Season timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| August 11, 2026 | Patch 12.1, Curse of Ula'tek, goes live. Altar of Fangs opens on Heroic and Mythic. |
| August 18, 2026 | Season 2 begins, including Mythic+. |
| October 13, 2026 | Patch 12.1.5 adds the Kith'ix raid, Labyrinths and Aqir Invasions. |
| Early 2027 | Patch 12.2, Eclipse. Season 3 starts shortly after. |
Raids
The Venomous Abyss is the season's main raid, ending with Ula'tek. The Unbinding of Kith'ix, added in 12.1.5, is a single-boss raid fought alongside Lady Liadrin against the C'Thraxxi general freed by Ula'tek's fall. It runs on Story Mode, Raid Finder, Normal, Heroic and Mythic.
Mythic+ dungeon pool
Eight dungeons are in rotation. Only three have Mythic+ history, so most groups are learning routes from scratch this season.
| Dungeon | Origin |
|---|---|
| Altar of Fangs | New in patch 12.1 |
| Murder Row | Midnight |
| Den of Nalorakk | Midnight |
| The Blinding Vale | Midnight |
| Voidscar Arena | Midnight |
| Ruby Life Pools | Returning from Dragonflight |
| Kings' Rest | Returning from Battle for Azeroth |
| Temple of Sethraliss | Returning from Battle for Azeroth |
How affixes scale
- Low keys use a learning-focused affix that marks a basic route, softens some enemies and stops deaths from costing time.
- From +7, either Fortified or Tyrannical is active, alternating by week.
- From +10, both are active.
- From +12, Xal'atath's Guile replaces the seasonal affix and each death costs 15 seconds.
Affix values were tuned during testing. Check the in-game keystone tooltip for this week's exact numbers.
The Great Vault
Each row unlocks up to three reward choices. You pick one item after the weekly reset.
| Row | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | What counts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raid | 2 bosses | 4 bosses | 6 bosses | Unique raid bosses, across both raids |
| Dungeons | 1 run | 4 runs | 8 runs | Heroic, Mythic, Mythic+ and Timewalking |
| World | 2 | 4 | 8 | Delves, Prey and other world activities |
Reward quality follows your best completions in each row, so one high key or a hard Delve tier lifts every slot in that row. Track your week with the weekly planner.
New in patch 12.1.5
- Labyrinths: large, multi-room Delve-style expeditions with traps, puzzles and secret rooms, explored with Valeera Sanguinar.
- Aqir Invasions: public events in Eversong Woods and Zul'Aman that build to a shared boss fight.
- The Promise of Tomorrow: the next story campaign chapter.
- Legion and Battle for Azeroth reputations are now shared across your warband.
What's next: Eclipse and Season 3
Patch 12.2, Eclipse, is the final major Midnight update and is due in early 2027 with no exact date yet. It adds a new zone, the Mantle Vault, a raid against Xal'atath, and a new three-boss dungeon, Thraegar's Stand. Forsaken, Darkspear Troll and Night Elf characters can become Paladins.
Season 3 starts shortly after Eclipse. Its announced Mythic+ pool is Thraegar's Stand, The Underrot, Iron Docks, Sanguine Depths, The Stonecore, Uldaman: Legacy of Tyr, Magisters' Terrace and Maisara Caverns. Blizzard also announced the next expansion, The Last Titan, at BlizzCon 2026.