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It is the closest thing to what the community has been asking for under the name "Classic Plus" (or "Classic+"): original Azeroth, level cap 60 and the pace of Classic, but with new content. That said, "Classic Plus" is a community name: the official one is World of Warcraft: Forever, and Blizzard says it is not a mode, a season or a new version of Classic, but a new permanent home for World of Warcraft alongside modern WoW and WoW Classic. From launch it brings 9 new dungeons, new zones, a new race and Legacy, and the first raids open on December 9.
What "Classic Plus" is and what Blizzard calls it
"Classic Plus", or "Classic+", is the name the community uses for an idea: a WoW Classic that does not stay frozen and keeps getting new content in the spirit of the original. Blizzard does not use that name in its Forever announcements. The game is called World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever for short), and this is how Blizzard presents it:
- A new permanent home alongside modern WoW and WoW Classic, for past, current and new players.
- Set after Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core, on the original continents, up to level 60.
- It grew from what Blizzard learned with WoW Classic and Season of Discovery, and from a community that never stopped dreaming about what else original Azeroth could become.
- In Blizzard's words: "This is not a mode, a season, or a new version of Classic." It is a promise to keep building that world with the community.
What it keeps from Classic
What Blizzard says stays as it was in Classic:
- The original world: the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, with level cap 60.
- Combat: the same feel and pacing as Classic, deliberate, tactical and class-driven. Solo, a normal enemy takes 10 to 15 seconds to die, and crowd control still matters in dungeons.
- The nine classes, each with its own identity, strengths and weaknesses.
- Talent trees: the same structure and number of rows, with one-point milestone talents at 11, 21 and 31 points plus a new 16-point milestone. Some talents stay exactly as in patch 1.12; those that granted key class buffs, such as Divine Spirit or Blessing of Kings, become baseline.
- Classic's stats, with changes: spell, melee and ranged hit and critical strike are combined, and there are new stats.
And what Forever does not have, according to Blizzard:
- Flying mounts
- Level scaling
What it adds from day one
What it brings from launch, on November 4, 2026:
Skyborne, the new race
They can join the Alliance or the Horde and start on Zephras Isle, with their own level 1 to 12 adventure. Playing them requires the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher edition. The Classic races also gain 6 new race and class combinations.
New and expanded zones
Riverglades, Mount Hyjal, Shen'dralas and Zephras Isle, plus expanded Classic zones and more than 1,000 new quests.
9 new dungeons
On top of the Classic ones, with no level scaling: Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron, Excavation Site, City of Dalaran, The Drowned City, Krol'dok Stronghold, Alcaz Prison, Blackmaw Hold and Shaper's Terrace.
Legacy
Account-wide progression: challenges grant points each character spends across three trees, up to 16 per character at launch.
Realmless and camping
Rulesets instead of realms, with a preferred language setting, and the Cooking Fire turned into a campsite with services.
Reworked classes
New and changed talents, new abilities and redesigned racials, each change next to its Classic value.
And also:
- Darkspear Islands battleground (15v15)
- New lighting, gamepad support and opt-in transmog
- More than 600 new profession recipes
What comes next
And what comes next, according to the official roadmap:
- December 9, 2026First raids
Barrow Deeps (10), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia's Lair (40). New tier sets and a legendary reward.
- Winter 2026-27Hardcore
Hardcore ruleset after launch. Progress flows outward only; nothing flows in.
- Spring 2027First major update
Two new raids (10 and 20), two dungeons, a new playable area and quests, a new legendary questline and a PvP refresh.
- Summer 2027Revamped iconic raid
A revamped iconic raid plus one new raid, two dungeons, expanded world, professions and Legacy enhancements.
Official sources
The official Blizzard announcements this page is based on:
- Carve a New Path with World of Warcraft: Forever · September 12, 2026 · Blizzard’s original: Carve a New Path with World of Warcraft: Forever
- World of Warcraft: Forever What’s Next Panel Recap · September 12, 2026 · Blizzard’s original: World of Warcraft: Forever What’s Next Panel Recap
- World of Warcraft: Forever Deep Dive Panel Recap · September 13, 2026 · Blizzard’s original: World of Warcraft: Forever Deep Dive Panel Recap
- Choose Your Ruleset in World of Warcraft: Forever · September 21, 2026 · Blizzard’s original: Choose Your Ruleset in World of Warcraft: Forever
- WoW: Forever Meet the New Skyborne · September 22, 2026 · Blizzard’s original: WoW: Forever Meet the New Skyborne
- Get to Know the World of Warcraft: Forever Legacy System · September 23, 2026 · Blizzard’s original: Get to Know the World of Warcraft: Forever Legacy System
- 2026-2027 roadmap (official image on the Blizzard forums) · September 12, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is WoW Forever Classic Plus?
It is the closest thing to what the community asked for under that name, but "Classic Plus" is not an official name. Blizzard calls it World of Warcraft: Forever and presents it as a new permanent home alongside modern WoW and WoW Classic, not a mode, a season or a new version of Classic.
Is it the same as Season of Discovery?
No. Blizzard says Forever grew from what it learned with WoW Classic and Season of Discovery, but it is not a season: it is permanent and has its own roadmap.
Does it replace WoW Classic?
Not according to Blizzard: it is a new permanent home alongside modern WoW and WoW Classic.
Do I have to pay extra?
No: it is included with a World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time, and the packs are optional. The exception is the Skyborne race, which only comes with the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher edition. See price and editions for the details.
Can I bring my Classic character to Forever?
Blizzard has not announced any way to bring characters from Classic or modern WoW to Forever. In its announcements, Forever is an invitation to begin again in the original Azeroth.
When does it launch?
On November 4, 2026 at 3:00 PM PST (11:00 PM UTC).
See also
A The Forever Era guide. Anything specific to Forever comes from Blizzard's official announcements or the beta client; general Classic knowledge is marked as such. We never invent numbers or rankings, and the guide is reviewed with every build.
