World of Warcraft Midnight is "very likely" to have the Sylvanas update I need

World of Warcraft Midnight is shaping up to be a strong successor to The War Within. It might not be at the heights it once was, but the Blizzard MMORPG is certainly in a better place than it has been in recent years, and WoW Midnight is looking to build on that well. We've got interesting story beats, the playable Haranir race, a new 'prey system' that will see us hunting down powerful and dangerous marks across the world, and of course the long-awaited arrival of player housing. But a new interview also teases the potential return of one of WoW's most iconic, memorable, and ultimately divisive characters: Sylvanas.

During a special WoW Midnight interview at Gamescom 2025, YouTuber 'Psybear' asks World of Warcraft associate design director Maria Hamilton and game director Ion Hazzikostas which characters we might see making a return in the Midnight story. The new expansion is the second chapter of The Worldsoul Saga, which has injected fresh life into one of the most influential and best MMORPGs of all time. With Xal'atath unleashing chaos across Azeroth, we'll be battling through Quel'Thalas, the Troll capital of Zul'Aman, and even the heart of the Voidstorm itself.

But who might we run into as our journey continues? There's one name that will probably always be on WoW players' lips. "What about Sylvanas," Psybear asks Hamilton and Hazzikostas with a hopeful glint in his eye, "are we going down to her, is she coming up to us, what's the plan with that?" It's a question you might not have expected an answer to, especially as Hamilton's answer begins with a knowing, "Well, I don't want to spoil things."

Immediately after, however, Hamilton teases, "I feel like you will see some Sylvanas at some point here, that seems very likely." The last we saw of the former Banshee Queen, she had been cast into the Maw, where she's serving out her penance by fulfilling the impossible task of freeing every soul that had been cast in since the creation of the Shadowlands.

We did, however, get a brief sign of life from her back during Dragonflight, where she expressed regret for her actions in a letter to her Banshee loyalists and recognized the new Desolate Council as the rightful leaders of the Forsaken. "One day, I do hope to walk among you once again," she concludes, while explaining "There are many more souls yet to be freed… among them, one that is most dear to me." That last one most likely being her sworn champion, Nathanos Blightcaller.

Back in 2023, WoW's executive producer Holly Longdale told Lauren that "there is a path out" for Sylvanas, but that it would be "complicated." At the time, Longdale added, "Don't ask me if I want to see Sylvanas - of course I want to see Sylvanas!" If you, like me, still feel a pang of sadness every time you think about how the once-mighty Dark Lady's story concluded, perhaps there's a spark of hope yet - and it just got a little brighter.

While we wait to find out when we'll be able to dive into the new expansion, check in with the best WoW addons in 2025 as Blizzard shakes up its approach to third-party tools. If you need something else to keep you busy in the meantime, we've picked out the best new MMOs you can play right now.

Do rumblings of a Sylvanas return have you excited, or would you rather she see out the rest of her days in the Maw? Let us know in our community Discord server, where you'll find a wealth of fellow readers and PC gamers.