Midnight Prey Overview
Our comprehensive guide reveals everything about the newly introduced system in World of Warcraft's Midnight expansion — Prey Hunts. This feature combines detective work with strategic combat, requiring players to hunt down targets using clues and complete various objectives. Discover how to effectively hunt, understand Prey affixes, fill the progress bar, and much more.
Key Takeaways
Here are the essential aspects of the Midnight Prey system:
Prey in Midnight introduces an additional open-world PvE system centered around hunting, ambush mechanics, and seasonal progression.
To unlock Midnight Prey, you must achieve level 90 and complete a brief questline from Astalor Bloodsworn in Silvermoon City.
Hunting involves completing world content to reveal the lair of a hidden target and defeating it in a final showdown.
Ambush events can occur randomly during the hunt, requiring you to engage the target even if you're already in combat.
Midnight Hunt offers three difficulty levels — Normal, Hard, and Nightmare — with higher modes unlocked through the Hunter’s Journey.
Hard and Nightmare modes introduce Midnight Hunt affixes called Torments, which add stacking damage, movement hindrances, and progress penalties.
Midnight Prey progress is divided between individual hunt completions and the seasonal Hunter’s Journey track with 10 ranks.
The first four hunts each week grant 1,000 journey points, while subsequent hunts provide only 50 points.
Midnight Prey rewards include scalable gear, the Remnant of Anguish currency, upgrade materials, and Great Vault progress.
How to Unlock Midnight Prey
Midnight Prey is not automatically available; it is an optional system that requires activation. To unlock Prey, head to Silvermoon City and locate Astalor Bloodsworn in Murder Row. He is marked with a special hunting icon on the map, making him easy to find. Initiate a short introductory quest chain with him.
Here are the prerequisites for unlocking Midnight Prey:
Achieve at least level 90.
The questline can only be completed once per account.
After completion, Prey becomes available for alternate characters.
📝 Tip: Consider obtaining a Starter Bundle to expedite your Midnight preparations and gain immediate access to the Prey starting quests.
During the introductory quests, you will learn the following mechanics:
How to disarm traps
How to interact with target traces
How ambushes function
Where to find the Hunt Table
Once the training is complete, you gain access to four contracts and can select your first hunt. Prey can be activated and deactivated, allowing you to temporarily disable the system if you're overwhelmed by constant ambushes, enabling you to engage in regular content more calmly.
Midnight Prey Explained
Midnight Prey is a new optional PvE activity introduced in the latest expansion. It incorporates elements of hunting elite targets in the open world and consists of a series of hunts across three expansion zones. You play both hunter and prey: the selected target will periodically attack you while you attempt to track it down and eliminate it. Key mechanics linked to Midnight Prey include:
Hunt: The process of tracking and taking down the target, including choosing the target, completing quests and activities, and interacting with Hunt objects.
Ambush: Sudden attacks from the target can occur when you are completing various open-world activities.
Growing Difficulty: As you progress through Hunts, you unlock new difficulty levels: Hard and Nightmare.
Affixes: These function like usual M+ affixes, adding extra challenges when the Hunt is active.
The entire Prey system in Midnight revolves around contracts. In Silvermoon City, at Astalor Bloodsworn, you choose a Hunt via a special Hunt Table. Each zone has several targets, and each hunt consists of several phases: gathering information, unexpected ambushes, and a final battle in the lair.
Midnight Prey Hunts
Midnight Prey Hunts are the cornerstone of the system. You select a contract from Astalor in Silvermoon City, then proceed to a specified area to track down your chosen target. Each hunt consists of several stages:
Target Selection: Multiple contracts are available for each zone via the Hunt Table.
Zone Exploration: Complete any open-world content such as world quests, killing rare mobs, collecting treasures, and engaging in special Prey activities.
Special Prey Activities: These include defusing traps, killing Coalesced Anguish, and interacting with unique hunting objects.
🗒️ Note: If you wish to expedite your hunt and avoid ambushes, Koroboost's professional players can handle World Quests for you, thereby gaining hunt progress and confronting the prey when necessary.
Completing Prey Hunts in Midnight
Engage with Astalor Bloodsworn for details and complete the zone activities to track your prey. Completing quests and world activities will fill up the crystal. Minor Coalesced Anguish are marked on the map, and defeating them will continue your progression. When the prey is located, proceed to its location and use the Siphon Vitality button.
Chase the prey while avoiding slowing zones, ensuring you don't exit the circle. The Hunt progress bar is hidden when the Prey is active. Instead, use Astalor’s crystal above your action bars to track your progress. Essentially, these are the steps to complete a hunt:
Complete challenges around the map to replenish the crystal (world quests, elite mobs, grinding).
Once enough hunt progress is made, your crystal glows red, and a notification appears indicating the target’s lair has been discovered, marked on the map.
When approaching the prey, it can't detect you under Astalor’s protection, but other enemies can.
Use the crystal button to Siphon Vitality and chase the prey while picking up boots for speed buffs.
Avoid traps like void pools and slowing zones to prevent restarting the chase.
🎯 Pro Tip: The final stage involves challenging the target in its lair. Depending on the difficulty, a separate arena may be created. After victory, rewards are distributed immediately.
Midnight Prey Ambush
The ambush mechanic adds an element of tension to Midnight Prey. While performing activities in the area, your target might suddenly attack. Prey ambushes in Midnight occur randomly and have several notable features:
The target can appear at any moment, even if you're already fighting mobs, including Elites.
The fight generally lasts about a minute or until the target’s health is reduced to 50%.
After this, the target retreats, and the hunt continues.
At higher difficulties, additional Midnight Ambush effects are introduced:
In Nightmare mode, a stun might occur at the start of the ambush.
Active Torments continue to impact you.
Death can set back your progress.
Defusing traps in the area can be used against the target during an ambush, causing the target to retreat instantly. This is particularly useful when surrounded by several elites and facing an ambush. After defeating the prey, you receive Remnant of Anguish and can continue your hunt.
Midnight Prey Difficulties
Midnight Prey offers three difficulty levels, gradually unlocked through progress in the Preyseeker’s Journey:
Normal Mode
The most basic mode allows other players to assist you in the open world. No additional effects are applied, making it suitable for learning the system. This is a softer version of hunting without significant pressure, requiring you to complete quests, fight mobs, and gain progress until the prey is tracked down, chased, and eliminated.
Hard Mode
Torments, or zone effects, appear and remain active throughout the hunt. The final battle occurs in a separate arena, and outside help is limited. Torments can include accumulating vulnerability to damage, puddles of blood under slain enemies, and additional combat mechanics. Hard mode requires careful play, as ambushes can occur during mob fights. Carrying consumables such as flasks, healing potions, and runes is advisable. Acquire some Gold to purchase the necessary items and survive combat.
Nightmare Mode
The most challenging mode prohibits assistance from other players. Several Torments are active simultaneously, and death can roll back your hunting progress. In Nightmare mode, a sense of urgency is present as debuffs intensify over time, preventing prolonged engagements. Nightmare is designed for players confident in solo content.
Midnight Prey Affixes
Midnight Prey Affixes are special zone effects activating at higher difficulties, transforming the hunt's pace. In Hard and especially Nightmare modes, Torments remain active throughout the entire contract. These include accumulating vulnerability to damage, hazardous zones under slain enemies, haunting spirits, and other mechanics that disrupt peaceful mob farming.
AffixDifficultyDescriptionAmbushNormalYour target occasionally ambushes you while engaged in combat with other enemies or when triggering a trap.TormentHardAstalor’s artifact insidiously torments you, increasing damage taken by 2%. This effect stacks based on your Prey hunt progress.Hunter's MomentumHardDying in this zone will reduce your hunt progress.Seeping GoreHardWhile in combat, gore occasionally appears beneath you, inflicting Shadow damage after a short delay.Echo of PredationNightmareA bloody spirit periodically stalks you, dealing massive Shadow damage on contact.Bloody CommandNightmareAstalor occasionally commands you to kill an enemy, causing you to bleed for massive Physical damage if you fail.
💡 Note: Consider acquiring good Gear first, as these affixes add extra challenges, necessitating frequent life-or-death battles.
Midnight Prey Progress
Midnight Prey Progress revolves around two elements: the progress of a specific hunt and the seasonal Preyseeker's Journey track. Initially, you advance within your chosen contract by completing activities in the zone, surviving ambushes, and gradually uncovering the target’s location. Following the final battle, you receive Journey points, currency, and Great Vault credits, marking the start of a longer-term system.
You can track your Midnight Prey: Season 1 ranks in the Index of Anguish tome within Astalor’s Sanctum:
RankNameMin Amount1Hated0360002Hostile3600030003Unfriendly3900030004Neutral4200030005Friendly4500060006Honored51000120007Revered63000210008Exalted84000
Completing tasks and hunting down prey contributes to your Preyseeker’s Journey progress bar. Achieving higher ranks unlocks unique rewards. If interested, let us know, and our team will assist you in reaching the highest rank.
Preyseeker’s Journey Track
The Preyseeker's Journey Track is a seasonal progress scale within Midnight Prey. It consists of 10 ranks with associated rewards. Its mechanics resemble Delver’s Journey but are entirely tied to Hunts. You earn Journey points by completing hunts, with an important weekly cap feature:
The first four Hunts of the week grant 1,000 Journey points each.
All subsequent hunts grant only 50 Journey points.
The difference is significant, so the most effective approach is to complete four contracts each week. This is the fastest way to progress through the Preyseeker’s Journey Track and unlock new difficulties, cosmetics, and key seasonal rewards.
Midnight Prey Rewards
Midnight Prey Rewards are among the primary reasons to regularly complete Hunts in World of Warcraft Midnight. The hunting system provides gear, seasonal progress, currency, cosmetics, and contributions to the Great Vault. You can acquire:
Hunt Rewards: Given upon completing a particular hunt.
Vendor Rewards: Obtained from the vendor for special currency.
Mounts, Pets, & Toys: Collectibles available for reaching higher levels of the Preyseeker’s Journey.
Housing Decor Rewards: Gained in the form of Inscription techniques or for specific achievements.
Great Vault Rewards: Randomly generated loot for World Activities.
🎁 Note: Rewards scale based on difficulty, so the mode you choose directly affects the final loot.
Hunt Rewards
Midnight Prey Hunt Rewards are given for a particular hunt and include a chest with gear, seasonal currency, and Preyseeker’s Journey progress:
Preyseeker's Adventurer Chest: Adventurer gear piece.
Voidlight Marl
Veteran Dawncrest
Tormented Tantalum
The quality of items depends on the selected Midnight Prey difficulty, with more valuable rewards in Nightmare mode. Hunts also contribute to the World content slot for the Great Vault.
Vendor Rewards
Midnight Prey Vendor Rewards are purchased using currency earned during the hunt, including Remnant of Anguish. Cosmetic items, upgrade materials, and additional resources are available from the Construct V'anore vendor in Silvermoon City. Construct Ali'a is a secondary vendor selling only Busts and Effigies.
A Currency Exchange is available, allowing you to exchange Anguish-Scribed Runes, Anguish-Infused Runes, and Anguish-Permeated Runes for:
Remnant of Anguish
Voidlight Marl
Coffer Key Shard
Dawncrests
Some items unlock only after reaching a certain rank in the Preyseeker’s Journey.
📌 All prices are shown in Remnant of Anguish.
ItemCostPreyseeker’s JourneyEnsemble: Preyseeker's Refined Armor1600–Ensemble: Preyseeker's Sleek Armor1600–Ensemble: Preyseeker's Rugged Armor1600–Ensemble: Preyseeker's Polished Armor1600–Skilled Preyseeker's Plumed Helm400Rank 3Skilled Preyseeker's Shoulder-spikes400Rank 3Famed Preyseeker's Shoulder-spikes500Rank 6Famed Preyseeker's Knapsack500Rank 6
Profession Recipes
Apart from transmog and collectibles, the Midnight Prey vendor offers Profession Recipes. Currently, there are two enchantment formulas and three techniques available:
ItemCostFormula: Enchant Shoulders - Nature's Embrace500 + 150 Artisan Enchanter's MoxieFormula: Enchant Boots - Farstrider's Hunt500 + 150 Artisan Enchanter's MoxieTechnique: Restful Bronze Bench500 + 150 Artisan Scribe's MoxieTechnique: Ren'dorei Sturdy Cask500 + 150 Artisan Scribe's MoxieTechnique: Wild Hanging Scroll500 + 150 Artisan Scribe's Moxie
Mounts, Pets, & Toys
Collectible Midnight Prey rewards emphasize long-term progress. These include seasonal mounts, themed pets, and unique toys. Some rewards require currency accumulation and progression through the Journey Track:
ItemCostPreyseeker’s JourneyVoldy800–Preyseeker's Hubris2000Rank 5Preyseeker's Hearthstone2000Rank 6Lil' Preyseeker1200Rank 9Preyseeker's Wrath2550Rank 10
Housing Decor Rewards
Housing Decor Rewards provide items for the Player Housing system in Midnight. These rewards are purchased from a merchant and become available as you progress through the Preyseeker’s Journey:
ItemRequirementsRestful Bronze BenchTechnique: Restful Bronze BenchSturdy Ren'dorei CaskTechnique: Ren'dorei Sturdy CaskWild Hanging ScrollTechnique: Wild Hanging Scroll
Additionally, there’s a set of rewards for defeating a target in Hard and Nightmare mode. These include more valuable and exclusive items, offering a substantial incentive to tackle these higher difficulty levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Midnight Prey?
Midnight Prey is a new optional PvE activity in World of Warcraft's Midnight expansion that involves hunting elite targets in the open world. It combines detective work with strategic combat, requiring players to find and defeat specific targets using clues and objectives.
How do I unlock Midnight Prey?
To unlock Midnight Prey, you must reach level 90 and complete a short questline from Astalor Bloodsworn in Silvermoon City. Once completed, Prey becomes available for alternative characters on your account.
What are the difficulty levels in Midnight Prey?
Midnight Prey offers three difficulty levels: Normal, Hard, and Nightmare. These levels are unlocked progressively through the Preyseeker’s Journey. Higher difficulties introduce additional mechanics and challenges.
What are Midnight Prey Affixes?
Midnight Prey Affixes are special zone effects active at higher difficulties, such as Hard and Nightmare. They include accumulating vulnerability to damage, dangerous zones under slain enemies, and haunting spirits, among others, adding extra challenges to the hunt.
What rewards can I get from Midnight Prey?
Rewards from Midnight Prey include scalable gear, Remnant of Anguish currency, upgrade materials, cosmetics, and Great Vault progress. The quality and variety of rewards increase with higher difficulty levels.
How can I progress in Preyseeker’s Journey?
You progress in the Preyseeker’s Journey by completing hunts, earning Journey points, and advancing through its 10 ranks. Completing the first four hunts each week grants more points, encouraging consistent weekly participation.
Can I disable Midnight Prey?
Yes, Midnight Prey can be activated and deactivated. This allows players to temporarily disable the system if they find constant ambushes overwhelming, enabling them to focus on other game content.
Are there any special rewards for higher difficulty levels?
Yes, higher difficulty levels offer more valuable and exclusive rewards, providing substantial incentives for tackling more challenging hunts. These include items such as mounts, pets, and unique toys.