Blizzard Entertainment detailed its ambitious plans for World of Warcraft through 2026 in a “State of Azeroth” broadcast today, February 1, outlining content for both the upcoming Midnight expansion and its classic servers. The roadmap, presented by Executive Producer Holly Longdale and Senior Game Director Ion Hazzikostas, signals a continued commitment to regular content updates following the successes of Dragonflight and the Cataclysm Classic relaunch. The Midnight expansion is scheduled to launch globally on March 3,2026,introducing new playable races,zones,and features for players to explore.
Blizzard Entertainment unveiled its roadmap for World of Warcraft through 2026, detailing upcoming expansions and updates during a “State of Azeroth” broadcast on February 1, 2026. The announcement comes as the gaming industry continues to push the boundaries of immersive online experiences and persistent world-building.
The broadcast, led by World of Warcraft Executive Producer Holly Longdale and Senior Game Director Ion Hazzikostas, focused on the details of the next expansion, World of Warcraft: Midnight, slated for global release on March 3, 2026, and the broader plans for the game over the next two years.
World of Warcraft: Midnight will introduce two new playable races – the Harani and the Devourer Demon Hunter – and raise the level cap to 90. Players can expect four new zones, eight dungeons, new Delve content, and a new player-versus-player (PvP) battleground called Slayer’s Rise. A social hub called Arcantina, designed for lore enthusiasts, will also be added.
Following the launch of Midnight, Blizzard plans a series of year-round content updates. Patch 12.0.5 will focus on a narrative arc involving the Void incursions, and will also include a “prop hunt” themed event. Patch 12.0.7 will escalate the Void threat and introduce a solo boss encounter, alongside experimentation with smaller-scale raid formats.
Further updates are planned with Patch 12.1, bringing a large outdoor region, a new raid, Mythic+ improvements, and an overhaul of the friend system. Patch 12.1.5 will add Labyrinths, a new Delve-inspired content, alongside additional raids and experimental events developed by the Remix and Plunderstorm teams.
Player Housing will officially launch with Midnight, following an early access period in December 2025 where players invested over 4 million hours and placed more than 14 million decoration items. Blizzard intends to continue expanding the housing system post-launch.
“Our goal is to maintain the consistent live release cadence we’ve established after Dragonflight, and through the Cataclysm Classic relaunch, while always delivering engaging new content that sparks a sense of discovery,” said Ion Hazzikostas, Senior Game Director.
World of Warcraft Classic will also see continued development throughout 2026. The Escalation update for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Classic will add new quests, battlegrounds, and scenarios. Later in the year, content from Siege of Orgrimmar and the Isle of Eternal Conflict will become available. A Burning Crusade commemorative server will also launch, offering access to iconic Outland content.
“The development team is looking ahead to the future of World of Warcraft: Midnight, World of Warcraft Classic, and all the different facets of Azeroth, envisioning many ways to share the joy of Warcraft and what’s to come,” said Holly Longdale, World of Warcraft Executive Producer. “All of this is possible because of you, our community, and it’s all for you.” / [email protected]
