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World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4, 2026 at 3:00 PM PST (11:00 PM UTC). It is included with a WoW subscription or Game Time, on PC and Mac. The Skyborne packs (from $29.99) are optional and add the Skyborne race, the beta and cosmetics. The beta runs from September 17 to October 21, name reservation from October 27 to November 3, and the first raids open on December 9.
What WoW Forever is
WoW Forever is a new World of Warcraft set in the original Azeroth, which Blizzard describes as a permanent home next to modern WoW and WoW Classic: level cap 60 and the same nine classes, with reworked talent trees. From day one it brings what Classic never had:
- More than 1,000 new quests
- 9 new dungeons, no level scaling
- Riverglades, Mount Hyjal, Shen'dralas and Zephras Isle
- Skyborne race and 6 new race/class combos
- Legacy, Camping and Realmless
- Darkspear Islands battleground (15v15)
- New lighting, gamepad support and opt-in transmog
- More than 600 new profession recipes
And what it does not have, according to Blizzard:
- Flying mounts
- Level scaling
Every change from Classic · New systems · Launch and editions
Release date and time
Blizzard set the launch for November 4, 2026 at 3:00 PM Pacific Time (PST). These are the equivalent times, worked out from that official time:
| Where | Time | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Official time (Pacific, PST) | 3:00 PM | November 4 |
| US Mountain | 4:00 PM | November 4 |
| US Central | 5:00 PM | November 4 |
| US Eastern | 6:00 PM | November 4 |
| United Kingdom | 11:00 PM | November 4 |
| Central Europe | 12:00 AM | November 5 |
| Sydney | 10:00 AM | November 5 |
City not listed? See the launch time in your country, worked out from your device’s time zone.
Before that, from October 27 to November 3, you can reserve names: up to 3 characters with any pack.
The beta: dates and access
The beta opened on September 17 and closes on October 21. It started with a level cap of 20; since the October 1 maintenance it reaches 30 (what changes from 20 to 30). It is included with the Skyborne Epic Pack and the Warcraft Forever Collection, and you can also opt in for free on Battle.net: Blizzard sends out invitations to opted-in players throughout the test. The Skyborne Heroic Pack does not include beta access: its invite code lets a friend play during launch week. Our beta guide walks you through it. The current client build is 1.60.1.70205; see every build and its changes and the blue tracker for each Blizzard post.
Editions and prices
| Edition | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription or Game Time | Included | Full game access from November 4. |
| Skyborne Heroic Pack | $29.99 | Skyborne race · 1 Invite-A-Friend Launch Code · Name reservation · Mount and cosmetics |
| Skyborne Epic Pack | $59.99 | Everything in the Heroic Pack · Beta access and 3 Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes in total · 30 days of Game Time |
| Warcraft Forever Collection | $79.99 | Everything in the Epic Pack · Warcraft III: Reforged and the Forsaken Kingdom campaign · Sold until January 11, 2027 |
| Collector's Edition | $150 | Physical edition, from the Blizzard Gear Store while supplies last |
Edition prices, in US dollars. No edition is required to play: Forever is included with a subscription or Game Time.
Rulesets
Forever has no realms: when you create a character you choose a ruleset.
- Four rulesets: Normal, PvP, Roleplaying and Hardcore (post-launch).
- Grouping is restricted to your ruleset.
- Collections and Legacy Points are shared across rulesets, except Hardcore.
- PvP allows a single faction at creation. Normal and Roleplaying allow both.
- Names use a two-part format and are unique per region.
Hardcore arrives after launch: the roadmap places it in winter 2026-27. Its rules are in the Hardcore guide.
New race: the Skyborne
New playable race that chooses Horde or Alliance at character creation. Starts on Zephras Isle with its own level 1 to 12 adventure. Requires the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher. Like every race in Forever, it has two active and two passive racials.
Blizzard calls them Skyborne (the Spanish client says «cielonatos»). There are two versions: Skyborne (Alliance), which can be warrior, hunter, rogue, mage and druid, and Skyborne (Horde), which can be warrior, hunter, rogue, shaman and druid.
Forever also opens 6 race and class combinations Classic did not allow:
Gnome Priest
Human Hunter
Dwarf Shaman
Orc Mage
Troll Warlock
Undead PaladinNew and updated zones
More than 1,000 new quests, spread across new zones and expanded Classic zones:
- Zephras IsleNew1-12
Starting zone of the new Skyborne race, with its own level 1 to 12 adventure. The faction (Horde or Alliance) is chosen at character creation.
- RivergladesNew33-44· more than 150 quests
A new mid-level frontier in the Eastern Kingdoms, built around rivers, trade routes and old grudges between struggling towns. More than 150 quests and the goblin port of Powderfuse on the east coast.
- Shen'dralasNewlevel range to be confirmed
Mid-level zone located between Mulgore and Desolace. Level range not yet confirmed.
- Mount HyjalNewLevel 60
Level 60 zone where you explore the aftermath of Archimonde's defeat and help restore Hyjal.
- GilneasNewlevel range to be confirmed
The walled kingdom behind the Greymane Wall opens in Forever. Level range to be confirmed.
- WetlandsExpanded20-30
New quests added to the Classic zone.
- DesolaceExpanded30-40
New quests added to the Classic zone.
- All starting zonesExpanded1-10
Every Classic starting zone receives new NPCs and quests.
Dungeons
Forever adds 9 new dungeons to the Classic ones (29 in total in our list), and none of them scale to the group's level. These are the new ones:
| Dungeon | Levels | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Hall of ThanesIn the beta | 13-18 | Dun Morogh |
| Ruins of LordaeronIn the beta | 15-20 | Tirisfal Glades |
| Excavation SiteIn the beta | 26-31 | Wetlands |
| City of Dalaran | 28-33 | Hillsbrad Foothills |
| The Drowned City | 35-40 | To be confirmed |
| Krol'dok Stronghold | 40-45 | To be confirmed |
| Alcaz Prison | 48-53 | Dustwallow Marsh |
| Blackmaw Hold | 55-60 | To be confirmed |
| Shaper's Terrace | 58-60 | Un'Goro Crater |
Raids and opening date
The first three raids open on December 9:
Barrow Deeps
10 players · 8 bossesForever's 10-player raid, designed as a maximum-level challenge.
Hyjal Summit
20 players · 13 bosses20-player encounters in "one of Warcraft's most important locations", in Blizzard's words.
Onyxia's Lair
40 players · 1 bossClassic's 40-player raid returns on the same day as the two new raids.
- New tier sets. Blizzard announced that Hyjal Summit and the Barrow Deeps bring raid encounters and new tier sets.
- A legendary reward. Hyjal Summit and the Barrow Deeps come with a legendary reward that Blizzard has not fully revealed yet. The roadmap also places a new legendary questline in spring 2027.
- Legacy points. Raids grant 3 Legacy points: one for defeating Onyxia, one for defeating all 13 Hyjal Summit bosses and one for all 8 Barrow Deeps bosses.
And later, according to the roadmap:
- Spring 2027: Two new raids, 10 and 20 players · New legendary questline
- Summer 2027: A revamped iconic raid · One new raid
Legacy
Account-wide progression that rewards leveling and completing challenges.
Legacy is account-wide progression: challenges (the beta client has 65) grant points. At launch each character can spend up to 16 points and the account can earn up to 65, across three trees: Professions, Adventure and Resourcefulness.
- Account-wide challenges earn Legacy Points.
- Each character spends them independently across three trees: Professions, Adventure and Resourcefulness.
- At launch: 16 points per character, up to 65 across the account.
- Cosmetic rewards unlock from the total points your account collects.
- Example perk: Well Rested (increased rested XP).
2026-2027 roadmap
- September 17, 2026Beta opens
Level cap 20, raised to 30 later. Access with the Skyborne Epic Pack or the Warcraft Forever Collection.
- October 21, 2026Beta closes
End of public testing.
- October 27, 2026Name reservation
October 27 to November 3, up to 3 characters with any pack.
- November 4, 2026Launch
November 4 at 3:00 PM PST (11 PM UTC). PC and Mac, included with the subscription. 1,000+ quests, 9 dungeons, Riverglades and Mount Hyjal, 6 new combos.
- 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 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
- Pre-Purchase World of Warcraft: Forever Upgrades and Begin Your Next Journey in Azeroth · September 12, 2026 · Blizzard’s original: Pre-Purchase World of Warcraft: Forever Upgrades and Begin Your Next Journey in Azeroth
- 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
- The World of Warcraft: Forever Beta Now Live · September 17, 2026 · Blizzard’s original: The World of Warcraft: Forever Beta Now Live
- World of Warcraft: Forever GPU Requirements · September 17, 2026 · Blizzard’s original: World of Warcraft: Forever GPU Requirements
- Choose Your Ruleset in World of Warcraft: Forever · September 21, 2026 · Blizzard’s original: Choose Your Ruleset in World of Warcraft: Forever
- Create a Name of Your Own in WoW: Forever · September 21, 2026 · Blizzard’s original: Create a Name of Your Own in WoW: 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
More official Blizzard articles about Forever, each with its page on this site:
- Watch Now! WoW: Forever Podcast Ep.2, Speedrunning Classes · October 1, 2026
- World of Warcraft: Forever Headlines a Packed WoW Weekly · September 25, 2026
- Watch the World of Warcraft: Forever Podcast, Ep. 1 · September 24, 2026
- Blizzcon 2026, WoW Forever Beta, Midnight S3, and More in This Week’s Wow Weekly · September 18, 2026
- Watch the World of Warcraft Live Q&A Now · September 17, 2026
Frequently asked questions
When does WoW Forever come out?
On November 4, 2026 at 3:00 PM PST (11:00 PM UTC). See the table above for other time zones.
How much does WoW Forever cost?
Nothing on top of a WoW subscription or Game Time: Forever is included. The optional editions cost Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99), Skyborne Epic Pack ($59.99), Warcraft Forever Collection ($79.99) and Collector's Edition ($150).
Do I need to buy a pack to play?
No. The packs add the Skyborne race (from the Heroic Pack), the beta (from the Epic Pack up), cosmetics and, from the Epic up, 30 days of Game Time.
Can I move 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.
Are there flying mounts, a WoW Token or a Dungeon Finder?
No flying mounts and no level scaling: Blizzard has said so in its announcements. Those announcements say nothing about the WoW Token, level boosts or a Dungeon Finder.
How long does the beta last?
Until October 21. Then come name reservation, from October 27 to November 3, and the launch.
When do Onyxia and the first raids open?
On December 9: Barrow Deeps (10), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia's Lair (40).
Which platforms is it on?
PC and Mac, with official gamepad support.
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.
