World of Warcraft’s Next Expansion Is Killing WeakAuras

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There’s a lot to look forward to in Midnight, the newest expansion for World of Warcraft.

After a first look at gamescom Opening Night Live earlier this year, Blizzard has now shared more details about what players can anticipate when the expansion releases early next year.

The talent system for every character specialization is being completely redesigned to make the game easier to pick up and play. A major problem with the current version of World of Warcraft is having too many buttons to press to play effectively – often called “button bloat.” Perhaps I’m showing my age, but I definitely rely on my MMO mouse and its extra side buttons for some specializations; I wouldn’t know what to do without them!

We’re also introducing the new Prey system, along with three different raids available right away. Plus, there’s a lot of anticipation for the new areas to discover, particularly because we’re revisiting well-known places like Eversong Woods, the Ghostlands, and the Sunwell.

The biggest news is that player housing will be released this December for players who pre-ordered Midnight. However, for some, the most exciting part of the Midnight update isn’t a new feature, but a change – something being taken out of the game.

Thanks To Blizzard’s Philosophy Of Removing Combat-Related Addons From World of Warcraft, WeakAuras Will Not Be Supported Moving Forward

For the last several years, Blizzard has extensively discussed the challenges created by players depending on addons to complete difficult content at the end of the game.

Addons have gained popularity due to the increasing difficulty of some in-game challenges. However, Blizzard has also been designing more complex encounters, partly *because* addons are so widely used. It’s a tricky situation – a real double-edged sword – and Blizzard is now addressing it directly in the latest World of Warcraft expansion.

To be honest, Blizzard started preparing for this with Dragonflight by completely redesigning the user interface. Now, with Midnight, they’re going even further by intentionally making changes that will disrupt in-combat addons. They’re aiming to make these addons less essential, which supports their broader effort to make the game more accessible to all players.

One addon that’s been affected by the recent changes is, without a doubt, one of the most widely used: WeakAuras. Many players recognize WeakAuras as the addon that provides helpful in-game guidance, specifically by alerting you to upcoming events during boss fights. While that’s a simplified way to describe it, it’s essentially what it does.

To be honest, tools like these have been around for a long time. I remember using Deadly Boss Mods back in the day, but WeakAuras are a significantly improved option.

Following the announcement that Blizzard will no longer support combat addons in World of Warcraft, WeakAuras has stated they will not be releasing a version compatible with the upcoming Midnight expansion.

WeakAuras will still be supported for Classic World of Warcraft.

They point to an interview with Ion Hazzikostas, the Game Director for World of Warcraft, in which he explained that the team understood the potential problems that big changes could cause for addons.

I believe part of this comes down to understanding we need to approach things gradually. A situation where we abruptly change everything and simply say, “Okay, go ahead and adapt,” isn’t ideal. Instead, we should focus on adding more integrated features, improving the visual presentation, and making the gameplay easier to understand.[…]

The WeakAuras team announced that they’ve decided to act decisively, meaning they’re essentially shutting down. As they put it, they’re going to “rip the band-aid off”, which doesn’t leave them with many options other than closing shop.

It’s disappointing, not only because of how helpful they were during battles, but even more so because of the advantages they offered outside of combat. WeakAuras aren’t simply a combat addon; they greatly improve the player experience and, surprisingly, make the game more accessible. These benefits are now at risk of disappearing, which goes against Blizzard’s goal of creating a more inclusive and accessible World of Warcraft experience in Midnight.

Following the initial concerns, Blizzard has provided an update, stating they will adjust the new addon system to function only during active raid encounters or Mythic+ dungeons. Although the long-term future of WeakAuras is still uncertain, Blizzard’s swift decision to change course is a positive sign. However, a key question still needs answering: if pre-made WeakAura packs that improve accessibility are discontinued, who will provide similar tools, and will Blizzard step in to do so themselves?

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2025-10-03 23:10