Blizzard insists that dismissing the next World of Warcraft expansion as “just another chapter” would be a serious mistake. Arriving on March 2nd and introducing the long-awaited housing system, Midnight is seen by the studio as a turning point that could become the most important WoW expansion in ten years.

It’s increasingly evident that World of Warcraft is heading into one of the boldest phases in its long history with the arrival of Midnight, now officially dated. The expansion not only advances the MMO’s overarching storyline but finally brings a feature players have been requesting for decades: housing. Starting December 2nd, players who own the expansion can try the new system in early access.

But Blizzard emphasizes that Midnight is far more than “the expansion that finally added houses.” In an interview with ScreenRant, game director Ion Hazzikostas stated that Midnight “has the potential to be our best expansion to date,” adding that he is excited for players to experience “the full narrative implications” and see “millions jumping into housing and everything else.”

According to Hazzikostas, Legion set the gold standard for modern expansions, but he believes Midnight may surpass it. That confidence comes from the sheer scope of the project. Lead designer Jesse Kurlancheek explained that building a system as large as housing — one meant to be carried across multiple expansions — required tackling complex technical challenges the team couldn’t have foreseen years ago.

Kurlancheek stressed that housing is designed to become “another core pillar of WoW’s gameplay,” seamlessly integrated into progression and the MMO’s long-standing economy. Associate production director Garth DeAngelis added a personal touch, recounting how revisiting Eversong Woods in Midnight nearly brought him to tears due to its overwhelming nostalgia, even though he doesn’t consider himself a WoW veteran.

If anyone believes Midnight will be just another expansion, Blizzard’s internal outlook suggests the opposite. The team sees it as one of the most significant WoW expansions of the past decade — a release intended to shape what the MMO will become in the years ahead.

Source: 3djuegos