Burning Crusade Classic, WoW Classic Era, and Hardcore. Some of the hotfixes below take effect the moment they were implemented, while others may require scheduled realm restarts to go into effect. Please keep in mind that some issues cannot be addressed without a client-side patch update. This list will be updated as additional hotfixes are applied.
Hotfixes
September 3, 2026
Achievements
Fixed an issue where the achievement Spark in the Night was not granting credit for the Sparks of War quest if completed in the Coiled Isle, Val, or Naigtal.
Classes
Priest
Holy
Fixed an issue with the Venomous Abyss 2-set bonus that caused Renew to not reliably grant Renewed Vigor.
Shaman
Restoration
Totemic: Corrected an issue where Oversurge did not properly increase the healing done by Surging Totem or Overflowing Shores.
Dungeons and Raids
Ruby Life Pools
Fixed an issue where the Radiant Drake entrance-return NPC did not appear in Mythic+ after defeating the final boss.
The Venomous Abyss
Ula’tek
Caustic Waves have been adjusted so they cannot be avoided by swimming under them.
Corrected an error in the Blight Vein spell description that was pointing to the wrong damage value.
Items
The Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique trinket effect, Perfected Guillotine, will no longer target enemies who are not engaged in combat for its second target.
Quests
The Darkwell should now remain for characters who have not finished the “War of Light and Shadow” Campaign but have completed the Arator quests for “Curse of Ula'tek” Campaign.
]]>
StarCraft II launched in 2010, and we haven't seen much from the StarCraft IP since then. With BlizzCon only 9 days away, many players have speculated whether we could see something StarCraft-related from the event. Earlier this week, Blizzard released their BlizzCon schedule, and there was a StarCraft II & Remastered Demo section shown seen on the map.
Earlier this year, a Windows Central report noted that StarCraft will most likely be the headline for BlizzCon 2026. Not much has been heard from StarCraft since then, but starting earlier today, the StarCraft site started having some glitches on the homepage.
Sleuths have started to snoop around the website and have discovered some interesting entries in the Console. Reddit user /u/RaiausderDose has discovered 8 unique messages which range from medical reports to a Cargo Manifest to someone trying to accomplish something without credentials.
Some users think this is the start of an ARG, and Reddit user /u/Subsourian has summarized some of the events so far.]]>
Patch 12.1.5 contains the new Labyrinths feature, a mega-dungeon-like system for delves. Players can run through in one session, or across multiple sessions. As with Delves, these can be run solo or in a group, and will net you some great rewards.
For Patch 12.1.5, the villain of the first Labyrinth is Kindo’jan! A new "Delve Hall of Fame" achievement has been added for defeating Kindo'jan solo during the first week and on Tier 11.
NEW Defeat Kindo'jan in his Labyrinth on Tier 11 without any other players in your party, before the first reset following his introduction.
Reward: Title: Fabled Vanquisher of Kindo'jan
Kindo'jan is likely the final boss of the Labyrinth and may take some time to get there, but it's unclear whether this is going to be a new Nemesis-style Delve boss that is difficult and will take multiple attempts, or if the achievement is more about completing the Labyrinth in the first week.
We've datamined a creature model that could be for Kindo'jan - who looks quite a bit like a certain Loa we've seen before....
]]>
First, we're treated to Max's viewpoint, almost incredulous at the realization that they just killed the boss in a stunning upset.
Casters also cheered through the victory before cutting to a heartwarming view of the team members swapping hugs in jubilation.
We get another view of Trill raising his arms in victory, before being swarmed by his teammates.
Already on the floor at the end of the encounter, Driney watches with bated breath as the team muscles through the final moments, releasing a sigh of relief at knowing that their arduous trial is finally over.
From there, it's exultation all around, as the team celebrates, cheers, and even cries, overwhelmed with emotion after a hard-fought victory.
]]>