How to Level Up in WoW: 1 to 90 Guide for Midnight
To level up in WoW in 2026, new players go from Exile’s Reach straight into the Dragonflight story to level 70, take The War Within Recap from 70 to 80, then level 80 to 90 through Midnight’s four zones. Returning players can use Chromie Time to pick an older expansion instead, and every Midnight edition includes an Enhanced Level 80 Character Boost to skip straight to the new content.
The fastest path to level up in WoW, 1 to 90
Blizzard rebuilt the levelling path in the 11.2.7 update in late 2025, just before Midnight. The result is one road from level 1 to 90 for new characters and two shortcuts, Chromie Time and the Level 80 boost, for everyone else. Here’s how it breaks down, according to Blizzard’s own announcement:
| Levels | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 10 | Exile’s Reach | New Player Experience tutorial island |
| 10 to 70 | Dragonflight story | Exile’s Reach now flows straight into Dragonflight, including story mode raids |
| 70 to 80 | The War Within Recap | An accelerated story run from the Isle of Dorn to K’aresh, “just a few hours of playtime” |
| 80 to 90 | Midnight zones | Eversong Woods first, then Zul’Aman, Harandar or Arator’s questline in any order |
Existing players don’t have to follow it. Blizzard says they can still bypass Exile’s Reach and use Chromie Time to choose which expansion to level through first.
Level up in WoW from 1 to 70: Exile’s Reach and Dragonflight
A brand-new account starts on Exile’s Reach, a short tutorial that teaches movement, combat and questing. Since 11.2.7 it no longer drops you into an unrelated expansion: it hands you straight to the Dragonflight campaign, and Blizzard opened up content that used to be gated behind endgame, such as story mode raids, so new players can follow the whole Dragonflight story on the way to 70.
Is it the fastest route? For a first character, probably yes, because it’s linear and needs no decisions. For an alt, Chromie Time can be quicker, since you can pick the expansion whose zones you can run on autopilot, even on a Steam Deck.
Level 70 to 80: The War Within Recap
This is the biggest time saver of the new path. Instead of playing the full War Within campaign, new characters take The War Within Recap, which Blizzard describes as an accelerated play-through that covers “the complete story” in a few hours, from the Isle of Dorn to K’aresh, with the key cinematics along the way. Blizzard confirmed that new players level from 70 to 80 this way “instead of having to go through the entirety of the content.”
Honestly, if you skipped The War Within when it was current, the Recap is also the easiest way to understand why Midnight’s story starts where it does. It’s short.
Level 80 to 90: how to level up in WoW Midnight
Midnight raised the level cap to 90 and starts everyone in a revitalized Eversong Woods. After that, you choose your next step from three paths in any order: the troll kingdom of Zul’Aman, the fungal jungle of Harandar, or the questline with Arator, son of Turalyon and Alleria Windrunner. The Voidstorm, the fourth zone, comes later in the story (and it’s as hostile as the name suggests).
Ten levels also mean ten new talent points. Blizzard’s talent post explains the split: three new class talent points, three Hero Talent points and four specialization points, which unlock the new Apex Talents starting at level 81. So every level from 81 to 90 gives you something to spend. In practice, it adds up.
Dungeons while levelling
Midnight dungeons open through campaign quests or by level, whichever comes first, and the level route works on any character, even one that skipped those quests. Run each one as soon as it unlocks.
| Dungeon | Opens at level |
|---|---|
| Windrunner Spire | 81 |
| Murder Row | 83 |
| Maisara Caverns | 85 |
| The Blinding Vale, Den of Nalorakk | 88 |
| Magisters’ Terrace, Nexus-Point Xenas, Voidscar Arena | 90 |
Unlocking the haranir along the way
Haranir fans should plan their route around one detail. Blizzard’s launch post says you pick up the starting quest in Silvermoon City and must finish the Harandar levelling campaign to unlock them. Thing is, that makes Harandar the best second zone for anyone planning a haranir alt.
Skipping the grind: the Level 80 boost and the Returning Player Experience
Every edition of Midnight, including the Base Edition, comes with an Enhanced Level 80 Character Boost, which Blizzard says includes upgraded gear and reputation progress. Use it and you start at 80, ready for Eversong Woods, without touching the older content at all. It’s Retail-only and stays on the game account it was bought for.
Coming back after a long break? The Returning Player Experience, also added in 11.2.7, sends you from the character select screen to the Arathi Highlands to help Thrall and Jaina. Blizzard hides your existing quests during it, turns on the Assisted Highlight system (which highlights the next damage ability to use) and adds tutorials for Skyriding and interrupts. At the end you get level-appropriate gear. Put simply, it’s the gentlest way back in, and you can leave it at any time.
Tips to level up in WoW faster
Most of the speed comes from habits, not secrets. Boring, but true. These are the ones that save real time:
- Pick up every quest in an area before starting any of them, then complete them in one loop.
- Run dungeons as they unlock; the queue time overlaps with questing if you keep questing while you wait.
- Spend new talent points right away, especially the Apex Talent from level 81.
- Use Chromie Time on alts to replay the expansion you know best.
- Skip side content until 90; professions and collecting can wait a few hours.
Real talk: sorting bags and reading every tooltip can wait until 90, when the clock no longer matters.
Level up in WoW on alts: what carries over
An alt doesn’t start from nothing. Look at what the account already holds. Since The War Within, WoW’s Warband system shares a lot across characters on the same account: a Warband bank for moving items between them, and many reputations that now count account-wide instead of per character. So an alt doesn’t start from zero in every way, even at level 10.
The trick is to plan the alt around something new. If you want to try Devourer, the new Demon Hunter spec, or a haranir, make that the alt, use Chromie Time to level through the expansion you like most, and save the Midnight zones for 80 to 90. Is it worth using the Level 80 boost on an alt instead of your main? Usually yes, since your main already knows the story and the alt is the one you’d rather not grind.
Levelling with friends
Group levelling is quicker and more fun if you plan it a little. Dungeons are the obvious choice, since they unlock by level and give a big chunk of experience per run. For questing together at different levels, WoW’s Party Sync lets a higher-level player sync down to a friend’s level and share quest progress. To be fair, a group still moves at the speed of its slowest member, so agree on a target level for the evening before you start.
What to do after hitting level 90
Level 90 is where the current season starts for you. Midnight Season 2 began in August 2026 (Mythic+ and The Venomous Abyss raid opened the week of August 18), so a fresh 90 drops straight into that gear chase. It’s also a good point to pick professions; our WoW professions guide helps you choose two that pay off. For launch dates, editions and the season schedule, see our WoW Midnight release date page, and for the full history of the game the World of Warcraft release date timeline lists every expansion.
Prefer the classic game? The TBC Anniversary servers have their own pace and level cap, and our TBC Anniversary guide covers them, and our WoW accounts page lists a ready level 70 character there. Either way, the best way to level up in WoW is the one you’ll actually enjoy, because enjoying the road is what gets you to 90.
FAQ
What is the max level in World of Warcraft in 2026?
The max level in Retail World of Warcraft is 90, raised from 80 with the Midnight expansion in March 2026.
How do new players level from 1 to 80?
New players start in Exile’s Reach, continue through the Dragonflight story to level 70, then take The War Within Recap from 70 to 80.
Does Chromie Time still work?
Yes. Blizzard says existing players can bypass Exile’s Reach and use Chromie Time to choose which expansion to level through first.
Does every Midnight edition include a level boost?
Yes. Base, Heroic and Epic editions all include an Enhanced Level 80 Character Boost with upgraded gear and reputation progress.
Where does Midnight levelling start?
Midnight levelling starts in Eversong Woods. After that you choose Zul’Aman, Harandar or Arator’s questline in any order.
When do Apex Talents unlock?
Apex Talents unlock from level 81 and use four specialization talent points earned while levelling to 90.
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