World of Warcraft is officially entering its alpha testing period for Midnight on October 2. Planned to roll out over the course of five different phases, World of Warcraft fans will be able to get a first look at the zones, stories, and features of Midnight very soon.
During Gamescom, World of Warcraft officially revealed Midnight, the second expansion of the Worldsoul Saga. Slated for release in the first half of 2026, it will have players travel to Quel’thalas to thwart the dark schemes of Xal’atath, where they will see revamped versions of Eversong Woods, Silvermoon City, and Zul’Aman, alongside brand-new regions like Harandar and the Voidstorm.
World of Warcraft Closed Alpha Begins October 2
Now, World of Warcraft is gearing up to take the next major step towards Midnight‘s release. The alpha test kicks off October 2, and is currently planned to run for five weeks. During each weekly phase, new content will be available, with different World of Warcraft: Midnight zones, dungeons, and quests being available in each build. By the fifth and final week, all alpha content will be available to test at once.
- Phase 1 (October 2–8)
- Zones/Quests: Eversong Woods, Arator campaign, Arcantina
- Dungeons: Windrunner Spire, Murder Row
- Delves: Collegiate Calamity, Parthelion Plaza, The Darkway
- Player Housing
- Devourer Demon Hunter
- Class & Profession Updates
- Phase 2 (October 9–15)
- Zones/Quests: Zul’Aman
- Dungeons: Den of Nalorakk, Maisara Caverns
- Delves: Twilight Crypts, Atal’Aman
- Phase 3 (October 16–22)
- Zones/Quests: Harandar, Eversong Woods
- Dungeons: The Blinding Vale
- Delves: The Grudge Pit, The Gulf of Memory
- Encounter Warnings UI Option
- Phase 4 (October 23–29)
- Zones/Quests: Voidstorm
- Dungeons: Nexus-Point Xenas, Voidscar Arena, Magister’s Terrace
- Delves: Sunkiller Sanctum, Shadowguard Point
- PvP Updates
- Apex Talents
- Phase 5 (October 30-November 5)
- All previous content available
- Quests: Level 90 Campaign Chapter 1, Arcantina Visitor Quests, Weekly Quests
- Delves: Torment’s Rise, The Shadow Enclave
- Prey
- Level 90 Activities: Saltheril’s Soiree, Abundance, Legends of the Haranir, Stormarion Citadel, Amani Abyss
- Profession Sparks
Though everything in the alpha is subject to change, fans can expect to see the vast majority of the story campaign, every new dungeon and Delve, the Devourer Demon Hunter, Apex Talents, class and profession changes, Apex Talents, the Prey feature, and most of the open-world activities in WoW: Midnight. The Player Housing system will also be available to test before its expected arrival later this year as a part of Patch 11.1.7.
While information from the alpha will be available to the public, the alpha test itself will only be available to Blizzard friends and family, press, and select members of the community. Interested gamers should be sure to keep an eye on their emails and Battle.net clients to see if they are invited to join each week. Regardless, assuming Blizzard sticks to this schedule, the alpha will conclude by the beginning of November to make way for the beta. Fans can opt in on beta testing via the official WoW website, or guarantee their access by pre-purchasing the World of Warcraft: Midnight Epic Edition.
October 1 is going to be a significant day for WoW players as well. Game director Ion Hazzikostas and creative director Chris Metzen will be hosting a deep dive broadcast on Midnight at 9 AM PT, after which associate game director Paul Kubit and design director Maria Hamilton will join Hazzikostas for a live Q&A session. Fans can expect to get a closer look at the zones, stories, and features of the expansion – and if they are lucky, they may see the physical collector’s edition, or even get an official release date.