WoW Midnight Season 2 starts on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 for North American realms and Wednesday, August 19 for European realms. The weekly reset opens The Venomous Abyss raid, Mythic+ Season 2, rated PvP Season 2, Bountiful Delves, Azta’rec on Tier ??, Nightmare Prey, higher Tidebound Grotto difficulties, and the first Season 2 Great Vault rewards.
Patch 12.1: Curse of Ula’tek has been live for one week, but that first week was a pre-season. The Coiled Isle, campaign, Altar of Fangs, regular Delves, Normal and Hard Prey, and World-difficulty Tidebound Grotto were already available. This reset switches on the seasonal progression systems and their limited-time rewards.
Current data: WoW Midnight Patch 12.1.0, checked August 17, 2026. Dates follow the regional weekly reset: August 18 for NA and August 19 for EU.
Everything Unlocking in WoW Midnight Season 2 This Week
| Content | What Unlocks | Main Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| The Venomous Abyss | Normal, Heroic, Mythic, and Raid Finder Wing 1 | Season 2 tier sets, item level 279-344 gear, Primeval Skyfriend, Crimson Venomfang |
| Mythic+ Season 2 | Eight-dungeon rotation and Season 2 rating | Item level 295-311 end-of-run gear, Great Vault gear up to item level 318, two rating mounts, dungeon portals |
| Mythic 0 | Daily lockout replaces the pre-season weekly lockout | Item level 292 Champion 1/6 gear |
| PvP Season 2 | Rated ladders, Conquest progress, and seasonal ranks | Elite armor, Venomcoil illusion, Vicious Lightbloom Boar, Venomous Gladiator’s Goredrake |
| Delves Season 2 | Bountiful Delves, coffer keys, and Azta’rec Tier ?? | Hero-track Vault gear, Apophic Soul Crusher, first-week Fabled title |
| Prey Season 2 | Nightmare difficulty and Curse of the Isle | Corrosive Souls, Hexflame Reaver, Preyhunter’s Journey rewards |
| Tidebound Grotto | Normal, Heroic, and flexible Mythic | Item level 292, 305, or 318 gear and Raid-row Great Vault credit |
| Great Vault | First Season 2 gear choices from pre-season activity | Season 2 equipment and possible Nebulous Voidcore reward |
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The Venomous Abyss Raid Opens
The Venomous Abyss opens with no Heroic-only week. Normal, Heroic, and Mythic are available as soon as Season 2 begins. Raid Finder Wing 1 opens at the same reset. Story Mode stays locked until August 25 on NA realms and August 26 in Europe.
The level 90 raid has eight bosses and sits inside the Vaults of Atal’Utek on the Coiled Isle. Raid Finder requires item level 273. The first boss is Nek’zali the Soulcoiler, and the run ends with Ula’tek. The middle of the raid splits into two branches before the route joins again.
Venomous Abyss Bosses and Tier Tokens
| Boss | Notable Loot |
|---|---|
| Nek’zali the Soulcoiler | Raid gear and Mistcrests |
| Entombed Sentinels | Season 2 hand tier token |
| The Lost Explorers | Season 2 shoulder tier token |
| Vashnik the Malignant | Season 2 chest tier token |
| Sszorak | Season 2 leg tier token |
| The Twin Fangs | Season 2 helm tier token |
| The Coiled Altar | Higher item-level raid gear |
| Ula’tek | Slumbering Coil Curio, higher item-level gear, Mythic mount |
Bosses two through six drop armor-class tier tokens. Ula’tek drops the Slumbering Coil Curio, which can be exchanged for a Season 2 tier piece of your choice. Defeating 2, 4, and 6 bosses fills the three Raid slots in the following week’s Great Vault. Wowhead has the entrance coordinates and full boss order in its Venomous Abyss raid overview.
Venomous Abyss Item Levels
| Difficulty | Boss Drop Range | Upgrade Track |
|---|---|---|
| Raid Finder | 279-289 | Veteran |
| Normal | 292-302 | Champion |
| Heroic | 305-315 | Hero |
| Mythic | 318-344 | Myth |
The final two Mythic bosses can drop item level 344 gear, equivalent to Myth 9/6. The raid loot rules, tier slots, weapons, decor, and special drops are collected in Wowhead’s Venomous Abyss rewards guide.
Venomous Abyss Mounts
Primeval Skyfriend drops from Ula’tek on Mythic difficulty. A Mythic kill drops three copies of the mount while that rule remains active. Crimson Venomfang comes from the Glory of the Venomous Abyss Raider achievement.
Mythic+ Season 2 Begins With Eight Dungeons
Season 2 rating starts from zero at this reset. The pool contains five Midnight dungeons and three older instances. Altar of Fangs is the new Patch 12.1 dungeon. King’s Rest and Temple of Sethraliss return from Battle for Azeroth, while Ruby Life Pools returns from Dragonflight.
| Dungeon | Expansion |
|---|---|
| Altar of Fangs | Midnight, Patch 12.1 |
| Murder Row | Midnight |
| Den of Nalorakk | Midnight |
| The Blinding Vale | Midnight |
| Voidscar Arena | Midnight |
| King’s Rest | Battle for Azeroth |
| Temple of Sethraliss | Battle for Azeroth |
| Ruby Life Pools | Dragonflight |
Mythic 0 also changes this week. Its lockout becomes daily, and every Mythic 0 continues to drop item level 292 Champion 1/6 gear. The full dungeon pool and seasonal affix breakpoints are in Wowhead’s Midnight Season 2 Mythic+ overview.
Midnight Season 2 Mythic+ Gear Table
| Keystone | End-of-Run Gear | Great Vault Gear |
|---|---|---|
| +2 to +3 | 295, Champion 2/6 | 305, Hero 1/6 |
| +4 | 298, Champion 3/6 | 308, Hero 2/6 |
| +5 | 302, Champion 4/6 | 308, Hero 2/6 |
| +6 to +7 | 305, Hero 1/6 | 311-315, Hero 3/6 to 4/6 |
| +8 to +9 | 308, Hero 2/6 | 315, Hero 4/6 |
| +10 or higher | 311, Hero 3/6 | 318, Myth 1/6 |
A timed run gives the group two pieces of gear. The Dungeon row reaches its third slot after eight completed Mythic+ runs. Tier pieces do not drop from the end chest, but they can appear in the Great Vault. Wowhead’s Season 2 Mythic+ rewards guide has the full loot table by dungeon.
Mythic+ Mounts, Rating Rewards, and Dungeon Portals
| Requirement | Achievement | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 Mythic+ rating | Midnight Keystone Conqueror: Season 2 | the Venomous title |
| 2,000 Mythic+ rating | Midnight Keystone Master: Season 2 | Breath of Blight mount |
| 2,500 Mythic+ rating | Sssensational! | Extra visual effects for Season 2 tier sets |
| 3,000 Mythic+ rating | Midnight Keystone Legend: Season 2 | Breath of Ruin mount |
| Time a +10 in a Season 2 dungeon | Dungeon-specific Keystone Hero | Portal to that dungeon |
The third mount in the image is The Writhing Brood. It drops from Zul’jan in Altar of Fangs on Mythic difficulty and is separate from the Mythic+ rating mounts.
Midnight PvP Season 2 Starts
Rated Arena, Rated Battlegrounds, Battleground Blitz, and Solo Shuffle begin awarding Season 2 rating and rewards after the reset. Training Grounds: Arenas opened during the pre-season week, but that mode did not start the rated Season 2 ladder.
The Elite armor set unlocks piece by piece as rating rises. Rival II awards the Venomcoil weapon illusion. Duelist awards the Gladiator’s Prestigious Cloak, and Elite awards the Season 2 Gladiator’s Tabard. Earning 2,500 Conquest on one character grants two Venomous Gladiator’s Weapon Tokens.
Midnight Season 2 PvP Mounts
The Alliance and Horde versions of the Vicious Lightbloom Boar use different armor colors. Progress starts after reaching 1,000 rating and winning rated PvP matches. The Venomous Gladiator’s Goredrake requires 50 wins in 3v3 while at Elite rank during Season 2.
Players chasing ladder titles have stricter end-of-season requirements. Venomous Gladiator requires a top 0.1% 3v3 finish and at least 150 wins. Solo Shuffle, Battleground Blitz, and rated battlegrounds have their own seasonal titles and win requirements. Wowhead’s Patch 12.1 mount guide lists the Season 2 PvP mounts beside the raid, Mythic+, Delve, and Prey mounts.
Bountiful Delves and Azta’rec Tier ?? Unlock
Bountiful Delves, coffer keys, and the top Azta’rec difficulty become active this week. The Season 2 Delves are The Ring of Glory, Gnarldor Isle, and Venomfall Deeps. Venomfall Deeps is the Nemesis Delve where players fight Azta’rec.
The first-week reward needs special attention. Fabled Let Me Solo Him: Azta’rec requires a solo Tier ?? kill during the first week of Season 2. It awards the Fabled Vanquisher of Azta’rec title. The window closes at the August 25 NA reset or August 26 EU reset.
A solo Tier ?? kill at any point in Season 2 awards the Apophic Soul Crusher mount through Let Me Solo Him: Azta’rec. Defeating Azta’rec on any difficulty awards the Apophic Patagia back transmog. The fight, Valeera setups, memory pattern, and rewards are covered in Wowhead’s Azta’rec Nemesis guide.
The Delver’s Journey also restarts for Season 2. Its track unlocks Delve bonuses, housing decor, toys, transmog, the Corroded Soul Crusher mount, and an update chip that adds Midnight Delves to Delve-O-Bot 7001. The complete track is in Wowhead’s Midnight Delves Season 2 guide.
Nightmare Prey and Curse of the Isle Unlock
Normal and Hard Prey were open during the pre-season week. Nightmare difficulty and Curse of the Isle start with Season 2. The weekly hunt cap rises to 15 because the Coiled Isle adds more targets.
Start with Prey: A Slithering Threat from Astalor Bloodsworn in Silvermoon City. The questline leads into Prey: A Ghostly Nightmare and explains Curse of the Isle. With the curse active, Coiled Isle activities can drop Ossified Relics. Contributing 100 relics at a Haunted Brazier summons Ral’kala.
Ral’kala can drop Corrosive Souls, Corrosive Coins, the Pale Hexscale pet, Hooked Net Trap decor, and the Hexflame Reaver mount. Corrosive Souls add outdoor combat effects to belts and bracers. Those effects are disabled inside raids and dungeons. Wowhead’s Midnight Prey guide explains the unlock quest, Ral’kala summon, and the 10-rank Preyhunter’s Journey.
Tidebound Grotto Opens on Normal, Heroic, and Mythic
Tidebound Grotto’s World difficulty opened with Patch 12.1. Normal, Heroic, and flexible Mythic open this week. The single boss is Nymrissa Wavecaller. The entrance is underwater on the eastern side of the Coiled Isle at /way #2512 59.9 66.3.
| Difficulty | Item Level | Upgrade Track |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 292 | Champion 1/6 |
| Heroic | 305 | Hero 1/6 |
| Mythic | 318 | Myth 1/6 |
Nymrissa counts toward the Raids row of the Great Vault, which makes the Lair useful for players who cannot fit a full raid into the week. It does not drop tier tokens. The fight and loot list are in Wowhead’s Tidebound Grotto guide.
First Midnight Season 2 Great Vault Rewards Are Available
Patch 12.1 pre-season activities started filling the Season 2 Great Vault on August 11 in NA and August 12 in Europe. That means eligible characters can claim Season 2 gear at this reset. Mythic 0 was limited to a weekly lockout during pre-season, but its item level 292 gear still counted.
After claiming the current reward, progress made in The Venomous Abyss, Mythic+, Delves, Prey, and Tidebound Grotto fills next week’s Vault. Raid choices unlock after 2, 4, and 6 eligible boss kills. The third Mythic+ choice needs eight completed runs. Blizzard’s pre-season clarification is summarized in this Wowhead Great Vault and Mythic 0 update.
Venomous Abyss Raid Finder and Story Mode Schedule
| NA Date | EU Date | Raid Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| August 18, 2026 | August 19, 2026 | Normal, Heroic, Mythic, Raid Finder Wing 1 |
| August 25, 2026 | August 26, 2026 | Story Mode and Raid Finder Wing 2 |
| September 1, 2026 | September 2, 2026 | Raid Finder Wing 3 |
| September 8, 2026 | September 9, 2026 | Raid Finder Wing 4 |
What to Do First After the Season 2 Reset
Claim the Great Vault reward earned during the pre-season week. Check the offered item against your Season 2 tier slots before spending upgrade currency.
Players interested in the Fabled Vanquisher of Azta’rec title should work on the Tier ?? solo kill early. This is the only major reward in the launch schedule with a one-week deadline.
Raiders should clear as many Venomous Abyss bosses as their group can manage and add Nymrissa Wavecaller if they need another Raid-row Vault kill. Mythic+ players need eight completed keys for all three Dungeon-row choices. Players gearing through Delves can start using coffer keys as soon as Bountiful Delves activate.
PvP players can begin Conquest and mount progress immediately. Prey players should finish A Slithering Threat before trying to farm Ossified Relics or summon Ral’kala.
FAQ
When does WoW Midnight Season 2 start?
Midnight Season 2 starts Tuesday, August 18, 2026 on North American realms and Wednesday, August 19 on European realms. Content opens after the regional weekly maintenance.
What unlocks with Midnight Season 2 this week?
The reset opens The Venomous Abyss raid, Mythic+ Season 2, PvP Season 2, Bountiful Delves, Azta’rec Tier ??, Nightmare Prey, Curse of the Isle, higher Tidebound Grotto difficulties, daily Mythic 0 lockouts, and Season 2 Great Vault gear.
Does Mythic Venomous Abyss open in the first week?
Yes. Normal, Heroic, and Mythic all open on August 18 in NA and August 19 in Europe. Raid Finder Wing 1 opens at the same reset.
When does Venomous Abyss Story Mode open?
Story Mode opens August 25 on NA realms and August 26 on EU realms together with Raid Finder Wing 2.
What are the Midnight Season 2 Mythic+ mounts?
Breath of Blight requires 2,000 Mythic+ rating. Breath of Ruin requires 3,000 rating. Altar of Fangs also has The Writhing Brood as a separate mount drop from Mythic Zul’jan.
What is the first-week Azta’rec reward?
A solo Tier ?? Azta’rec kill during the first week awards the Fabled Vanquisher of Azta’rec title. The deadline is the August 25 NA reset or August 26 EU reset.
Can I claim Season 2 gear from the Great Vault this week?
Yes, if the character completed eligible Patch 12.1 activities during the pre-season week. Credit toward Season 2 Great Vault rewards began one week before the season opened.
What changed for Mythic 0 dungeons?
Mythic 0 now uses a daily lockout. It continues to drop item level 292 Champion 1/6 gear.
What are the Midnight PvP Season 2 mounts?
The seasonal rated PvP mount is the Vicious Lightbloom Boar, with separate Alliance and Horde armor colors. The Gladiator mount is the Venomous Gladiator’s Goredrake, awarded for 50 wins in 3v3 while at Elite rank.
Does Tidebound Grotto count for the Great Vault?
Yes. Defeating Nymrissa Wavecaller counts toward the Raids row of the Great Vault. Normal drops item level 292 gear, Heroic drops 305, and Mythic drops 318.
