Leveling in World of Warcraft: Midnight feels very different from older expansions. Blizzard streamlined the early levels so aggressively that 1–80 now functions as a fast track into the real experience. The true progression begins at level 80, when the Midnight campaign opens and the expansion’s core systems unlock.

If you want to reach level 90 efficiently, you need to understand how leveling is structured, which zones to prioritize, and where players commonly waste time. This guide walks you through the entire journey from 1 to 90 in a clean, optimized route.

How Leveling Works in Midnight

Midnight leveling splits into three major phases :

• Levels 1–10: Tutorial experience
• Levels 10–80: Previous expansion content
• Levels 80–90: Midnight campaign zones

The first 80 levels move extremely fast. You are not building long-term power during this stretch. Instead, you are unlocking access to the expansion where the real progression systems live.

Levels 1–10: Fast Tutorial Start

New characters begin in Exile’s Reach or their race-specific starting zone . Allied Races skip this entirely and start at level 10 .

This phase takes roughly 30 to 45 minutes if you focus on main objectives and avoid unnecessary detours. There is no reason to optimize heavily here. Move quickly, complete core quests, and transition to Chromie Time at level 10.

Levels 10–80: The Fast Track to Midnight

At level 10, you can speak to Chromie in your capital city and choose any previous expansion to level through . All content scales to your level. The fastest method is to follow a single expansion’s main campaign without jumping between zones.

Blizzard significantly reduced XP requirements leading into Midnight , so this stretch no longer takes weeks. If you play consistently and avoid distractions, you can reach level 80 surprisingly quickly.

Dungeon spam is not ideal unless you queue with instant roles and stack dungeon quests. Campaign questing remains more consistent and avoids queue downtime.

XP Events That Save Hours

Midnight leveling becomes dramatically faster during specific in-game events .

Winds of Mysterious Fortune provides a baseline 20% XP bonus, and event consumables can raise that to 30%. Turbulent Timeways grants stacking XP buffs through Timewalking dungeons. If either event is active, leveling during that window can cut your total time significantly.

If you are planning an alt, always check the in-game calendar first.

Skipping to Level 80

Midnight requires level 80 to begin . You can instantly reach that threshold by using the Enhanced Level 80 Character Boost from the character selection screen .

The boost applies gear, specialization selection, and reputation unlocks automatically. However, boosting does not unlock campaign progress. You must still complete the Midnight storyline to access endgame systems.

Level 80–90: The True Midnight Experience

The final ten levels are where Midnight actually begins. This stretch requires roughly 3.7 million XP across 17 campaign chapters . If you follow the main campaign cleanly, you can reach 90 purely through story progression.

Optimized players complete this phase in 5 to 7 hours . Casual pacing lands closer to 9–10 hours.

Eversong Woods (Level 80–83)

Eversong Woods is mandatory . The expansion opens here, and Silvermoon becomes your central hub.

This zone introduces Midnight mechanics and establishes the campaign structure. Set your Hearthstone in Silvermoon immediately to reduce travel time. Clear quest hubs fully before moving on. Do not chase isolated side objectives.

The quest density in Eversong rewards disciplined routing. Players who bounce between scattered objectives add unnecessary travel time without realizing it.

The Three Branch Zones (83–88)

After completing Eversong, the campaign branches. You must complete all three zones before Voidstorm unlocks . There is no way to skip them.

The three branches are:

• Zul’Aman
• Harandar
• Arator’s Journey

Zul’Aman is generally the most efficient first choice due to high quest density and embedded dungeon progression. Harandar is important because it unlocks the Haranir Allied Race . Arator’s Journey involves more travel across the Eastern Kingdoms and tends to feel slower.

Complete one zone cleanly before switching. Jumping between them increases travel overhead and slows leveling.

Voidstorm (88–90)

Voidstorm unlocks only after all branch campaigns are complete . This is the final zone and the most mechanically demanding.

Most players hit level 90 within Howling Ridge before finishing the zone . Combat becomes more punishing here, and careless pulls can cost meaningful time.

Complete the campaign before attempting the Nexus-Point Xenas dungeon. Skipping story steps forces you to backtrack later.

Dungeons During 80–90

Midnight launches with eight dungeons across its zones . The efficient strategy is simple: run each dungeon once when you have its associated campaign quest.

Dungeon spam without quests is inefficient compared to campaign progression. Queue while questing so you never stand idle. Stack dungeon completion XP with quest XP for maximum efficiency.

Delves and the Prey System

Delves return in Midnight as short instanced experiences . Complete each Delve once for its first-time quest reward. Repeated clears provide minimal leveling benefit.

The new Prey system introduces tracked hunts across zones. Engage these targets only if they are already near your campaign route. Traveling across zones for a single hunt costs more time than the reward justifies.

Speed-Leveling Principles That Matter

Midnight rewards discipline more than raw damage output. The most important rules are simple:

• Follow the campaign first.
• Clear full quest hubs before leaving.
• Batch multiple objectives in one area.
• Avoid unnecessary side detours.
• Use Skyriding between hubs, not between individual objectives.
• Minimize deaths, especially in Voidstorm.

Most leveling inefficiency comes from travel and distraction, not combat.

What Unlocks at Level 90

When your first character reaches 90, Adventure Mode unlocks for all alts . Future characters can choose zone order freely and benefit from Warband XP bonuses.

This makes subsequent leveling runs significantly faster.

Midnight leveling stands as one of the fastest expansion progressions Blizzard has ever designed. The gap between a smooth six-hour run and a frustrating twelve-hour grind rarely comes down to gear or class choice. It comes down to route discipline.

Players who stay focused on the campaign, avoid scattered detours, run each dungeon once alongside its corresponding quest, and complete all three branch zones before stepping into Voidstorm consistently reach level 90 faster and with far less friction. Stick to that structure, and the final level arrives smoothly—often before you even notice how quickly the journey moved. Play Now!