Tag: Mounts of Mayhem

Before Midnight Falls: What to Finish in World of Warcraft Right Now

The air in Azeroth has that electric, last-night-before-a-trip feeling. Midnight, World of Warcraft’s next expansion, is looming and the pre-expansion content update goes live on January 20. That means some things will change, some rewards will vanish or become rarer, and there’s a short window to close out The War Within Season Three and tidy up collections, titles, and progress. If you care about mounts, PvP titles, Mythic+ leaderboard placement, or simply want to keep every shiny thing you worked for—now’s the time to act.

What to prioritize this week

• Finish any raid runs you’ve been putting off.
  • Ahead of the Curve and Cutting Edge for Dimensius are season-bound Feats of Strength—if you want the bragging rights, get the boss down on Heroic/Mythic before the end of season.
  • Mythic-only mount drop rates will drop when Midnight launches; if you’re chasing a Mythic raid mount, try to complete those runs now.
• Push Mythic+ keys for leaderboard placement.
  • Leaderboards lock at 10:00 pm PST on January 19 (NA) / 22:00 CET on January 20 (EU). If you’re vying for top 0.1% titles like The Unbound Hero, hit those keys before the lock.
• Grind rated PvP if seasonal rewards matter to you.
  • Season rewards, titles (Astral Gladiator, Astral Legend), and the Astral Gladiator’s Fel Bat mount become unobtainable once the season ends at the same leaderboard-lock times. If you’re near a rating or win milestone, finish your push.
• Complete Legion Remix and limited-time events.
  • Legion Remix content and other rotating, seasonal activities will expire—wrap up event achievements, toys, and cosmetics while you can.
• Clean out currencies and inventory.
  • Convert or spend seasonal currencies, sell or store items you’d like to keep, and clear bags before the stat and item squish hits. You don’t want valuable mats or event tokens lost to a conversion or reset.
• Claim any time-limited quest rewards.
  • Certain quest-tied items or engine-driven rewards (like the Royal Voidwing quest reward) will be locked out once the pre-patch rotates content—complete the relevant questlines now.

Why Blizzard is doing this (and what changes with the pre-patch)

Blizzard uses pre-expansion updates to introduce new systems and to reset season-based progression so the game can pivot into the expansion’s narrative and design. The Midnight pre-expansion update (live January 20) brings major changes: a new Demon Hunter specialization (Devourer), a Void Elf Demon Hunter option, a stat and item squish, comprehensive class combat redesigns, UI updates, transmog improvements, Housing Early Access for expansion purchasers, and a pre-expansion event with the Winds of Mysterious Fortune XP buff. These systems reshape how characters feel and how rewards are distributed, so seasonal metrics and some rewards are deliberately closed out beforehand. (news.blizzard.com)

Quick checklist you can run through tonight

• Raid:
  • Attempt Dimensius on Heroic/Mythic if you need Ahead of the Curve / Cutting Edge.
  • Farm any Mythic-only mounts you still want.
• Mythic+:
  • Do a high-timed key or two to lock in your rating before 10:00 pm PST (Jan 19 NA).
• PvP:
  • Finish rated matches required for titles/mounts; track your wins/ratings needed for the top ladders.
• Events & Limited Content:
  • Complete Legion Remix rewards and any event-only achievements.
• Inventory/Currency:
  • Spend or convert seasonal currencies; stash toys, mounts, and heirlooms in collections.
  • Post sellable mats on the Auction House (prices may shift post-squish).
• Account Stuff:
  • If you purchased Midnight, check Housing Early Access and other pre-order perks.
  • Opt into beta or check Battle.net for licenses if you were expecting invites. (worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com)

Timing and exact dates to remember

• Midnight pre-expansion content update goes live: January 20 (pre-patch features start rolling out). (news.blizzard.com)
• Leaderboards and seasonal PvP/Mythic+ seasons lock:
  • NA: January 19 at 10:00 pm PST.
  • EU: January 20 at 22:00 CET.
• Midnight expansion official global launch: March 2, 2026 (3:00 pm PST, per Blizzard’s schedule). (news.blizzard.com)

If an achievement or reward is listed as a Season Three-only Feat of Strength or season unlock, treat it as time-limited—Blizzard will generally award titles after seasons end, but new access and earning will stop.

How the pre-patch can affect your long-term plans

• Item and stat squish means raw numbers will change.
  • Don’t panic-salvage everything—some items will convert; others might become obsolete. Focus on collectibles and time-limited unlocks rather than theoretical post-squish value.
• Class redesigns are widespread.
  • If you want to test new rotations before release, the pre-patch is your sandbox. Expect talent trees to feel different, with fewer filler points and more distinct paths for playstyles. (news.blizzard.com)
• Housing and transmog updates open doors.
  • Housing Early Access gives players who purchased Midnight a head start on claiming plots and decorating. Transmog updates may change how collections are stored and accessed.

What to not stress about

• Not everything disappears. Many mounts and rewards become rarer or locked behind new systems, but Blizzard often provides ways to re-earn or obtain similar-looking items later (though sometimes with lower drop rates). Mythic mounts may still exist but at reduced chances after the transition. (news.blizzard.com)
• New systems will have kinks.
  • The first days after the pre-patch can be messy—hold off on panic-deleting gear or rushing expensive auction house gambles until initial fixes and conversion clarifications arrive.

Final thoughts

Pre-patches are equal parts nostalgia and frantic checklist. They close a chapter—letting The War Within finish its arc—and open another that promises a Void-touched tone and sweeping mechanical change. If you want to keep the trophies you earned, push the season systems now; if you’re excited to experiment with Devourer Demon Hunters, Void Elf Demon Hunters, or the revamped talent trees, the pre-patch will give you a rare preview. Either way, savor the last nights in Khaz Algar, queue with friends for one last raid push, and log those screenshots—Midnight will be worth the new memories, but the old ones matter too.

What I’d do if I had one evening

• Run one Mythic raid and a high Mythic+ key with guild/party—prioritize mounts and leaderboard progress.
• Finish any PvP rating pushes you’re within reach of.
• Spend leftover seasonal currencies and tidy bank/bags.
• Log alts into Legion Remix and grab quick event rewards.
• Take screenshots and grab mounts/toys into the collections before any possible lockouts.

Sources

• What to do Before the Midnight Pre-Expansion Content Update — Blizzard News
  https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24244426/what-to-do-before-the-midnight-pre-expansion-content-update

• The Midnight Pre-Expansion Content Update Goes Live January 20! — Blizzard News
  https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24245217/the-midnight-pre-expansion-content-update-goes-live-january-20

• WoW Midnight Pre-Patch Guide – Full Preparation Tips — BoostRoom
  https://boostroom.com/blog/wow-midnight-pre-patch-guide-what-to-do-first

Title: Minecraft Java Edition is removing code obfuscation — here’s what it means for modders

If you’ve ever squinted at a decompiled class named something like a.b.c and wondered what on earth it did, today’s news will make your day. Mojang is removing code obfuscation from Minecraft: Java Edition, a change designed to make creating, updating, and debugging mods far simpler. (minecraft.net)

Why this matters
For years, Java Edition shipped with obfuscated code — an industry‑standard tactic that hides internal names to slow down reverse engineering. In 2019 Mojang met modders halfway by publishing “obfuscation mappings,” a Rosetta Stone that mapped scrambled names back to human‑readable ones. That helped, but it still left modders juggling remappers, toolchains, and crash logs full of gibberish. Now Mojang says the game will stop being obfuscated altogether, starting with the first snapshot after the “Mounts of Mayhem” launch. (minecraft.net)

What exactly is changing

• Snapshots after the Mounts of Mayhem release will ship un‑obfuscated: class, method, field, and variable names will be readable by default. That means clearer crash logs and easier debugging. (minecraft.net)
• During the transition, Mojang will publish side‑by‑side “experimental” un‑obfuscated builds and the traditional obfuscated builds so tool authors can adapt. (minecraft.net)
• Obfuscation maps will disappear from version JSONs because they’re no longer needed. Each client/server JAR will also include a LICENSE file that links to the EULA and Usage Guidelines. Importantly, the EULA itself isn’t changing. (minecraft.net)

A quick look back
Publishing mappings in 2019 (Snapshot 19w36a) was the first big step toward a more transparent codebase. At the time, Mojang explicitly framed the move as a way to help the community navigate updates without months of detective work — and those mappings became a staple of modern mod toolchains. The new policy simply removes the intermediary step. (minecraft.net)

What modders should expect

• Tooling updates: Many mod frameworks, patchers, and loaders were designed for an obfuscated game. Expect a short period where maintainers update remapping logic, build scripts, and bytecode transformers to the new reality. Mojang’s dual‑release window should cushion that landing. (minecraft.net)
• Faster updates: Readable names reduce guesswork when upstream changes land, which should shorten the time between a new snapshot/release and mod updates. That was the spirit of the 2019 mappings — and it’s even more true without obfuscation in the way. (minecraft.net)
• Clearer crash reports: With original names preserved, crash logs become far more actionable for both modders and players filing bug reports. (minecraft.net)
• Same rules as before: You’ll see a LICENSE inside the JAR that points to the EULA/Usage Guidelines. This is about easier development, not changing how Minecraft’s code or assets can be used or redistributed. (minecraft.net)

Key takeaways

• Mojang is ending code obfuscation for Minecraft: Java Edition, beginning with the first snapshot after “Mounts of Mayhem.” (minecraft.net)
• Temporary dual builds (obfuscated and un‑obfuscated) will help tool authors and modders transition. (minecraft.net)
• Obfuscation maps are going away; original class/method/field/variable names will ship by default. (minecraft.net)
• EULA and Usage Guidelines remain unchanged; a LICENSE file inside the JAR links to them. (minecraft.net)
• This builds on Mojang’s 2019 step of publishing mappings with every release (Snapshot 19w36a). (minecraft.net)

SEO-friendly FAQ

• What is code obfuscation in Minecraft: Java Edition?
  It’s the process of renaming classes, methods, and fields to unreadable identifiers to hinder reverse engineering. Java Edition has used it since release; Mojang began publishing mappings in 2019 to help modders. (minecraft.net)

• When will obfuscation be removed?
  With the first snapshot that follows the