Get in losers, we’re going back to Quel’Thalas (and other zones) in Midnight

Not only is World of Warcraft: Midnight looking to be the epic Void versus Light battle we’ve desperately craved, it’s glowing up some beloved (and previously abused) locations on Azeroth while introducing some new ones. Yes, we’re returning to a reimagined Quel’Thalas, the Lordaeron home of the blood elves, in the coming expansion. Let’s talk about the changes we know are coming to our beloved high home in Midnight and what other zones are joining the lineup.

Revisited old stomping grounds: Eversong Woods and Zul’Aman

Now, Quel’Thalas has seen a LOT since it was first settled by Dath’Remar Sunstrider and his accompanying Highborne exiles. The almost immediate forays with the Amani (leading to the Troll Wars) on through the invasion of Arthas (destroying the capital and poisoning the Sunwell) left their mark on the beauty of the region. Midnight sends us to a rebuilt Silvermoon City, which preserves its racial capital status by being majority Horde-only, with a “small sanctuary” that will be open to Alliance players per the World of Midnight panel. Two of the four expansion zones comprise the broader Quel’Danas as an expansion from their current in-game role: Eversong Woods and Zul’Aman.

Eversong Woods is expanding to include the current Ghostlands and Isle of Quel’Danas under its umbrella, cleansed of the damage left behind by Arthas and the Scourge en route to the Sunwell. Expect a “radiant forest of lyrical enchantment” as you tackle both the forces of the void and the Amani Trolls, back for revenge. Yes, we’ll also get to experience Zul’Aman as a full zone (no longer just a raid instance). Their capital has been “fully rebuilt from the ground up” with the help of their Zandalari cousins (because once in Cataclysm wasn’t enough?), and it’s up to us to determine the cause of their resurgence. And don’t worry — you can fly in both zones (finally).

Brand new locales: Harandar and Voidstorm

Some may find the new zones more exciting, and no judgement, because they are beautiful. First up is Harandar, a “bioluminescent primordial jungle [which] sits at the confluence of the world trees’ great roots” that’s just a bit important to our newest allied race — the Haranir. Yes, our friends from Hallowfall and Azj-Kahet will join our ranks in the battle against Xal’atath after completion of their story quests (similar to the Earthen’s unlock in The War Within). We’ll explore the deep places comprising their ancestral wilderness and hopefully learn much more about both this mysterious race and their equally mysterious goddess, Shul’ka (in before she ends up being a primogenial form of Elune).

Finally, we’re taking the fight to Xal’atath at the heart of her sanctuary, the Voidstorm. And that’s not hyperbole — one of the first raids, The Void Spire, is literally her stronghold, while the Voidstorm is visually Xal’atath’s aesthetic overlaid on a zone. Think purple vistas dotted with the manaforges of the Netherstorm from The Burning Crusade, the dark gold spikiness of Azj’Kahet, and just a touch of the Jailer, “filled with tempestuous gorges and towering pylons of stabilizing metals and cosmic crystals.” Here, we (allegedly) will unlock the Void’s secrets and how we can use them to ultimately topple Xal’atath.

There is so much more coming down the pike but this is an exciting start to the second chapter of the Worldsoul Saga. Four beautiful zones for us to “uncover the heart of Xal’atath’s machinations while seeking out new allies among the light and shadows alike.” Is it Midnight yet?