Midnight gets put under the microscope this week as we move past theory and talk about what the expansion actually feels like to play, two months out from launch.

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Welcome back to Brutally Honest: A WoW Podcast - a weekly World of Warcraft roundtable hosted by Brutall. Each episode brings together top players, creators, and theorycrafters to break down class design, game direction, encounter philosophy, and the future of WoW.

🎙️ Episode 9 – Pressure Testing Midnight

This episode isn't about theorycrafting or optimism. It’s about experience. Joined by Awoo, LBNinja7, and MadSkillzzTV, we break down combat pacing, class and spec changes that actually matter, and the social pressure that comes with always playing “correctly.” The goal is simple: help players understand what Midnight is really asking of them on day one.

This Week's Guests:

Awoo

► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/awootank

► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC-YoOqRX1_3-N1fhHu7DhqA

LBNinja7

► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lbninja7yt

► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lbninja7

► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC8n5zBJRVelcB4wWeSmmIGA

MadSkillzzTV

► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/madskillzztv

► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/madskillzztv

► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCh9tBg-00bU299M4wc9YUDQ

⏱️ Timestamps, Chapters, and Key Moments

0:00 Clip this...

0:20 Buzzzzzzzzz

0:35 Intro

7:12 One thing you could do in TWW that feels noticeably harder in Midnight

8:16 Why is it important to be able to see your group's CDs?

17:40 How does combat pacing feel in Midnight?

21:10 What about when things go wrong?

23:36 Does incoming damage feel smoother?

30:40 Are tanks expected to chain defensives more aggressively?

34:49 What CAN they do to incentivize people?

45:15 From the healer side...

57:48 Are there talent changes that look fine on paper but fall apart in practice?

1:07:20 Have you noticed players optimizing themselves out of enjoying the game?

1:09:19 Do you think Midnight does anything to ease pressure?

1:14:49 If Blizzard wants people to tank and heal more, then...?

1:31:34 Do you have Bloodlust bound??!?

1:33:24 What should players realistically expect when Midnight launches?

1:35:40 What will feel better immediately when Midnight launches?

1:38:53 What will probably feel rough until tuning passes happen?

1:42:48 What habits from The War Within are going to get players killed?

1:45:02 What makes Midnight worth getting excited about?

1:49:05 Midnight is a reset to awareness

1:54:44 Viewer questions!

2:10:54 Outro

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a comment and share your thoughts. And, of course, hit like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you’re ready for the next episode. See ya soon, gamers.

Midnight is almost here. This week, we take a grounded look at what’s ready, what’s risky, and what players should realistically expect when the next expansion launches.

💬 Join the conversation

► Discord: https://discord.gg/4nPPXDr7YQ

► Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/brutallstatic

► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/brutallstatic

► Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrutallStatic

► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrutallStatic

Welcome back to Brutally Honest: A WoW Podcast - a weekly World of Warcraft roundtable hosted by Brutall. Each episode brings together top players, creators, and theorycrafters to break down class design, game direction, encounter philosophy, and the future of WoW.

🎙️ Episode 8 – Midnight: Two Months Out

With launch approaching, what already feels solid? What still feels unfinished? From class pruning and UI modernization to raid and dungeon philosophy, this roundtable breaks down Midnight as it actually exists right now.

This Week's Guests:

Dratnos

► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/dratnos

► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/dratnos

Preheat

► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/preheat

► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/preheatwow

Tactyks

► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/tactyks

► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/tactyks

⏱️ Timestamps, Chapters, and Key Moments

0:00 Intro

5:11 What was your initial reaction to the Worldsoul Saga announcement?

10:40 Does Midnight feel more like something being polished, or...?

12:01 What about the loosening of restrictions?

17:45 What feels surprisingly solid already?

20:33 Do we drop Arcane now in prep for Midnight or stick it out?

22:08 What still feels clearly in flux?

24:04 What feels like it might ship “good enough” rather than truly finished?

27:11 Does Midnight feel confident in what it wants to be?

29:26 Where are players most likely to be pleasantly surprised?

32:08 How is Blizzard handling class kits and identity?

34:41 Does the current pruning feel intentional?

36:15 Are classes becoming clearer, or just simpler?

39:51 Which specs feel like they genuinely benefited from this direction?

43:47 Which specs feel like they lost something important?

47:25 What worries you the most?

48:45 Is baking addon functionality into the game empowering or a bit limiting?

54:15 Who benefits the most from the new UI direction?

56:18 Who’s likely to feel constrained by it?

1:00:37 Does reducing addon reliance actually make the game more accessible?

1:04:08 For top-tier players, does this lift the baseline?

1:07:13 What’s the biggest pain point players are going to feel immediately?

1:09:34 Viewer questions!

1:12:29 Who is this content actually designed for?

1:14:16 How do raid encounters feel compared to Dragonflight or The War Within?

1:17:59 Does Mythic+ on the Midnight beta feel more execution-driven or reaction-driven?

1:22:36 Should 10-man raiding release later in the tier?

1:24:55 Does the current raid/M+ difficulty feel earned?

1:25:54 How well do you think Blizzard is balancing approachability?

1:27:37 What do you think can still change before launch?

1:29:06 Where do guardrails genuinely help players?

1:32:55 Where do they start to feel restrictive?

1:34:52 Is it worth it to have season one of Midnight being worse?

1:39:03 Is Blizzard designing more for new players or long-term invested players?

1:40:23 Does Midnight give players more room to figure things out on their own?

1:41:28 What’s the biggest risk to the game’s long-term health?

1:42:33 What kind of player behavior do you think these guardrails are trying to prevent?

1:48:16 The game's 20 years old, so how does Blizzard get new players interested?

1:52:07 If you had to give players one piece of advice going into Midnight, what would it be?

1:57:01 Outro

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a comment and share your thoughts. And, of course, hit like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you’re ready for the next episode. See ya soon, gamers.

Tanks? Yeah, I know a few. This week, three of the best of 'em sit down with me and talk shop as we dive into pressure, psychology, mastery, and what it really means to lead from the front in World of Warcraft.

💬 Join the conversation

► Discord: https://discord.gg/4nPPXDr7YQ

► Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/brutallstatic

► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/brutallstatic

► Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrutallStatic

► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrutallStatic

Welcome back to Brutally Honest: A WoW Podcast - a weekly World of Warcraft roundtable hosted by Brutall. Each episode brings together top players, creators, and theorycrafters to break down class design, game direction, encounter philosophy, and the future of WoW.

🎙️ Episode 7 – The Art of Tanking

This episode is a deep dive into the tank role at its highest level. From raid leading and Mythic+ pressure to awareness, foresight, and emotional control, we explore what separates elite tanks from everyone else and how Midnight is shaping the future of the role.

This Week's Guests:

Andybrew

► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/andybrew3

► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/andybrew10

Meeres

► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meerestv

► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/meerestv

PlkaTV

► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/plkatv

► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/plkatv

⏱️ Timestamps, Chapters, and Key Moments

0:00 Intro

4:32 What’s the most “tank” moment of your career?

10:05 What’s the biggest mental shift that separates tanks?

12:06 Does it ever get frustrating?

13:20 What do you “see” during a pull that the average tank doesn’t?

15:07 How much of that comes from planning ahead?

19:36 Would you agree, Plka?

20:34 I just want to apologize...

21:02 What do you find is harder for people to learn?

23:21 Does tanking at this level feel more like...?

25:07 What actually drives your decision-making?

28:23 How many of PlkaTV's routes have you stolen??

29:16 How's your day going Andybrew?

29:40 What's your favorite game and Christmas film?

31:40 What’s the difference between mythic raid tanking and M+ tanking?

36:04 What do you like more, Andybrew?

38:02 Are you a Rummikub lover???????

38:52 Where does the pressure really come from?

40:54 When a pull starts falling apart, what separates tanks?

43:08 Do you like resilient keys?

47:08 Is elite tanking more about mechanical mastery or...?

48:19 PlkaTV could literally beat me up

48:42 How do you deal with the emotional side?

50:38 Do you ever feel the weight of knowing the group’s success hinges on you?

52:49 Which tanks look like early winners in Midnight?

55:10 Which class changes do you think the community is underestimating?

57:34 What kind of tank does Midnight seem to reward?

1:00:54 What part of Blizzard’s tanking philosophy feels the strongest right now?

1:04:38 Would PlkaTV step up to the plate?!

1:06:11 How do you feel about tank damage?

1:07:48 Does the new UI help your awareness?

1:13:45 What concerns do RWF guilds have?

1:17:47 Why do you think tanking is so intimidating for people?

1:19:56 What’s the biggest mistake you see new tanks make?

1:21:32 Your favorite Pokémon

1:22:21 What should a beginner focus on first?

1:28:04 What advice would you give to players?

1:29:35 How do you teach someone to stop overthinking?

1:31:03 What did you personally struggle with early on?

1:35:17 What moment reminds you of why you love tanking?

1:37:00 What does tanking give you that no other role does?

1:39:21 What keeps tanking meaningful for you?

1:41:37 What lessons have followed you outside the game?

1:42:52 With everything tanking asks of you, why do you still choose this role?

1:45:00 Is there a moment when tanking felt bigger than the game itself?

1:47:36 If you could send one message to every aspiring tank...

1:51:35 Outro

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a comment and share your thoughts. And, of course, hit like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you’re ready for the next episode. See ya soon, gamers.