Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Hitei]

So the newest 11.1.7 build adds music for cutscenes coming in the patch.

Xal'atath's Trial is the most interesting to me. Does anyone else think it sounds a lot like login music? Would that even be close to being done so far ahead of an expansion launch? I know it's one of the last things added, but surely it's not composed and recorded last minute with how long it takes animate things right?

If that kind of twisted music is our ambience for Midnight I'm excited.

I don't know about login music, but it pretty strongly transitions into Blood Elf-y music towards the end.

[KyleEverett]

Next Winds of Mysterious Fortune event seems to be added to the in-game calendar, starting July 17 and ending August 14.

FWIW the last one started the day after 11.1.5 and lasted for 4 weeks.

This one's starting date doesn't seem to correlate with a patch starting date, but it does begin 2 days after Dastardly Duos ends. It makes sense if they're using it as a catch-up for 11.2 and as a way to extend 11.1.7's content by as much as possible, but if it ends August 14 then that might offer some extra credence to the August 12 or even 19 release dates for 11.2.

I'm gonna say the dates are a bit wrong or going off the Asia reset. So something from the 15th to the 12th would make sense if the exp boost is designed to last until Season 3 starts, which still leads to an August 5th patch date.

[KyleEverett]

You're making a lot of assumptions there, though.

This schedule runs 4 weeks which fits. Same as the last one.

Blizzard doesn't run random events from Thursday to Thursday.

[Cheezits]

The Xal song starts off with the Nyalotha theme, but the singing part is new.

[Catastrophy349]

Ah, never change, MMO-Champion! Never change!

WoW HYPE!

[Lahis]

The Xal song starts off with the Nyalotha theme, but the singing part is new.

What song?

[Hitei]

The Xal song starts off with the Nyalotha theme, but the singing part is new.

I mean it's specifically for the lorewalking thing right? So it starts off Black Empire.

- - - Updated - - -

What song?

[KyleEverett]

I don't think I had ever heard that part of the Ny'alotha track. So it being reused makes sense, but makes me a little sad. I just want something new that shows we're getting closer to Midnight.

[Nize]

So, given the Winds of Mysterious Fortune end date, it's very possible now that Blizz won't follow the exact 8-week cadence they've done for new SEASON patches, which makes sense given new seasons typically carry the most content, which you'd want in PTR for longer. This means whatever their release of the new season won't really conflict with Gamescom. It also means that whatever ending comes out of 11.2 won't really matter for what will be shown of Midnight.

[Jolly Roger]

Next Winds of Mysterious Fortune event seems to be added to the in-game calendar, starting July 17 and ending August 14.

FWIW the last one started the day after 11.1.5 and lasted for 4 weeks.

This one's starting date doesn't seem to correlate with a patch starting date, but it does begin 2 days after Dastardly Duos ends. It makes sense if they're using it as a catch-up for 11.2 and as a way to extend 11.1.7's content by as much as possible, but if it ends August 14 then that might offer some extra credence to the August 12 or even 19 release dates for 11.2.

nothingburger but thursday is the day after EU reset so it would be patch day as well so technically day after

[Dracullus]

No date reveal so far, sounds like 11.1.7 is on expected 17th June. We will see what they'll to with 11.2, if we assume Gamescom is MD reveal of course. For sure doing race and Gamescom at same time is madness, many players and content creators from EU are involved in race and Blizzard needs them in Cologne.

- 12th August is definitely not optimal - although we can't exclude that since they can simply return HC week (still Gamescom clash with race preparations and gearing through HC/M+)

- moving it week earlier could be best if they are certain race will be done within single week; this race is not really predictable since they are messing big with addons though

- moving it week later + introducing HC week, or 2 weeks later definitely avoid clash and mirror their approach from 10.2 that was moved week after Blizzcon; of course big con is undermining 11.2 finale - just like 10.2 and 8.3 - because we are already focus on next part.

[Makorus]

- moving it week earlier could be best if they are certain race will be done within single week; this race is not really predictable since they are messing big with addons though

For what it's worth, that's not happening until Midnight at the earliest, if even then.

[Nymrohd]

No date reveal so far, sounds like 11.1.7 is on expected 17th June. We will see what they'll to with 11.2, if we assume Gamescom is MD reveal of course. For sure doing race and Gamescom at same time is madness, many players and content creators from EU are involved in race and Blizzard needs them in Cologne.

- 12th August is definitely not optimal - although we can't exclude that since they can simply return HC week (still Gamescom clash with race preparations and gearing through HC/M+)

- moving it week earlier could be best if they are certain race will be done within single week; this race is not really predictable since they are messing big with addons though

- moving it week later + introducing HC week, or 2 weeks later definitely avoid clash and mirror their approach from 10.2 that was moved week after Blizzcon; of course big con is undermining 11.2 finale - just like 10.2 and 8.3 - because we are already focus on next part.

What if 11.2 had a race that works like Sepulcher did? We have the early raid and then a final wing that unlocks several weeks after? As long as the crucial story part for Midnight happens in the early raid, there are no spoilers for what happens next. So maybe Xal gets her job done by the end of the first part of the raid and then there are an extra 3-4 bosses ending with Azir or whatever he wanted; the crucial part for Azeroth would happen in the first part but we cannot ignore Azir after.

[Dracullus]

What if 11.2 had a race that works like Sepulcher did? We have the early raid and then a final wing that unlocks several weeks after? As long as the crucial story part for Midnight happens in the early raid, there are no spoilers for what happens next. So maybe Xal gets her job done by the end of the first part of the raid and then there are an extra 3-4 bosses ending with Azir or whatever he wanted; the crucial part for Azeroth would happen in the first part but we cannot ignore Azir after.

Sepulcher was just HC week with extra twist, last 3 bosses launching week later alongside Mythic. Point is, with HC week launching 19th August race players are excluded from attending Gamescom, not sure about content creators like Preach or MrGM. Also it affects normal players from Germany and EU in general who would have to choose between visiting Gamescom and playing brand new season.

If you mean timegating longer than Sepulcher's - after spreading 11.1.5 over 2 months.. not very good look for Blizz.

And it's not really about spoilers, cause Midnight is spoiled already. It's about shifting focus to next chapter literally days before current story concludes. But Blizzard did it many times, even in crucial moments like Antorus.

[Nymrohd]

Sepulcher was just HC week with extra twist, last 3 bosses launching week later alongside Mythic. Point is, with HC week launching 19th August race players are excluded from attending Gamescom, not sure about content creators like Preach or MrGM. Also it affects normal players from Germany and EU in general who would have to choose between visiting Gamescom and playing brand new season.

If you mean timegating longer than Sepulcher's - after spreading 11.1.5 over 2 months.. not very good look for Blizz.

And it's not really about spoilers, cause Midnight is spoiled already. It's about shifting focus to next chapter literally days before current story concludes. But Blizzard did it many times, even in crucial moments like Antorus.

I'm confused and probably missed something. I was in the PTR earlier and Turbulent still ends on August 4-5 so why would HC week launch on August 19 instead of August 13th? So you'd have HC week and whatever is revealed from that then Gamescom right after. It only seems to conflict with the Race which is an issue. But they could just move Mythic raiding to release a week later at worst (or even better, do a Global Launch on the 25th or 26th right after Gamescom, Liquid and Echo are both asking for it and suggested they will not go dark if they get a simultaneous release).

The only part of 11.1.7 specifically that requires multiple weeks is the belt and the belt needs 6 weeks to max out.

Edit: Wait, is it because of Winds? There is no reason why that would delay the patch launch. It's the most minor thing ever. It doesn't affect seasonal loot like Turbulent Timeways does.

[Dracullus]

I'm confused and probably missed something. I was in the PTR earlier and Turbulent still ends on August 4-5 so why would HC week launch on August 19 instead of August 13th? So you'd have HC week and whatever is revealed from that then Gamescom right after. It only seems to conflict with the Race which is an issue. But they could just move Mythic raiding to release a week later at worst (or even better, do a Global Launch on the 25th or 26th right after Gamescom, Liquid and Echo are both asking for it and suggested they will not go dark if they get a simultaneous release).

The only part of 11.1.7 specifically that requires multiple weeks is the belt and the belt needs 6 weeks to max out.

Edit: Wait, is it because of Winds? There is no reason why that would delay the patch launch. It's the most minor thing ever. It doesn't affect seasonal loot like Turbulent Timeways does.

I'm not sure what do you mean. I just picked 12th August as default date, cause it's 8 weeks after projected 11.1.7 date, both are of course very flexible. So when I say "week earlier" I mean "earlier than average", not suggest they speed up patch or something. 5th August patch date definitely makes sense, especially if they are confident race will be wrapped in single week (of course in this scenario there is no HC week like in current season).

[Nymrohd]

I'm not sure what do you mean. I just picked 12th August as default date, cause it's 8 weeks after projected 11.1.7 date, both are of course very flexible. So when I say "week earlier" I mean "earlier than average", not suggest they speed up patch or something. 5th August patch date definitely makes sense, especially if they are confident race will be wrapped in single week (of course in this scenario there is no HC week like in current season).

Oh. I expect 11.2 on August 5-6 right after Turbulent Timeways end. Yes that means 11.1.7 would be super short. All it has is Overcharged Delves (which I assume is a mechanic they are testing for 11.2) and lorewalking. The Delve thing has enough upgrades in its track to require 6 weeks to complete. So I assume as soon as that is over, we are moving to 11.2. Then HC week on the 13th and Mythic raiding could just be delayed for after Gamescom.

[Scyth]

Surely 11.2 launches after turbulent timeways finishes, on the 6th of August, with the raid opening the following week on the 13th.

[Nymrohd]

Surely 11.2 launches after turbulent timeways finishes, on the 6th of August, with the raid opening the following week on the 13th.

Yeah that's what makes sense to me. We'll all have seen the raid cinematic a week before Gamescom. The only issue is the race and they can just delay the race by a week if it is a concern for influencers they want to show up on Gamescom.

[Scyth]

Yeah that's what makes sense to me. We'll all have seen the raid cinematic a week before Gamescom. The only issue is the race and they can just delay the race by a week if it is a concern for influencers they want to show up on Gamescom.

I doubt they delay the race, as they need to book venues, hotels etc. Some creators, like Preach, will probably just leave halfway through and come back or something. No idea about the US based ones though lol

I wonder what the prologue to Midnight will be though. In DF we got The Dark Heart quest. However this time the Midnight cinematic is likely to spoil a lot.
Then again we all know where we are headed lol