What is WoW Forever?
The official name is World of Warcraft: Forever. Many people search for “WoW Classic Forever”, but Blizzard explicitly sets the game apart from Classic: it is not a mode, a season or a new version of Classic. It is built on the original Azeroth with a level cap of 60, plus new zones, a new race, new dungeons and new raids.
Two decisions shape how it plays: there is no flying and no level scaling. Zones follow a fixed level order again, as in Classic.
Key dates
| Date | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2026 | Beta starts at level 20; level 30 since Oct 1 | Blizzard |
| Oct 21, 2026 | Last full beta test day | Blizzard |
| Oct 27, 2026 | Name reservation, only for buyers of the upgrade package | Roadmap reports; not in the Blizzard sources we checked |
| Nov 4, 2026 | Global launch at 3:00 p.m. PST (00:00 CET on Nov 5) | Blizzard |
| Dec 9, 2026 | Raids open: Hyjal Summit and Barrow Deeps; Onyxia’s Lair too, according to roadmap reports | Blizzard (new raids), roadmap reports (Onyxia) |
Differences from Classic Era
If you know Classic Era, you will find your way quickly. The main differences as of today:
- New race, the Skyborne, with their own starting zone on Zephras Isle, playable for Alliance and Horde. See Races.
- Six new race and class combinations, including Undead Paladins and Dwarf Shamans, so both factions have Paladins and Shamans.
- Reworked talent trees: beta build 1.60.1.70425 contains 467 talents. Many abilities have new values or ranks.
- Professions: Blizzard mentions more than 600 new recipes, camp objects from skill 20 and plans dropped by dungeon bosses.
- Nine new dungeons for leveling and endgame, for example Hall of Thanes and City of Dalaran.
- New raids: Hyjal Summit for 20 and Barrow Deeps for 10 players. Onyxia’s Lair (40) is in the beta client; that it opens on the same date is only stated in roadmap reports.
- New zone, Riverglades, with more than 150 quests for both factions.
- Riding: the cost sits with riding training, which now comes with a mount.
- Healing gear: bonus healing also grants a third of its value as spell damage.
Realms and game styles
Forever replaces the traditional realm list with game styles. Three are available at launch:
| Game style | Rules |
|---|---|
| Normal | PvE, PvP only by consent |
| PvP | The other faction can attack you in contested zones |
| Roleplay | Roleplay with rules for names and behavior |
Hardcore is announced for after launch, without a date. Groups, dungeons and raids only work within the same game style, and Horde and Alliance stay separate. If you play with friends or a guild, agree on game style and faction before launch. Characters have two names; the combination is unique within a region.
Are there phases?
Blizzard has not published a phase plan in the Classic sense. Two milestones are confirmed: launch at level 60 on November 4 and raids on December 9. More raids, dungeons, PvP content, Hardcore and the rework of a well-known raid are announced without dates. A new battleground, Darkspear Islands (15 vs 15), is also announced; our sources give no date for it.
Getting ready before November 4
- Agree on game style and faction with your group.
- Pick a class and race: Classes and Races.
- Plan professions to match your role: Professions.
- Draft a first talent build: Talent planner.
- As a guild, settle the loot system before the first raid: Guild preparation.