By Jacob Miller | Nov 14, 2025
Addons Reassessed Before the Midnight ExpansionThe arrival of the Midnight expansion marks a significant moment for World of Warcraft, especially as Blizzard adjusts its stance on API access for community-made addons. Hazzikostas says that addons that used to give players an edge in combat were a big reason why some API permissions were taken away. These rules are meant to stop any mod from giving players an advantage in the game, no matter how skilled they are.
Some access has been limited, but you can still use addons in general. Players will still be able to change some parts of the user interface, like the layout, the look, and other non-competitive features. This shift follows the introduction of several baseline tools—such as the Cooldown Manager and One-Button Rotation—which were inspired by popular mods and integrated into the standard game to ensure all players benefit equally.
But the new system has already made things harder for big addon makers. Tools that are widely used, like ElvUI and WeakAuras, have stopped being developed because they need technical changes. The development team still says that Midnight's direction will help balance gameplay at all levels and make sure that advanced addons can't make encounters easier.
Developers Reaffirm Commitment to Balanced Design
Hazzikostas said in a recent update that the team plans to keep the same policy for Midnight and all future expansions. The goal is to avoid situations in the past where well-planned encounters became easier because of very advanced addons. To help with this change, the game will be tuned so that players have everything they need in the default UI, which will make them less reliant on outside tools.
Some cosmetic add-ons may not work or break because of the restrictions, but developers are adding new API options that will still let creators make visual improvements and features that don't involve fighting. The goal is to give players enough freedom to customize their characters without letting systems that could make encounters clearer, automate rotations, or make mechanics easier in ways that could throw off the game's intended balance.
The Midnight beta client was recently updated to show this method. The change enables addons to modify how secondary class resources appear in the interface. This includes features such as a Paladin’s Holy Power gauge, giving players the freedom to adjust visuals without affecting combat flow or decision-making. Developer teams are also looking at feedback from the ongoing Midnight beta and using it to make the base UI, boss fights, and combat clearer before the full release in 2026.
These changes show that the company is committed to making sure that the game's core systems are strong enough to work on their own. The team wants to make the game fairer by limiting how much gameplay information add-ons can access. At the same time, they want to keep the community's creativity and uniqueness.
One last update that works with addons for players
Even though the change is permanent, World of Warcraft players can still use current addons without any limits. Patch 11.2.7 is set to come out on December 2. This will be the last big update before the changes that come with the Midnight expansion take effect. This patch will keep the add-on's current features, giving players and developers more time to get ready for the upcoming change.
There is no exact release date for World of Warcraft: Midnight yet. Still, the next expansion is already one of the most anticipated updates because it will have a big effect on gameplay, user experience, and the development of addons. Blizzard is sticking to its guns, and Midnight is going to change the balance between built-in tools and third-party mods in one of the most popular online games of all time.
