Content:
Key Takeaways
- Release: Aqir Invasions came with Patch 12.1.5, which went live in North America on October 13, 2026.
- Unlock: start The Aqir Swarm with Lor’themar Theron in Silvermoon City and finish the short introductory campaign in Eversong Woods.
- Schedule: a new invasion opens at XX:00 every hour, with 10 minutes of scenarios followed by 5 minutes for the final boss, Aqir Monstrosity.
- Where: the event alternates between Eversong Woods and Zul’Aman from week to week, and the scarab icon on your world map shows the active zone.
- Reputation: a scenario gives 35 Aqir Research Enclave reputation, the boss gives 100, and Exalted sits at 5,000 total.
- Prizes: the first boss kill each week drops an Aqir Research Satchel, the Corrupted Swarmer mount costs 2,500 Voidlight Marl at Exalted, and three achievements unlock the Bane of the Swarm title.
The event is brand new, so numbers and details may change with future patches. Treat everything below as the state of the game right now.
How to Unlock Aqir Invasions in WoW Midnight
Aqir Invasions are not open to everybody the moment you log in after the patch. Your first step is to finish the quest The Aqir Swarm, which is handed out by Lor’themar Theron in Silvermoon City. This opening quest walks you through how invasions work inside Eversong Woods, so by the time the live hourly events start you already know what the objectives and markers mean.
Here is the whole unlock path from start to finish:
- Travel to Silvermoon City and find Lor’themar Theron.
- Accept the quest The Aqir Swarm from him.
- Follow the introductory campaign objectives out into Eversong Woods.
- Play through the introductory invasion sequence and finish that campaign chapter.
- Open your world map and look for the marker of the currently active Aqir Invasion.
The introduction is part of the wider Midnight campaign, and it works as a tutorial for everything that follows. Once it is done, you only need to keep an eye on the invasion schedule each day and work toward the Aqir Research Enclave rewards. If you would rather not spend time on the chapter yourself, you can ask for help through our WoW powerleveling service and jump straight to the invasions.
Tip: Do the introduction at a quiet moment, not in the last minutes before an invasion starts. The quest is a lesson in how the event works, and you will get more out of your first live run if you have already seen how the scenario bars and the boss phase behave.
Aqir Invasion Locations
Two zones host the event: Eversong Woods and Zul’Aman. Only one of them is under attack in any given week, and the game rotates between them. You do not have to guess which one is active, because a scarab-shaped icon appears on the world map over the zone that is being invaded.
- Eversong Woods: the first of the two invasion zones, and also the place where the introductory campaign sends you.
- Zul’Aman: the second zone, which becomes the target when the weekly rotation reaches it.
The scarab marker does two jobs. It tells you where the current attack is happening, and it shows a countdown to the next invasion. Aqir Invasions also run alongside the Void Assault event that arrived with Patch 12.0.5, so take a second to check which event icon you are looking at before you fly across the continent.
A practical habit is to open the map a few minutes early, read the icon and the timer, and only then start travelling. Since the rotation is weekly rather than hourly, the zone you see at the start of a week is the zone you can plan around until the rotation moves on, which makes it easy to park your character nearby between runs.
Aqir Invasion Timer
Every invasion begins at the top of the hour and lasts 15 minutes in total. The first 10 minutes are filled with public scenario objectives, and the final 5 minutes belong to the boss fight against Aqir Monstrosity. Because the cycle repeats every hour, you can always plan around the next XX:00. This is the full timeline:
| Time | Event Phase | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| XX:00 | Invasion begins | Travel to the active objective and start completing scenarios. |
| XX:00–XX:10 | Scenario phase | Fill progress bars and complete as many events as possible. |
| XX:10 | Aqir Monstrosity spawns | Move to the boss and begin the encounter. |
| XX:10–XX:15 | Boss phase | Defeat Aqir Monstrosity before it disappears. |
| XX:15 | Invasion ends | Collect rewards and prepare for the next cycle. |
| Next XX:00 | New invasion | Return for more reputation and rewards. |
Take an invasion that starts at 18:00. Scenario objectives stay available until 18:10, and the boss fight can last until 18:15 at the latest. If you show up about five minutes before the hour, you have time to read the map, reach the right spot and meet the other players who are gathering there, instead of arriving late and watching the first progress bar fill without you.
Remember that this is an endgame activity. If you plan to run it on a fresh main or on alts, get them to the cap first, and if you want that part done faster, our WoW leveling option is there for it.
Note: The five-minute boss window is short and does not pause. Anything you do not finish before XX:15 is gone until the next hour, so do not leave the zone for a snack mid-boss-phase.
How to Complete Aqir Invasions
A full run comes down to two stages: finish the public scenario tasks during the first 10 minutes, then kill Aqir Monstrosity once it appears. You get five minutes for the boss, and after that it vanishes. Since every hourly invasion plays out the same way, you can follow one routine each time:
- Enter the active invasion zone as soon as the zone event starts.
- Follow the map marker to the current scenario.
- Kill Aqir enemies or interact with objectives until the progress bar is full.
- Move on to the next scenario when the current one finishes.
- Keep clearing objectives until Aqir Monstrosity shows up.
- Join the players around you, take the boss down and pick up your rewards.
If reputation is your goal, do not skip the scenario phase. Each finished objective adds its own reputation, and standing around waiting for the boss means throwing those points away. The boss is the biggest single payout, but it is not the only one.
Aqir Invasion Objectives
The event uses six different scenarios in total: three combat ones and three without combat. Only a single task is live at any moment, and when the group completes it, the next one opens. These are the six you will meet:
- Disrupt Aqir
- Aid Defenders!
- Aqir Nesting Grounds
- Whack the Aqir
- Aerial Assault
- Reinforce Defenses
Each scenario has its own progress bar and its own rules. Some want you to fight, some ask you to help defenders, and others are about interacting with objects around the zone. When a new task begins, read the bar first instead of attacking every mob that wanders into view. Killing everything is not always the fastest way to fill the bar.
Combat scenarios also carry affixes that change how enemies act or put hazards on the ground. The No Hives Left Standing achievement asks you to finish all six scenario types, so keep a mental list of the ones you have not seen yet and take note when a new type appears.
Aqir Invasion Affixes
There are eight possible affixes for combat scenarios, and every combat objective rolls a random pair of them. The pair decides how the enemies behave and how you should approach the pull. Here is every affix with the way to deal with it:
| Affix | Effect | How to Handle It |
|---|---|---|
| Void Protection | Aqir Voidweavers can put a barrier on nearby Aqir. | Focus the Voidweaver to drop the protection. |
| Aqir Burrower | Burrowing Aqir throw nearby players into the air. | Watch the ground and stay off their paths. |
| Void Sphere | Moving spheres try to trap players. | Keep moving so nothing catches you. |
| Astalor’s Anguish | Anguish Crystals hurt both players and Aqir. | Avoid the blasts and let them hit enemies when you can. |
| Swarms! | Normal enemies become groups of smaller Aqir. | Use AoE damage to clear packs fast. |
| Aqir Elites | Fewer enemies appear, but they are much tougher. | Focus the dangerous targets and use defensives. |
| Void Infestation | Infested Aqir explode and spread the infection. | Make distance before affected enemies detonate. |
| Web Weavers | Aqir Webweavers can trap players with channeled webs. | Interrupt their casts whenever possible. |
Void Protection and Web Weavers deserve the most respect, because either one can stall the entire group. Stay out of their attacks wherever you can. With Swarms!, AoE-heavy setups pay off since they cut the time spent clearing, while Aqir Elites reward real single-target damage. Good gear makes all of this smoother, and if you are short on pieces, our WoW gear boost can fill the gaps.
How to Defeat Aqir Monstrosity
Aqir Monstrosity appears right after the 10-minute scenario phase and acts as the last boss of every event. Your time is limited, so the fight has to end before the window closes. It behaves like an open-world boss, which means everyone nearby can join in without a premade group. To get a clean kill, keep to these priorities:
- Head to the boss as soon as the scenario phase is over.
- Join the players who are already attacking Aqir Monstrosity.
- Spend your big damage cooldowns early enough that they actually count.
- Dodge the dangerous ground effects and react to the boss’s attacks.
- Keep attacking until it dies, then loot your rewards.
If your gear is still light, stay close to the main group and avoid taking damage you do not need to take. Your first kill of the week gives you an Aqir Research Satchel containing a Champion track item, gold, Coffer Key Shards, Crests and extra currency. Every later kill still matters for reputation and the other event rewards.
Aqir Research Enclave Reputation
The Aqir Research Enclave is the reputation faction that arrived together with the invasions. It sits inside the Silvermoon Court reputation system, but unlike Renown it uses the classic standing ladder from Neutral up to Exalted.
Reaching Exalted takes 5,000 total reputation and opens the faction’s final rewards, the Corrupted Swarmer mount among them. Nearly all of that reputation comes from finishing invasion objectives and killing the last boss, so showing up regularly is the main way to move forward. If you want to get there as quickly as possible and skip the grind, you can look at what the WoW team at Onlyfarms offers for reputation work.
How to Farm Aqir Research Enclave Reputation
The strongest routine is simple: complete several scenarios in each invasion and finish with a kill on Aqir Monstrosity. Because the event repeats every hour, you earn reputation from both phases again and again, and you are not tied to the first weekly boss kill. There are three sources of reputation:
| Activity | Reputation Earned | Repeatable |
|---|---|---|
| Complete an Aqir Invasion scenario | 35 | Yes |
| Defeat Aqir Monstrosity | 100 | Yes |
| Fly through aerial Aqir | 1 per target | Yes |
The boss is the largest single reward, but the scenarios add up during the same cycle. Three finished scenarios plus the boss kill come to 205 reputation before any bonuses. Flying through aerial Aqir pays out in much smaller pieces, so collect those while you are moving between objectives instead of building a whole session around them.
Do three scenarios and a boss kill in every hourly cycle and you need roughly 25 invasions to climb from zero to Exalted. Squeezing in extra scenarios can bring that number down, and a busy server tends to finish objectives faster, which helps you too.
Even so, Exalted is a matter of many cycles, especially if you can only play for a short stretch each day. The upside is the hourly format: you can make real progress in a quick visit and do not have to block out an entire evening.
Aqir Research Enclave Reputation Ranks
Between Neutral and Exalted there are four standing milestones, and the faction asks for 5,000 reputation in total. Each new standing opens more cosmetic goods at Estelia Archtender in Silvermoon City. These are the thresholds:
| Reputation Progression | Reputation Needed | Total Reputation |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral to Friendly | 500 | 500 |
| Friendly to Honored | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| Honored to Revered | 1,500 | 3,000 |
| Revered to Exalted | 2,000 | 5,000 |
These numbers are far smaller than what most older factions demand. How long the whole climb takes still depends on how many scenarios you manage per invasion, and because the schedule is hourly you can chip away at it in short sessions.
Tip: Plan your visits around the bigger steps. The last stretch, from Revered to Exalted, is the longest at 2,000 reputation, so it is worth saving your most productive sessions for it.
Aqir Invasion Rewards
The invasion loot covers Champion gear, upgrade materials, catch-up items for reputation and a set of Aqir-themed collectibles. Gear comes from the first Aqir Monstrosity kill of the week, while the reputation vendor sells the mount, battle pets, housing decorations and a toy. This table shows the main rewards and where each one comes from:
| Reward Category | Main Rewards | How to Get Them |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly equipment | Champion gear | First weekly Aqir Monstrosity kill |
| Upgrade materials | Champion Mistcrests, Hero Mistcrests, Coffer Key Shards | Aqir Research Satchel |
| Reputation | Aqir Research Enclave standing | Scenarios, boss kills, aerial Aqir |
| Mount | Corrupted Swarmer | Exalted reputation and Voidlight Marl |
| Battle pets | Three Aqir pets | Reputation vendor |
| Housing decorations | Seven Aqir-themed decorations | Reputation vendor |
| Toy | Curse of the Aqir | Exalted reputation vendor |
| Renown catch-up | Reputation vouchers | Aqir Research Tokens |
| Achievement title | Bane of the Swarm | Complete the event meta-achievement |
Aqir Invasion Weekly Rewards
Each week, the first time you defeat Aqir Monstrosity you receive the Aqir Research Satchel. It holds Champion gear plus progression items for endgame content, so the event is worth your time even if you do not care about a single Aqir cosmetic. The weekly satchel contains:
- One piece of Champion-quality gear;
- Champion Mistcrests;
- Hero Mistcrests;
- Coffer Key Shards;
- Voidlight Marl;
- Gold.
Because it only drops once per week, the satchel is the thing to secure before you start grinding for anything else. After you have it, every extra boss kill is about reputation and Voidlight Marl progress.
How to Get the Corrupted Swarmer Mount
To own Corrupted Swarmer you need to be Exalted with the Aqir Research Enclave, then buy the mount from Estelia Archtender in Silvermoon City for 2,500 Voidlight Marl. It is not a random boss drop. It is a guaranteed purchase from the reputation vendor. The route looks like this:
- Unlock Aqir Invasions through the introductory campaign of Patch 12.1.5.
- Complete the hourly scenarios and defeat Aqir Monstrosity to earn reputation.
- Reach Exalted with the Aqir Research Enclave.
- Collect at least 2,500 Voidlight Marl.
- Visit Estelia Archtender in Silvermoon City.
- Buy Corrupted Swarmer and add it to your mount collection.
The real obstacle is reputation, not luck. Even with a guaranteed vendor mount, Exalted still means repeating invasions again and again. If the mount is what you are after, set aside 2,500 Voidlight Marl rather than spending the whole balance on pets and housing decorations along the way. When the currency runs short, you can also get some from our WoW gold and currency section.
Aqir Invasion Pets, Toys, and Housing Decor
The Aqir Research Enclave vendor sells battle pets, housing decorations, a toy and the mount. Every item needs a certain standing with the faction and a set amount of Voidlight Marl. Here is the vendor’s full list:
| Item | Type | Required Reputation | Voidlight Marl |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dormant Brood Egg | Housing Decor | Friendly | 250 |
| Nourished Brood Eggs | Housing Decor | Friendly | 250 |
| Aqir Wingreaver | Battle Pet | Friendly | 1,000 |
| Dormant Brood Egg Cluster | Housing Decor | Honored | 250 |
| Nourished Brood Egg Cluster | Housing Decor | Honored | 250 |
| Aqir Scuttler | Battle Pet | Honored | 1,000 |
| Dormant Clutch of Brood Eggs | Housing Decor | Revered | 350 |
| Nourished Clutch of Brood Eggs | Housing Decor | Revered | 350 |
| Aqir Razorwing | Battle Pet | Revered | 2,000 |
| Aqir Hunter’s Trophy | Housing Decor | Exalted | 1,000 |
| Curse of the Aqir | Toy | Exalted | 2,500 |
| Corrupted Swarmer | Mount | Exalted | 2,500 |
Buying all 12 items adds up to 11,700 Voidlight Marl. Exalted is required for the complete inventory, but the cheaper cosmetics open up at lower standings, so you can start spending earlier. If you would like some gold for consumables while you farm, you can pick it up from the same gold section linked above, then keep fighting Aqir and the rewards will follow.
Note: Spending order matters if you are saving for the mount. Cheap early purchases are tempting, but each one delays the 2,500 you need for Corrupted Swarmer.
Aqir Research Tokens and Renown Catch-Up
Aqir Research Tokens are a new currency that you earn by defeating Aqir Monstrosity. Each Aqir Research Token can be traded for a reputation voucher of another Midnight faction, which turns the invasions into one more way to catch up on Renown. The vendor Matildeux Osril sells these vouchers:
| Reputation Voucher | Faction | Reputation Granted | Token Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silvermoon Court Voucher | Silvermoon Court | 2,500 | 1 |
| Amani Tribe Voucher | Amani Tribe | 2,500 | 1 |
| Hara’ti Voucher | Hara’ti | 2,500 | 1 |
| Singularity Voucher | Singularity | 2,500 | 1 |
| Zul’jarra’s Forces Voucher | Zul’jarra’s Forces | 2,500 | 1 |
One voucher is enough reputation to raise that faction by one level of regular Renown. That is handy if you have not yet finished the Midnight reputation quest and want to catch up fast.
Warning: The weekly limit on Aqir Research Tokens has not been confirmed on live servers. Do not plan a full set of vouchers around a number you have not verified yourself.
Aqir Invasion Vendor Locations
Both Aqir Invasion vendors stand in Silvermoon City by Falconwing Square, at /way 39.4, 80.3. Estelia Archtender handles cosmetic rewards, while Matildeux Osril handles the vouchers for catching up on Midnight reputation. Here is what each one offers:
- Estelia Archtender: sells Corrupted Swarmer, battle pets, toys and housing decorations in exchange for Voidlight Marl.
- Matildeux Osril: trades Aqir Research Tokens for Midnight faction reputation vouchers.
If you use the TomTom addon, paste this line to get a waypoint on both vendors: /way #2393 39.4 80.3 Aqir Invasion Vendors
WoW Midnight Aqir Invasion Achievements
The event comes with four achievements, and one of them is the meta-achievement Bane of the Swarm. To earn that title you need Exalted standing with the Aqir Research Enclave, all six scenario types completed, and boss kills in 10 invasions. Here is the whole list:
| Achievement | Requirement | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Aqir Research Associate | Reach Exalted with Aqir Research Enclave. | Meta-achievement progress |
| No Hives Left Standing | Complete all six Aqir Invasion scenarios at least once. | Meta-achievement progress |
| Driving Back the Swarm | Complete 10 invasions by killing Aqir Monstrosity. | Meta-achievement progress |
| Bane of the Swarm | Complete the three achievements above. | Bane of the Swarm title |
Warning: These achievements currently show up as Feats of Strength, which hints that Aqir Invasions could be a limited-time event. Blizzard has not announced a removal date, so if the Bane of the Swarm title matters to you, do not count on the event staying around forever.
Notice how the three requirements overlap with what you are already doing: reputation, variety of scenarios and boss kills. Every hourly run moves all three forward at once, which is why the title is realistic for anyone who attends regularly.
To wrap up, the hourly schedule is easy to learn, but your reputation depends on how many objectives you finish before the boss arrives. Grab the weekly Aqir Research Satchel first, then focus on reputation and Voidlight Marl. If Corrupted Swarmer or the Bane of the Swarm title is your goal, do not miss the boss in the cycles you attend.
Frequently Asked Questions
The hourly schedule is easy to follow, but a few questions come up around rewards and reputation. These are the answers.
How often do Aqir Invasions start in WoW Midnight?
One begins every hour at XX:00 in the active zone. Scenarios run for 10 minutes, after which a 5-minute encounter with Aqir Monstrosity takes place. Eversong Woods and Zul’Aman trade places as the active zone each week.
Can you do Aqir Invasions solo?
You do not need a premade group to take part. Anybody can join the public events and help finish the scenarios. The boss is different: with only five minutes on the clock, Aqir Monstrosity needs several players to go down in time.
How much reputation do Aqir Invasions give?
A completed scenario gives 35 Aqir Research Enclave reputation and a defeated Aqir Monstrosity gives 100. Flying through aerial Aqir gives 1 per target. Exalted needs 5,000 total.
Are Aqir Invasion rewards weekly or repeatable?
The Aqir Research Satchel is the weekly prize and comes with your first Aqir Monstrosity kill. Reputation is repeatable through scenarios and bosses. Aqir Research Tokens also provide catch-up reputation, but the weekly cap on those tokens still needs to be confirmed on live servers.
How do you get the Bane of the Swarm title?
Complete Aqir Research Associate, No Hives Left Standing and Driving Back the Swarm. Between them they ask for Exalted Aqir Research Enclave reputation, all six scenario types and 10 completed boss encounters.
How do I know which zone is under attack this week?
Open your world map and look for the scarab-shaped icon. It marks the zone of the current invasion and shows a countdown to the next one. The event alternates between Eversong Woods and Zul’Aman, so the icon will move from one to the other as the weeks change.
Is the event worth it if I only want gear?
Yes, to a point. The first Aqir Monstrosity kill each week gives the Aqir Research Satchel with a piece of Champion gear, Mistcrests, Coffer Key Shards, Voidlight Marl and gold. Everything after that first kill is mostly about reputation and cosmetics, so one well-timed visit a week covers the gear part.