WoW Midnight 12.2 Paladins: Night Elf, Troll, Undead
Verified November 6, 2026 · Status: released in Patch 12.2
WoW Midnight Patch 12.2 added Paladin as a playable class for Night Elves, Darkspear Trolls, and Forsaken (Undead) — opening the Paladin class to three new races beyond the existing Human, Dwarf, Draenei, Blood Elf, and Tauren combos — alongside raising the level cap from 80 to 90. This patch continues Midnight’s post-launch content rollout. Verified on 6 November 2026.
Source: Blizzard — Midnight Patch 12.2 Paladin additions via BlizzCon 2026 reveal.
New Paladin race combos
Patch 12.2 adds three new race-class combos:
- Night Elf Paladin (Alliance). Lore: elves re-embracing Light after Void corruption era.
- Darkspear Troll Paladin (Horde). Lore: troll Light-worshippers emerge.
- Forsaken (Undead) Paladin (Horde). Lore: Forsaken redemption through Light.
These add to existing Paladin races (Human, Dwarf, Dranaei, Blood Elf, Tauren, Lightforged Draenei, Mag’har Orc, Dark Iron Dwarf, Zandalari Troll, Pandaren).
Complete Paladin race list post-12.2
| Alliance | Horde |
|---|---|
| Human | Blood Elf |
| Dwarf | Tauren |
| Draenei | Zandalari Troll |
| Lightforged Draenei | Mag’har Orc |
| Dark Iron Dwarf | Darkspear Troll (new) |
| Night Elf (new) | Forsaken (new) |
| Pandaren* | Pandaren* |
*Pandaren can play either faction.
Level cap 80 → 90
Patch 12.2 also raises Midnight’s level cap from 80 to 90:
- Characters at 80 can continue leveling to 90 through Patch 12.2 content.
- New abilities, talents, or systems unlock at higher levels.
- Endgame content is retuned for level 90.
- Existing Midnight raids and dungeons may scale differently.
Why these race additions?
Three reasons Blizzard opened Paladin to these races:
- Player demand. Community has asked for Night Elf Paladin since Classic.
- Lore evolution. Each race’s story justifies Light-based combat path by Midnight’s timeline.
- Balance diversity. Spreads Paladin availability across more Horde races.
Creating one of the new Paladin combos
- Install Midnight expansion.
- Have Patch 12.2 or later applied.
- Go to character creation.
- Select Night Elf, Darkspear Troll, or Forsaken.
- Pick Paladin as the class.
- Specific appearance options are in character creator.
What’s different about these Paladins?
Mechanically, all Paladins share the same abilities and spec options (Protection, Retribution, Holy). Visual differences:
- Different racial models and animations.
- Different racial abilities (Night Elf Shadowmeld, Troll Berserking, Undead Will of the Forsaken, etc.).
- Specific armor set appearance variations.
Gameplay performance is the same — race choice is cosmetic/lore.
Patch 12.2 release context
- Patch 12.2 lands after Midnight’s March 2, 2026 launch (12.0).
- Follows Patch 12.1 (first post-launch content patch).
- Includes new zones, raids, and story content alongside the Paladin race additions.
- Specific 12.2 launch date in Blizzard’s patch schedule.
FAQ
What Paladin races are new in Patch 12.2?
Three: Night Elf (Alliance), Darkspear Troll (Horde), and Forsaken/Undead (Horde). All can now play Paladin after Patch 12.2 lands.
What is the Midnight level cap after Patch 12.2?
90. Patch 12.2 raises the level cap from 80 to 90. Characters can continue leveling through the new patch content.
Are Night Elf Paladins new to Patch 12.2 specifically?
Yes — this is the first time Night Elves can play Paladin in WoW. Added with Patch 12.2 along with Darkspear Troll and Forsaken Paladins.
Can Forsaken be Paladins in Patch 12.2?
Yes. Forsaken (Undead) Paladins are one of the three new race-class combos added. Lore ties to Forsaken redemption through Light.
Do new Paladin races get different abilities?
No — mechanically all Paladins share the same abilities and spec options (Protection, Retribution, Holy). Race choice affects racial abilities and appearance, not Paladin-specific gameplay.
How do I create a new Paladin combo?
Character creation after Patch 12.2 lands → select Night Elf, Darkspear Troll, or Forsaken → pick Paladin. Standard character-creation flow.
When does Patch 12.2 release?
Specific launch date is in Blizzard’s patch schedule. Patch 12.2 is Midnight’s second major post-launch content patch, following 12.1.
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