WoW Midnight DPS Tier List: Best DPS Specs Ranked (Season 2)

WoW Midnight DPS Tier List - August 2026 (Season 2, Patch 12.1)

Updated August 15, 2026 for Season 2 launch week. Rankings based on Wowhead's Mythic+ DPS Tier List by tettles. This list ranks specs by pushing value in Mythic+ -- damage, utility, and survivability for the current Season 2 dungeon pool: Altar of Fangs, Murder Row, Den of Nalorakk, The Blinding Vale, Voidscar Arena, King's Rest, Temple of Sethraliss, and Ruby Life Pools.

Season 2 top-line: Arms Warrior and Arcane Mage are the two comp-defining specs. Augmentation Evoker, which dominated Season 1, drops to C-tier. Unholy DK falls from S to B-tier due to weak single target. The meta is built around two raid buff compositions: Battle Shout (Arms) vs Arcane Intellect (Arcane Mage).

Mythic+ DPS Tier List (Season 2)

A+ Tier: The Meta Picks

No spec occupies the traditional S-tier this season. Arms Warrior and Arcane Mage sit above the field at A+, and compositions are being built around which of their raid buffs -- Battle Shout or Arcane Intellect -- the group prioritizes.

Arms Warrior

Arms maintains near-100% uptime on Sweeping Strikes, making every single-target button simultaneously a cleave button. Two-to-five target damage is where Arms separates from the field, covering the overwhelming majority of Mythic+ trash packs. The funnel is excellent -- priority targets in a pack die on schedule without sacrificing AoE. Battle Shout is one of the two polarizing raid buffs this season, with real potential for multiple distinct meta compositions to form around it.

Arcane Mage

Arcane sits alongside Arms at the top via a different route. Resonance gives excellent funnel -- Arcane Barrage scales with each additional target hit, meaning priority damage increases as pull size grows. Touch of the Magi plus Arcane Surge creates enormous burst windows. Bloodlust is the most contested utility in Mythic+, and Arcane Intellect is the second of the two season-defining raid buffs. Temple of Sethraliss is particularly strong for Arcane given its pull structure.

A-Tier: Strong Second and Third Picks

Devourer Demon Hunter

Less dominant than Season 1 but still excellent. Back on Annihilator + Collapsing Star after PTR changes. Leech inside Void Metamorphosis gives strong durability. Chaos Brand's magic amplification pairs naturally with Arcane Mage in compositions. High overall output keeps it squarely in A-tier.

Balance Druid

Some of the best single-target damage in the game, with solid priority damage. Slightly behind other A-tier options on raw overall damage, but Mark of the Wild makes it competitive in group context. Starfall provides strong uncapped AoE on large pulls -- route design matters for maximizing Moonkin output.

Elemental Shaman

Converted to Farseer. Does ridiculous AoE damage on Bloodlust pulls. Earthquake is the main AoE driver, some of it target-capped. Skyfury is a premium raid buff that fits into all versions of a potential meta comp. Strong positioning as a 2nd or 3rd DPS slot for most group compositions.

Outlaw Rogue

Fits perfectly into a physical comp alongside Battle Shout (Arms Warrior) and Mystic Touch (Brewmaster/Windwalker). Very competitive damage in that context. Blade Flurry is 8-target capped, which costs some value on very large pulls. Shroud of Concealment is less impactful in Season 2 as Blizzard reduced mandatory skips.

Windwalker Monk

Highest burst AoE potential during cooldowns. Very high DPS ceiling in the right hands. Main weakness: single-target is low, which hurts on bosses (~40% of M+ combat). Detox, Ring of Peace, and Leg Sweep are strong utility tools. Mystic Touch makes Windwalker a natural fit in physical damage compositions.

Frost Death Knight

Durable spec with a solid damage profile across both AoE and single-target. Falls behind top specs on heavily stacked AoE but is a comfortable second or third DPS pick. Death Grip, Blinding Sleet, Death Strike, Anti-Magic Shell, and Icebound Fortitude give the spec exceptional survivability and control. Slightly ahead of Unholy this season due to Unholy's single-target weakness.

Assassination Rogue

High potential, currently underplayed. AoE is great, priority damage while AoEing is exceptional -- one of the best damage profiles for situations where one mob must die well ahead of everything else. Caustic Spatter on the main target with Rupture for energy generation. Bait and Switch may be the best defensive Hero Talent of any class. Shroud utility is less impactful in Season 2.

B-Tier: Solid With Specific Weaknesses

Destruction Warlock

Some of the highest AoE damage in the game via Rain of Fire. Relevant single-target on top of that, which separates it from pure AOE turret iterations. Genuine upward mobility -- a modest tuning pass could move it to A-tier. Currently B because the specs above it bring more to a composition, not because damage isn't there. Blight of Tongues is useful utility.

Unholy Death Knight

Was S-tier in Season 1, took a step back. AoE is still very strong. Single-target is now some of the worst in the game -- that gap is the only reason it sits at B instead of alongside Frost in A-tier. Dark Transformation + Unholy Assault combo remains powerful on AoE. A tuning pass on single-target would immediately push Unholy back up.

Notable B-Tier Mentions

• Subtlety Rogue -- Bug fixes late in PTR (Veiltouched, Dark Brew, Deeper Daggers now correctly buff Ancient Arts clones) gave it very strong single-target. Current ranking may be too low as data develops.
• Retribution Paladin -- Lower overall output. Word of Glory, Blessing of Sacrifice, Divine Shield, and Intercession provide solid group utility, but DPS is the ceiling issue.
• Frost Mage, Havoc DH, Fire Mage -- Competent options, each with dungeon-specific strengths but no defining season meta role.
• Shadow Priest -- Strong single-target, but Mythic+ AoE profile limits its ceiling. Power Infusion remains valuable utility.

C-Tier

Augmentation Evoker

Major shift from Season 1, where Augmentation was a meta staple. The spec's tuning and the Season 2 dungeon pool have reduced its pushing value significantly. Ebon Might scaling benefits are less impactful in the current composition framework where Arms Warrior and Arcane Mage define the top comp. Still playable and fun, but not a comp-defining pick in Season 2.

Fury Warrior

Overshadowed by Arms in every relevant area for Mythic+. Arms' constant Sweeping Strikes cleave does what Fury wants to do but better and more consistently. Fury remains viable for raid and for players who prefer the spec, but it has no Mythic+ meta role in Season 2.

How the Rankings Work

This tier list ranks specs on pushing value: damage (single-target, AoE, priority funnel), utility (raid buffs, interrupts, group survivability tools), and survivability. Specs that bring high damage and a raid buff that shapes compositions rise to the top. Survivability has increased in importance in Season 2 compared to prior seasons.

Rankings shift with balance patches. Season 2 launched August 18, 2026 -- expect tuning passes in the first weeks as Blizzard adjusts outliers. This list will be updated with each significant change.

FAQ

What is the best DPS spec in WoW Midnight Season 2?

Arms Warrior and Arcane Mage are the top DPS specs for Mythic+ in Season 2 (Wowhead, August 15, 2026). They are comp-defining picks -- groups are being built around which of their raid buffs (Battle Shout or Arcane Intellect) a group prioritizes. For solo queue or PuG play, any A-tier spec performs well.

Is Augmentation Evoker still good in Season 2?

No. Aug Evoker dropped from meta staple in Season 1 to C-tier in Season 2. The spec's pushing value has decreased significantly in the new dungeon pool and with the current composition framework.

Is Unholy DK still viable?

Yes, but it's B-tier now. The AoE is still strong, but single-target damage is one of the worst in the game this patch. A tuning pass could move it back up quickly. If you love the spec, it's playable -- just not a meta pick.

Which DPS specs are best for raid in Season 2?

For The Venomous Abyss raid, Arms Warrior leads single-target and cleave. Balance Druid excels on boss encounters with adds. Arcane Mage has strong burst windows that align well with raid enrage timers. See our Venomous Abyss raid guide for boss-specific recommendations.

How often does this tier list update?

We update with every major balance patch and significant hotfix. Season 2 launched August 18, 2026. Expect the meta to shift in the first 2-4 weeks as tuning passes arrive.

Related Guides

• Mythic+ Dungeons Guide -- strategies and routes for all 8 dungeons
• Tank Tier List -- best tanks for Season 2
• Healer Tier List -- best healers for Season 2
• DPS Sims Guide -- simcraft rankings and stat priorities
• Gearing Guide -- fastest path to raid-ready ilvl