Pre-release note: This guide is based on the current Patch 12.1 PTR and official pre-release information. Requirements, rewards and numerical values may change before launch.
Patch 12.1: Curse of Ula'tek adds three Delves to World of Warcraft: Midnight: the Ring of Glory, Gnarldor Isle and the Venomfall Deeps. The Ring of Glory and Gnarldor Isle are regular Delves on the Coiled Isle, while Venomfall Deeps serves as the Nemesis Delve for Midnight Season 2. Bountiful Delves, higher Delve tiers and the new Nemesis encounter become available with the start of Season 2 rather than with the initial content update.
New Delves in Patch 12.1 at a Glance
| Delve | Type | Location | Availability | Main purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ring of Glory | Regular Delve | Coiled Isle | Patch 12.1 content update | New solo or group Delve with Season 2 rewards |
| Gnarldor Isle | Regular Delve | Coiled Isle | Patch 12.1 content update | New Delve connected to the island’s story and local wildlife |
| Venomfall Deeps | Nemesis Delve | Coiled Isle | Midnight Season 2 | Higher-tier challenge featuring the Season 2 Nemesis boss |
The three Delves are part of the wider Coiled Isle content package, which also includes the Venomous Abyss raid, Altar of Fangs dungeon, new outdoor activities and the Curse of Ula'tek story. The Delves are designed to provide repeatable progression for players who prefer solo content, small-group play or flexible activities outside raids and Mythic+.
How to Unlock the Patch 12.1 Delves
The new Delves are located on the Coiled Isle, the new maximum-level zone introduced in Patch 12.1. Players should first follow the introductory campaign that leads to the island and unlock access to its main content hub. The exact live quest requirements and travel instructions have not yet been finalized in the available pre-release information.
Once the Coiled Isle is available to your character, the Ring of Glory and Gnarldor Isle can be approached as part of the zone’s Delve content. Venomfall Deeps is tied to the Season 2 Delve system and is not intended to function as an ordinary early Patch 12.1 Delve.
- Complete the Patch 12.1 introductory storyline that sends you toward the Coiled Isle.
- Reach the island and unlock its central activities.
- Locate the entrances for the Ring of Glory and Gnarldor Isle.
- Begin the Season 2 Delve progression to access Bountiful Delves and the Venomfall Deeps Nemesis Delve.
- Use the seasonal Delve system to progress into the higher tiers once they become available.
The exact quest name, entrance coordinates and account-wide unlock behavior should be confirmed again when Patch 12.1 goes live.
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When Do the New Delves Become Available?
The Ring of Glory and Gnarldor Isle are part of Patch 12.1, while Venomfall Deeps is specifically associated with Midnight Season 2. Blizzard has stated that Season 2 begins one week after the Patch 12.1 content update. The official release date for Patch 12.1 has not yet been announced.
| Content phase | Delve access |
|---|---|
| Patch 12.1 launch | Ring of Glory and Gnarldor Isle become part of the new Coiled Isle Delve content. |
| One week later | Midnight Season 2 begins, bringing Bountiful Delves, higher tiers and the Season 2 Nemesis Delve. |
| Season 2 progression | Venomfall Deeps and its Nemesis encounter become part of the seasonal Delve loop. |
Because the regional launch schedule has not been published, do not rely on an unofficial calendar date. The reliable schedule relationship is the one-week interval between the Patch 12.1 content update and the start of Season 2.
Ring of Glory Delve Guide
The Ring of Glory is one of the two standard Delves introduced on the Coiled Isle. It is designed to be completed alone or with a small group, following the regular Delve structure of an instanced objective, enemies, environmental hazards and a final reward sequence.
The available Patch 12.1 information confirms the Delve’s name and its role in the Season 2 Delve lineup, but a complete final list of objectives, bosses, encounter abilities and reward quantities has not yet been confirmed. Treat database entries or test-build values as provisional until the live version is available.
What to Expect in the Ring of Glory
- The Delve is located on the Coiled Isle.
- It is a regular Delve rather than the Season 2 Nemesis Delve.
- It contributes to the new Delve season and its associated reward progression.
- It can be approached as solo content or with a small group.
- Its final objectives, boss mechanics and exact loot table require live confirmation.
For a first completion, bring a defensive cooldown plan and avoid assuming that the visual theme of the Delve indicates its full mechanics. The current information identifies the Ring of Glory as new content, but does not support a reliable encounter-by-encounter walkthrough yet.
Gnarldor Isle Delve Guide
Gnarldor Isle is the second regular Delve on the Coiled Isle. It also has a connection to the island’s story content. Pre-release quest data references Scrollmaster Ruma, a former ship’s doctor who travels to Gnarldor Isle, as well as a storyline involving a Sobering Elixir, local wildlife and the fate of La'una.
These story references establish Gnarldor Isle as more than a simple combat map, but they do not confirm the final Delve objective order or its complete boss encounter structure. The questline and the Delve itself should therefore be treated as related Coiled Isle content without assuming that every story quest is part of the instanced run.
What to Expect in Gnarldor Isle
- Gnarldor Isle is a regular Coiled Isle Delve.
- The surrounding story includes Scrollmaster Ruma and a cure-related objective.
- Quest data references local wildlife and the character La'una.
- The Delve becomes part of the new seasonal Delve content.
- Exact objectives, boss names, hazards and reward details remain subject to final verification.
Players following the Coiled Isle storyline should complete related quests as they appear, but should not assume that completing the outdoor story automatically completes every Delve objective. Delve completion, story progression and seasonal rewards are separate systems unless the live quest text explicitly connects them.
Venomfall Deeps: The Season 2 Nemesis Delve
Venomfall Deeps is the most important of the three new Delves for seasonal progression because it serves as the Midnight Season 2 Nemesis Delve. Unlike the Ring of Glory and Gnarldor Isle, it is tied to the new Nemesis boss and the higher-tier Delve experience.
Bountiful Delves and the ability to progress beyond Tier 7 become available with the start of Midnight Season 2. Venomfall Deeps is therefore intended for players who are actively engaging with the seasonal Delve system rather than simply completing the introductory Patch 12.1 content.
How Venomfall Deeps Differs from Regular Delves
- Venomfall Deeps is the Season 2 Nemesis Delve.
- It is associated with the new Nemesis boss.
- It becomes relevant when Season 2 begins.
- Higher Delve tiers beyond Tier 7 are part of the Season 2 progression structure.
- Bountiful Delves and their keys become available with the seasonal launch.
The final Nemesis boss name, exact tier requirement and complete achievement conditions should not be treated as confirmed until Blizzard or the live game provides them. Current pre-release references include an updated Nemesis Hall of Fame and a first-week achievement, but the exact tier value remains unconfirmed.
How the New Delves Fit Into Midnight Season 2
The new Delves are only one part of the Season 2 update. The same seasonal launch also introduces the Venomous Abyss raid, a new Mythic+ dungeon rotation, a new PvP season, additional Prey content and new rewards across the end-game systems.
| System | Patch 12.1 addition | Relationship to the new Delves |
|---|---|---|
| Delves | Ring of Glory, Gnarldor Isle and Venomfall Deeps | Primary solo and small-group progression |
| Bountiful Delves | Available with Season 2 | Provides enhanced seasonal reward opportunities |
| Nemesis system | New Season 2 Nemesis boss | Connected to Venomfall Deeps |
| Existing Delves | New snake- and venom-themed story variants | Expands the seasonal Delve rotation beyond the three new maps |
| Valeera | New Curios and a Poisons choice node | Expands Delve companion options |
All existing Midnight Delves also receive new snake- and venom-themed story variants. This means Season 2 is not limited to three new maps: players can continue using earlier Delves while pursuing the new seasonal progression and variants.
Delve Companion and Build Considerations
The Season 2 Delve update adds new Curios and a Poisons choice node to Valeera. These additions expand the options available when preparing your Delve companion, but exact values and specialization priorities should be based on the live tooltips rather than current test-build numbers.
For the first runs through the new Delves:
- Choose companion options that support your role instead of copying a damage-focused setup automatically.
- Use defensive or control tools when learning an unfamiliar objective layout.
- Keep an interrupt available for priority enemy casts.
- Check whether a venom effect can be removed, avoided or reduced by a zone-specific power.
- Do not assume that a build effective in an existing Delve will perform identically in Venomfall Deeps.
The Coiled Isle also contains the Altar of Corrosion, a zone-specific talent system connected to outdoor island progression. Those powers should not be confused with Delve companion Curios or Valeera’s Poisons choices. They belong to different systems and may have different availability rules.
Rewards from the New Delves
The Ring of Glory, Gnarldor Isle and Venomfall Deeps are intended to provide the new Delve season’s rewards. The reward structure includes the normal Delve progression and seasonal Nemesis rewards, but the final item levels, reward quantities and exact cosmetic sources have not yet been fully confirmed.
Confirmed reward categories include:
- Seasonal Delve progression rewards.
- Rewards from Bountiful Delves after the start of Season 2.
- Nemesis-related rewards from Venomfall Deeps.
- New story and activity rewards connected to the Coiled Isle.
- Potential cosmetic and collection rewards whose acquisition rules require live confirmation.
Do not treat a database placeholder, an incomplete achievement tooltip or a test-build reward quantity as a guaranteed live reward. In particular, the exact requirement for the new Nemesis achievement and any associated title or cosmetic should be checked again after the seasonal launch.
Recommended Starting Order
A practical launch approach is to unlock the Coiled Isle campaign first, then complete the two regular Delves before focusing on seasonal Nemesis progression.
- Complete the introductory Patch 12.1 campaign and reach the Coiled Isle.
- Unlock the island’s main activities and identify the entrances to the Ring of Glory and Gnarldor Isle.
- Run both regular Delves to learn the new enemy themes and objective patterns.
- Continue the Delve seasonal progression when Midnight Season 2 begins.
- Use Bountiful Delves for enhanced reward opportunities once they are available.
- Attempt Venomfall Deeps after preparing your companion setup and learning the requirements for the current tier.
This order is a safe starting point, not a claim about the fastest possible farming route. Final efficiency recommendations require live completion data, reward values and confirmed Delve tuning.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Expecting Venomfall Deeps to be available with the initial Patch 12.1 content update.
- Confusing the regular Delves with the Season 2 Nemesis Delve.
- Assuming that Bountiful Delves are available before the start of Season 2.
- Treating Altar of Corrosion powers as the same system as Valeera’s Curios or Poisons choices.
- Relying on PTR item levels, tier requirements or reward quantities after the live update.
- Assuming that every Coiled Isle story quest takes place inside a Delve.
- Guaranteeing a cosmetic, mount or rare reward before its live acquisition method is confirmed.
Update Changelog
- July 10, 2026 — PTR guide update: Added the confirmed Patch 12.1 Delve lineup, the Season 2 availability distinction, Bountiful Delve information, new existing-Delve variants and the current Nemesis Delve details.
