World of Warcraft’s Venomous Abyss Raid Will Open in Four Waves
The eight-boss raid will begin with Normal, Heroic, Mythic, and the first Raid Finder wing during the week of August 18, 2026.
World of Warcraft‘s 12.1 raid, The Venomous Abyss, will open in stages beginning the week of August 18, 2026. The raid is located on The Coiled Isle and features eight bosses across Raid Finder, Normal, Heroic, Mythic, and Story Mode difficulties.
The first weekly reset will unlock Normal, Heroic, and Mythic difficulty alongside Raid Finder Wing 1. Story Mode and the second Raid Finder wing will follow one week later, with the remaining Raid Finder wings arriving during the next two resets.
Venomous Abyss release schedule
Blizzard’s schedule uses each region’s weekly maintenance reset unless a separate notice says otherwise. The Raid Finder wings divide the raid into four themed sections.
- Week of August 18: Normal, Heroic, and Mythic difficulty, plus Raid Finder Wing 1, The Soulcoilers, featuring Nek’zali the Soulcoiler and The Twin Fangs.
- Week of August 25: Story Mode and Raid Finder Wing 2, The Essence of Venom, featuring Entombed Sentinels and Vashnik the Malignant.
- Week of September 1: Raid Finder Wing 3, The Serpent Warren, featuring The Lost Explorers and Sszorak.
- Week of September 8: Raid Finder Wing 4, The Tomb of Ula’tek, featuring The Coiled Altar and Ula’tek.
The raid is designed for level 90 characters, and Raid Finder requires a minimum item level of 273. Blizzard also published a full Venomous Abyss overview with additional details.
All eight raid bosses
The story takes players into the Vaults of Atal’Utek, where Zul’jan has released the broods of Ula’tek. The encounters are arranged across several areas within the raid.
The Soulcoil Well
Nek’zali the Soulcoiler was entombed with her followers after summoning Ula’tek. The power released by that act has restored her, and she now calls the other Soulcoilers back from their tombs.
The Vile Crypt
Entombed Sentinels were bred to sense magical energy and weave “living silk” for binding Shadowguards.
Vashnik the Malignant works inside the Chamber of Virulence, distilling Ula’tek’s venom into stronger forms for the brood.
Crypt of the Soulcoilers
The Lost Explorers are tortollan who regained control of themselves after being possessed by spirits. They remain trapped in the vault while searching for artifacts that can protect them from further possession.
Sszorak has been warped by Ula’tek’s venom. The creature uses the winds inside Atal’Utek to attack anything that enters its path.
Pit of Fangs
The Twin Fangs are Vexhul and Ithraz, the first of Ula’tek’s blood. They lurk beneath a sea of venom in the inner chamber of Atal’Utek.
The Coiled Altar
The Coiled Altar is the site of the final ritual commanded by Malacrass’s spirit. Zul’jan is being pushed to unleash Ula’tek against the Amani.
Ula’tek is the raid’s final boss. The weapon was imprisoned in the Atal’Utek complex after becoming as dangerous as the enemy it was created to destroy.
Achievements and rewards
The raid includes completion achievements for all difficulties, encounter-specific challenges on Normal and higher, Mythic boss achievements, and progression rewards.
All difficulties
- The Venomous Abyss: Essence of Ula’tek: Defeat Nek’zali the Soulcoiler, Entombed Sentinels, and Vashnik the Malignant.
- The Venomous Abyss: Beasts of Ula’tek: Defeat The Lost Explorers, Sszorak, and The Twin Fangs.
- The Venomous Abyss: Ula’tek: Defeat The Coiled Altar and Ula’tek.
- The Venomous Abyss: Defeat all eight bosses on any difficulty.
Normal difficulty and higher
- Well, Well, Little Sky: Return Kupamanduka to the Soulcoil Well before defeating Nek’zali the Soulcoiler.
- Is Venom Stasis A Joke To You? Defeat the Entombed Sentinels after each Sentinel uses Vitriolic Stasis to restore more than half of its total health.
- Accidental Inclusion: Defeat The Lost Explorers with Hoji included in the fight.
- Kept You Waiting Huh? Defeat Vashnik after killing the Solidified Snake Venom.
- Jumping Through Hoops: Defeat Sszorak after jumping through every ring that appears.
- Taking a Bite out of Slime: Feed Ithraz the required slimes in order during Ravenous Feast, then defeat The Twin Fangs.
- Watch Out Behind You: Defeat The Coiled Altar while every player is afflicted by Unnerving Fixation.
- No Egg Scramble: Defeat Ula’tek before the Greasy Hatchling breaks. The reward is the Ula’took companion pet.
- Comforting Da Spirits: Experience an Ancestral Vision and comfort the eight trapped spirits scattered throughout the raid.
Heroic and Mythic rewards
Ahead of the Curve: Ula’tek requires defeating Ula’tek on Heroic difficulty or higher before the next raid tier arrives.
Mythic players can earn individual achievements for the raid bosses, along with Mythic: Ula’tek, which rewards the title Venom’s End. Cutting Edge: Ula’tek requires a Mythic kill before the next raid tier. The first 200 guilds worldwide to defeat Ula’tek on Mythic difficulty will also earn a Hall of Fame entry and the title Famed Slayer of Ula’tek.
A Mythic Ula’tek victory also awards the Primeval Skyfriend mount. The achievement text describes it as an elder skyfiend that hunts along the shores of Atal’Utek.
Class armor sets
The Venomous Abyss includes a class armor set for each of the 13 listed classes. Blizzard’s Midnight Season 2 overview shows some of the available set designs and provides more Season 2 details.
- Death Knight: Baleful Grave-Knight’s Crucible
- Demon Hunter: Abyssal Doomhound’s Pursuit
- Druid: Bark of the Enigmatic Dreamwatcher
- Evoker: Echo of Calamity
- Hunter: Skulking Viper’s Ambush
- Mage: Primal Leywarden’s Attire
- Monk: Guile of the Monkey King
- Paladin: Radiance of the Consecrated Flame
- Priest: Cosmic Penitent’s Raiment
- Rogue: Chosen Bloodslayer’s Hexweave
- Shaman: Ophidian Oracle’s Prophecy
- Warlock: Damned Necrolyte’s Shattered Restraints
- Warrior: Jade Warlord’s Dominion
The week of August 18 will give raiders access to the full-difficulty launch and the first Raid Finder wing, while the final wing and Ula’tek encounter will arrive during the week of September 8. Share your thoughts on the raid schedule, bosses, and armor sets in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
World of Warcraft: Midnight
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