The release of World of Warcraft: Midnight marks not only a new chapter in the Worldsoul narrative arc — which began with The War Within — but also a new phase for this classic MMORPG. With the changes Blizzard is implementing, like removing add-ons and other new systems, WoW is transforming almost on a fundamental level.
If you’re eager to experience the beginning of Midnight and see for yourself how this new moment in the game’s history unfolds, be ready to set an alarm for when World of Warcraft: Midnight releases in your time zone.
World of Warcraft: Midnight release times in your time zone
World of Warcraft: Midnight globally releases on Monday, March 2, at 6 p.m. EST. Here’s when that is in your time zone:
- 3 p.m. PST for the west coast of North America
- 6 p.m. EST for the east coast of North America
- 8 p.m. BRT for Brazil
- 11 p.m. GMT for the U.K.
- 13 a.m CET on Tuesday, March 3 for Western Europe
- 8 a.m. JST on Tuesday, March 3 for Japan
- 10 a.m. AEDT on Tuesday, March 3 for the east coast of Australia
What to expect from World of Warcraft: Midnight
With Midnight, Blizzard is taking its mission of making WoW a game for everyone seriously. In addition to more dungeons, a new campaign storyline quests, and a new Demon hunter specialization, WoW is introducing content for those who want something different from the usual MMO experience Blizzard has been offering so far, especially when it comes to solo players.
Among the biggest additions in the new expansion is the housing system. It allows players to own and customize their houses with all kinds of furniture, from cute little chairs to more exotic items, like the otherworldly Dark Portal. While quite a complete system, it’s tied to other activities in the game — which, as Polygon’s Oli Welsh wrote in his impression of the system, “It’s a somewhat risky strategy. Players who just want to make a lovely home may get frustrated that they can’t expand it without engaging in achievement-hunting, crafting, questing, or browsing the auction house. But it also displays a clear ambition to expand what Wow is, and the kind of players it can attract, even this far into its lifespan.”
Along with the housing system, a new feature that is coming to WoW is the Prey system. Almost like the hunts in the Monster Hunter games, the prey system in Midnight lets you seek specific targets by searching for clues. To make your target appear, you need to complete open world activities like world quests or killing rare enemies. Even though chasing a target feels less complex than a raid boss fight, the prey system includes all kinds of features, from affixes to difficulty modes, to make every hunt a fresh challenge.