Blizzard has confirmed that Sargeras’s sword will return to the story in World of Warcraft: Midnight Patch 12.2. Associate Game Director Paul Kubit said the enormous object players noticed near Azeroth’s Worldsoul is indeed the sword, and that Eclipse will make it clear Blizzard has not forgotten about it.
Eclipse takes players into the Mantle Vault and then the Worldcore, where the final raid of Midnight will unfold. The raid has eight bosses, with Xal’atath confirmed as the last encounter. Blizzard’s official presentation shows the Worldsoul at the center of this Titan-built space while Void forces close in around it.
The developers also revealed that Azerite will affect player power again. Kubit said characters will be able to infuse themselves with Azerite in Patch 12.2 and that it will influence how they play. Blizzard has not yet explained whether this is a temporary story mechanic, a progression system, or something tied to particular activities.
Sargeras drove the sword into Silithus at the end of Legion after the Pantheon pulled him away from Azeroth. Players used their artifact weapons to drain its corrupting energy, but the weapon itself remained embedded in the planet. Eclipse now brings the story much closer to the Worldsoul the sword almost struck.
Confirmed details include the sword’s return to the plot, the eight-boss Worldcore raid, Xal’atath as its final boss, and a new use for Azerite. Exactly what the sword will do—and whether it threatens or helps Azeroth—remains unknown. Sources: Blizzard’s Midnight panel recap and the BlizzCon interview published by Icy Veins.