Our Midnight Prey Overview focuses on the newest system in the game — Prey Hunts. This system is a mix of detective and hitman work, where you need to hunt down the target using clues and completing objectives. Here, you will learn how to hunt, what Prey affixes are, how to fill in the progress bar, and more.
Midnight Prey Key Takeaways:
- Prey in Midnight is an additional open-world PvE system built around hunting, ambush mechanics, and seasonal progression.
- To unlock Midnight Prey, you must reach level 90 and complete a short series of quests from Astalor Bloodsworn in Silvermoon City.
- Hunting in Midnight Hunt requires completing world content to reveal the lair of a hidden target and defeat it in a final battle.
- Ambush events can trigger randomly during the hunt, so you have to fight the target even if you are already engaged in another battle.
- Midnight Hunt offers three difficulty levels — Normal, Hard, and Nightmare — with the higher modes unlocked through the Hunter’s Journey.
- Hard and Nightmare modes activate Midnight Hunt affixes called Torments, which add stacking damage, movement hazards, and progress penalties.
- Midnight Prey progress is split 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 additional hunts grant only 50.
- Midnight Prey rewards include scalable gear, Remnant of Anguish currency, upgrade materials, and Great Vault progress.
4.9Midnight How to Unlock Prey
Midnight Prey does not activate automatically. It is an optional system and must first be activated. To unlock Prey, go to Silvermoon City and find Astalor Bloodsworn in Murder Row. He is marked with a special hunting icon on the map, so it’s hard to miss. A short introductory quest chain begins with him. Midnight requirements for Prey unlock:
- Level 90 is required.
- The quest line can only be completed once per account.
- After completion, Prey becomes available for alts.
Thus, the Starter Bundle can be a good addition to your Midnight preparations, as you will gain access to the Prey starting quests instantly.
During the introductory quests, you will be shown the basic mechanics:
- How to disarm traps.
- How to interact with target traces.
- How ambushes work.
- Where to find the Hunt Table.
After completing the training, you will gain access to four contracts and can choose your first hunt. Prey can be activated and deactivated. If you are tired of constant ambushes, you can temporarily disable the system and calmly engage in regular content.
Midnight Prey Explained
Midnight Prey is a new optional PvE activity in the new expansion. It adds elements of hunting elite targets in the outside world and comprises a series of hunts across three expansion zones. You act as both hunter and prey: the selected target will periodically attack you while you try to track it down and finish it off. There are a few key mechanics linked to the Prey in Midnight:
- Hunt — the process of tracking and taking down the target (includes choosing the target, completing quests and activities, interacting with the Hunt objects).
- Ambush — sudden attacks of the target that can happen when you complete various open-world activities.
- Growing difficulty — as you progress through Hunts, you gain access to new difficulty levels: Hard and Nightmare.
- Affixes — work like usual M+ affixes and add extra challenge when the Hunt is active.
The whole Prey system in Midnight is built 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, random ambushes, and a final battle in the lair.
Midnight Prey Hunts
Midnight Prey Hunts are the foundation of the entire system. You select a contract from Astalor in Silvermoon City, then head to a specific area to track down your chosen target. Each hunt consists of several stages:
- Target selection — several contracts are available for each zone via the Hunt Table.
- Zone exploration — you complete any open-world content:
- World Quests
- Killing rare mobs
- Collecting treasures
- Special Prey activities
- Special Prey activities:
- defusing traps;
- killing Coalesced Anguish;
- interacting with unique hunting objects.
Want to speed up the hunt but don’t know how? Afraid of ambushes? Don’t worry, as our pro players can deal with World Quests for you, gaining the hunt progress, and fighting the prey when needed.
Completing Prey Hunts in Midnight
Talk to Astalor image for details
Complete the zone activities to track your prey
Completing quests and world activities will help you replete the crystall
Minor Coalescend Anguish are marked on the map, slay them to continue progressing
When the prey is found, head to its location
Approach the prey and use the Siphon Vitality button
Chase the prey, avoid slowing zones and don't run out of the curcle
The Hunt progress is hidden when the Prey is active. You don’t see a progress bar, but you can use Astalor’s crystal above your action bars. Basically, these are the steps you need to complete to hunt a prey in Midnight:
- Complete the challenges around the map to replete the crystal (world quests, elite mobs, grinding).
- Once you have enough hunt progress, your crystal will glow red, and a notification will appear that the target’s lair has been discovered. You’ll see the target marked on the map.
- When you approach the prey, it can’t see you under Astalor’s protection, but other enemies walking around can.
- Use the crystal button when you are ready to Siphon Vitality and chase your prey (pick up boots for speed buffs).
- Avoid the traps (void pools, slowing zones, etc.) that your prey will place to slow you down. Also, do not run out of the circle! Otherwise, you’ll have to start over.
✏️ The final stage is to challenge the target in its lair. Depending on the difficulty, a separate arena may be created. After victory, rewards are given instantly.
Midnight Prey Ambush
Ambush is a mechanic that makes Midnight Prey tense. While you are performing activities in the area, your target may suddenly attack. Prey ambushes in Midnight occur randomly and have several features:
- The target appears at any moment, even if you are already fighting mobs (even Elites).
- The fight lasts about a minute or until the target’s health is reduced to 50%.
- After that, it retreats, and the hunt continues.
At greater difficulties, additional Midnight Ambush effects appear:
- In Nightmare, stun is possible at the beginning of the ambush.
- Active Torments continue to work.
- Death can set back your progress.
The traps you defuse in the area can be used against the target. If you use them during an ambush, the target will instantly retreat. This is especially helpful in situations where you are surrounded by several elites and an ambush has arrived. After defeating the prey, you get Remnant of Anguish, and can continue the hunt.
Midnight Prey Difficulties
Midnight Prey offers three difficulty levels. They are unlocked gradually through progress in Preyseeker’s Journey.
Normal
- The most basic mode.
- Other players can help you in the open world.
- No additional effects.
- Suitable for learning the system.
This is more of a soft version of hunting without serious pressure. You simply need to complete quests, fight mobs, and gain progress till you track the prey. Then, chase it and eliminate.
Hard
- Torments appear — zone effects that are active throughout the hunt.
- The final battle takes place in a separate arena.
- Outside help is limited.
Torments can include:
- accumulating vulnerability to damage,
- puddles of blood under slain enemies,
- additional mechanics in combat.
Hard mode of Prey in Midnight already forces you to play carefully. You can’t just rush the target, and you should be careful: the ambush can appear when you are already fighting a pack of mobs. At this level, you should already carry consumables that will ease the fight: flasks, healing potions, runes, etc. Get some Gold to buy all the necessary bottles and survive the combat.
Nightmare
- The most difficult mode.
- Help from other players is prohibited.
- Several Torments are active at the same time.
- Death can roll back your hunting progress.
In this mode, there is a sense of a timer: debuffs intensify over time, and you can’t drag it out. Nightmare is designed for players who feel confident in solo content.
Midnight Prey Affixes
Midnight Prey Affixes are special zone effects that activate at greater difficulties and completely change the rhythm of the hunt. In Hard mode, and especially in Nightmare mode, Torments are active throughout the entire contract: accumulating vulnerability to damage, dangerous zones under slain enemies, haunting spirits, and other mechanics that prevent you from farming mobs in peace.
Affix | Difficulty | Description |
|---|---|---|
Normal | Your target occasionally ambushes you while you are engaged in combat with other enemies, or when you trigger a trap. | |
Hard | Astalor’s artifact insidiously torments you, increasing damage taken by 2%. This effect stacks based on your Prey hunt progress. | |
Hard | Dying in this zone will reduce your hunt progress. | |
Hard | While in combat, gore occasionally appears beneath you, inflicting Shadow damage after a short delay. | |
Nightmare | A bloody spirit periodically stalks you, dealing massive Shadow damage on contact. | |
Nightmare | Astalor occasionally commands you to kill an enemy, causing you to bleed for massive Physical damage if you fail. |
Consider obtaining good Gear first, as the affixes will add extra challenge, and you will need to fight for your life quite often.
Midnight Prey Progress
Midnight Prey Progress is built around two things: the progress of a specific hunt and the seasonal Preyseeker’s Journey track. First, you advance within your chosen contract, completing activities in the zone, surviving ambushes, and gradually uncovering the target’s location. After the final battle, you receive Journey points, currency, and Great Vault credits, marking the start of the longer-term system.
You can track the progress of your Midnight Prey: Season 1 ranks in the Index of Anguish tome in Astalor’s Sanctum:
| Rank | Name | Min | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hated | 0 | 36000 |
| 2 | Hostile | 36000 | 3000 |
| 3 | Unfriendly | 39000 | 3000 |
| 4 | Neutral | 42000 | 3000 |
| 5 | Friendly | 45000 | 6000 |
| 6 | Honored | 51000 | 12000 |
| 7 | Revered | 63000 | 21000 |
| 8 | Exalted | 84000 |
Completing the tasks and hunting down your prey contributes to your Preyseeker’s Journey progress bar. With a high rank, you get access to unique rewards. If you are interested, let us knowm and our team will help you get the highest rank.
Preyseeker’s Journey Track
Preyseeker’s Journey Track is a seasonal progress scale within Midnight Prey. There are 10 ranks with associated rewards. Its mechanics are similar to Delver’s Journey, but it is entirely tied to Hunts. You earn Journey points for completing hunts. There is 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 very noticeable, so the most effective approach is to complete four contracts each week. This is the fastest way to progress through Preyseeker’s Journey Track and unlock new difficulties, cosmetics, and key seasonal rewards.
Midnight Prey Rewards
Midnight Prey Rewards are one of the main reasons to regularly complete Hunts in World of Warcraft Midnight. The hunting system not only provides gear, but also seasonal progress, currency, cosmetics, and contributions to the Great Vault. You can get:
- Hunt rewards — given upon completing a particular hunt.
- Vendor rewards — obtained from the vendor for the special currency.
- Mounts, Pets, & Toys — collectibles available for reaching higher levels of Preyseeker’s Journey.
- Housing Decor rewards — gained in the form of Inscription techniques, or for particular achievements.
- Great Vault rewards — randomly generated loot for World Activities.
✏️ Rewards scale depending on difficulty, so your choice of mode 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, from the base level to more serious rewards in Nightmare. Hunts also count toward the World content slot for the Great Vault.
Vendor Rewards
Midnight Prey Vendor Rewards are purchased with currency earned during the huunt, 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 the second vendor who sells only Busts and Effigies.
Also, the Currency Exchange is available. You can exchange Anguish-Scribed Runes, Anguish-Infused Runes, and Anguish-Permeated Runes for:
- Remnant of Anguish.
- Voidlight Marl.
- Coffer Key Shard.
- Dawncrests.
Some items are only unlocked after reaching a certain rank in Preyseeker’s Journey.
📌 All prices are shown in Remnant of Anguish.
Item | Cost | Preyseeker’s Journey |
|---|---|---|
1600 | – | |
1600 | – | |
1600 | – | |
1600 | – | |
400 | Rank 3 | |
400 | Rank 3 | |
500 | Rank 6 | |
500 | Rank 6 |
Profession Recipes
Aside from transmog and collectibles, the Midnight Prey vendor sells Profession Recipes. Currently, there are two enchant formulas and three techniques.
Item | Cost |
|---|---|
500 + 150 Artisan Enchanter’s Moxie | |
500 + 150 Artisan Enchanter’s Moxie | |
500 + 150 Artisan Scribe’s Moxie | |
500 + 150 Artisan Scribe’s Moxie | |
500 + 150 Artisan Scribe’s Moxie |
Mounts, Pets, & Toys
Collectible Midnight Prey rewards focus on long-term progress. These include seasonal mounts, themed pets, and unique toys. Some rewards require currency accumulation and progression through the Journey Track.
Item | Cost | Preyseeker’s Journey |
|---|---|---|
800 | – | |
2000 | Rank 5 | |
2000 | Rank 6 | |
1200 | Rank 9 | |
2550 | Rank 10 |
Housing Decor Rewards
Housing Decor Rewards allow you to obtain items for the Player Housing system in Midnight. These rewards are purchased from a merchant and become available as you progress through Preyseeker’s Journey.
| Item | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Restful Bronze Bench | Technique: Restful Bronze Bench |
| Sturdy Ren’dorei Cask | Technique: Ren’dorei Sturdy Cask |
| Wild Hanging Scroll | Technique: Wild Hanging Scroll |
Also, there’s a set of rewards for killing a target in Hard and Nightmare mode:
- Hard difficulty target defeats reward Preyseeker Bust decor.
- Nightmare difficulty target defeats reward Preyseeker Effigy decor.
Busts cost 800 Remnant of Anguish, while Effigies are 1200 Remnant of Anguish each. You can buy them from Construct Ali’a, but you still need to gain an achievement first.
Great Vault Rewards
Great Vault Rewards are an additional source of equipment for completing Midnight Prey. Closed Hunts count towards the Great Vault’s world slot, allowing you to receive higher-level items each week. This makes the hunting system part of your character’s overall weekly progression.
📌 We will update this section with Freat Vault ilvls soon.
Midnight Prey Achievements
There’s a list of the Midnight Prey Achievements that you can earn for defeating the toughest targets in Hard and Nightmare mode.
4.9In summary, Midnight Prey is another exciting PvE feature that helps you fill your weekly routine, earn currency and reagents, and gain the Great Vault rewards. The most interesting thing is that Prey is almost a passive activity, since you don’t have to do anything special to progress in the hunt, just complete world quests or farm mobs. With a good rewards pool, this activity will be one of the most popular in Season 1.
