WoW Midnight patch 12.2: Eclipse brings Xal’atath to the brink of her goal — our Worldsoul — and much, much more

As the events of Midnight patch 12.1 unfold, it’s become clear that at every point we’ve been one we’ve been one step (or one … float?) behind Xal’atath as she pursues some nebulous, nerfarious goal. Well, she appears to have reached her goal, and it’s our Worldsoul. But Xal’atath isn’t after the Worldsoul for the same reason as every other force: she doesn’t want to convert it to some cosmic side, she wants to become one with it.

Our goal in WoW patch 12.2, “Eclipse,” is going to be stopping her. Though the patch doesn’t have an exact release date yet, it’s launching in early 2027.

But what would a patch be without a whole bunch of marquee features? Here’s what we know is coming in WoW patch 12.2:

• The ultimate showdown with Xal’atath: Deep within the core of Azeroth is the Mantle Vault, the new zone that will be the backdrop for our do-or-die battle with Xal’atath. We’ll have questing to do, of course; find a new lair, The Gearhold; and earn rewards with the new Renown track, the Radiant Core. Of course, Xal’atath isn’t going to be sitting idle, and as she attempts to merge with the Worldsoul, Azeroth’s “Radiant Screams” will trigger zone-wide events for flexible group sizes that offer unique rewards.
• A new raid, The Worldcore: An eight-boss raid that we’ll fight our way through to save Azeroth’s Worldsoul… hopefully. Bosses will include a mix of automated Titan defenses and Xal’atath’s lieutenants, culminating in confronting the floating baddie herself.
• A new dungeon, Thraegar’s Stand, and new Mythic+ dungeon pool: Thraegar’s Stand is a brand new three-boss dungeon whose name is an interesting callback to Earthen lore. Along with that, we know Season 3’s Mythic+ dungeon pool well in advance: Magister’s Terrace and Maisara Caverns from Midnight, The Underrot from Battle for Azeroth, Iron Docks from Warlords of Draenor, Sanguine Depths from Shadowlands, The Stonecore from Cataclysm, and Uldaman: Legacy of Tyr from Dragonflight.
• The Worldsoul Saga’s first legendary weapon, Midnight’s Edge: Eclipse also marks the return of legendaries with a caster dagger whose questline starts with conquering the Worldcore raid. Hmm… a dagger empowered with the Void. Where have I heard that one before? (I swear, Shadow Priests, if you unleash another villain onto the world just because a knife has a nice voice…)
• New races can be Paladins! Open the Paladin floodgates: you’ll be able to play a Forsaken, Night Elf, or Darkspear Troll Paladin.
• An unfortunately predictable Delve Nemesis: While we don’t know a lot about the new Delves that will likely come with 12.2, we do know the new Delve Nemesis. It seems that the powers of anguish we’ve been accumulating for Astalor Bloodsworn via the Prey system have clouded his mind, and we’re going to have to uncloud it via the best way we know how: clobbering him senseless.

Of course, there’ll also be the usual bevy of class changes, rebalancing, and probably an extra system or two that we haven’t gotten a sneak peek at yet, but Eclipse is already looking jam-packed and set to be coming out early 2027!