During Gamescom, World of Warcraft revealed Midnight, the second expansion of the Worldsoul Saga. This upcoming 2026 release introduces a lot of new features into the game, including revamps of Quel’Thalas and Zul’Aman, a third Demon Hunter specialization called Devourer, and the Haranir Allied Race. However, one system coming in the next World of Warcraft expansion stood out as a completely original feature: Prey.
From what has been revealed about WoW: Midnight so far, Prey is an optional evergreen system meant to add a new layer of challenge to the open world. Players can choose a difficulty level, zone, and target, after which they begin hunting their quarry – and their quarry starts hunting them back, with several ambushes culminating in a final battle. Judging from this description, Prey is seemingly bridging the gap between Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis system and Diablo 4’s World Tiers.
World of Warcraft: Midnight’s Prey System Explained
How WoW: Midnight’s Prey Feature Compares to Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis System
The Nemesis system was introduced in Middle-Earth: Shadow of Modor, and innovated in its sequel, Shadow of War. The Nemesis system consists of named Orcs and Trolls who remember encounters with Talion, gaining new traits, titles, and wounds with each battle, even returning after their apparent demise. This randomized feature ensures every gamer will end up with unique Nemeses, and that every playthrough will be different. It is widely considered to be one of the most innovative systems in the last decade of video games.
Similarly, World of Warcraft’s Prey system establishes a target over the course of multiple encounters, rather than a single battle like most quest mobs and rares. Unique UI elements inspired by the Eye of the Jailer interface in WoW: Shadowlands should make one feel like they are in danger at any given moment, just like how Nemeses could ambush Talion any time in Shadow of Mordor.
The alpha and beta for WoW: Midnight have not started, so it is not currently possible to test the Prey system. This information is based on developer panels from Gamescom, and could change before it goes live.
Of course, World of Warcraft can’t copy Shadow of Mordor’s homework too closely, as Warner Brothers patented the system, ensuring no other developer can use the Shadow of Mordor Nemesis mechanics in their own games. Prey is not only optional, but partially-scripted, unlike the Nemesis system, which is both compulsory, random, and intuitive. The confines of being an MMO mean Prey won’t be nearly as robust as the Nemesis system – but even so, the fact WoW is seemingly taking even the smallest amount of inspiration from it is exciting.
World of Warcraft is Using Diablo 4’s World Tiers
Diablo 4, on the other hand, used a system called World Tiers. The four World Tiers in the original release of Diablo 4 were named Adventurer, Veteran, Nightmare, and Torment, and had to be unlocked by braving Capstone Dungeons for the previous mode. Each level increases enemy stats and rewards, and sometimes even adds new mechanics to master.
Vessel of Hatred replaced World Tiers with standard difficulties that were easier to access, and added four Torment Difficulties that can be unlocked via The Pit.
Likewise, World of Warcraft: Midnight’s new Prey system has three difficulty levels: Normal, Hard, and Nightmare. The latter two even introduce Torments that increase a hunt’s difficulty, and confine the final battle to a single stage. The difficulty level names alone are obvious nods to Diablo 4, let alone the content itself.
Interestingly enough, WoW is also experimenting with the D4 World Tier system in Legion Remix with the Shattered Timeline. Marketed as what would happen if “everything went worse,” this open-world challenge mode will provide more opportunities for World of Warcraft to riff on the idea of World Tiers, hopefully letting them make Prey even better once it arrives next year.
- Released
- 2026
- Base Game
- World of Warcraft
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Publisher(s)
- Blizzard
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Proprietary
