When does WoW Forever come out? Release date and launch time
WoW Forever launches worldwide on November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST (11:00 p.m. UTC). An active WoW subscription or Game Time is all you need to play.
World of Warcraft
Your guide to WoW Forever and World of Warcraft.
An independent World of Warcraft publication. We are preparing WoW Forever guides, news and update notes with links to their official sources.
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World of Warcraft · Independent guide
ON THE CALENDAR · 5 November 2026 · 02:00
WoW Forever launch countdown
November 4, 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 UTC). An active subscription or Game Time is all you need.
13 days to go
The scheduled date has arrived. Our guide has the current status.
- Pre-purchaseDone 5 days
- Beta goes liveDone 40 days
- Early name reservationNEXT 9 days
- Launch · Nov 4, 3 p.m. PST
Essential guides
Start here
WoW Forever BLZ51901016 and disconnect errors: what to check
Most WoW Forever disconnect codes mean the game lost its connection to the server. Check Blizzard's status accounts first, restart your PC and network gear, then follow the Support article for your code.
WoW Forever name reservation: start time on October 27, 3 characters and how to reserve
WoW Forever early name reservation opens October 27, 2026 at 18:00 CET in Europe and 1:00 p.m. PDT in North America, and runs until November 3. Every character has two names; only the full name must be unique in your region.
What is WoW Forever, and is it worth it? How it differs from Classic and retail
WoW Forever is a permanent third World of Warcraft game next to modern WoW and Classic: reimagined vanilla-era Azeroth, level 60 cap, included with a subscription or Game Time. Worth it if you like Classic's pace; skip it for rated PvP or Mythic+.
Best class for beginners in WoW Forever
Pick your first WoW Forever class by the role you want, not a tier list. Every class is being reworked, raids come in 10 and 20-player sizes, there's no rated PvP and no cross-faction play, and all of that matters more than early rankings.
WoW Forever region: EU or US, and how to lower latency
WoW Forever is realmless but still split by region, and WoW has no cross-region play. You're placed in your home region based on where you live, and playing elsewhere means a separate account and license.
How to get into and install the WoW Forever beta: beta keys, dates and level cap
The Epic Pack, Collection and Collector’s Edition guarantee WoW Forever beta access; opt-in does not. Beta access does not require Game Time. The test cap is 30 and the latest build is October 8; the beta now ends October 23 at 10:00 a.m. PDT.
WoW Forever graphics settings: HD vs SD models, Classic visuals and weather
Classic and Enhanced presets can be changed later. Skyborne SD character models and Druid forms are still in development for early 2027; HD form texture updates are arriving separately through beta builds.
WoW Forever realms and rulesets explained: Normal, PvP, RP, Hardcore and playing with friends
WoW Forever has no realm list: you pick Normal, PvP or Roleplaying, with Hardcore coming in winter. To play with friends you need the same region, ruleset and faction, and there's no free switching between rulesets later.
Most read guides
Last two weeks
WoW Forever stress test October 21: start times, how to join, and is it free?
The WoW Forever stress test runs on October 21, 2026: 2:00 p.m. PDT in North America and 19:00 CEST in Europe. Anyone with a Battle.net account can join; no subscription, Game Time, invite or beta access needed.
WoW Forever Invite-A-Friend launch codes: when they arrive and how they work
Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes give a friend WoW Forever access from November 4 to 11, 2026 without a subscription. Heroic comes with 1 code, Epic and the Collection with 3. Codes arrive by email from October 20 and don't grant beta access.
WoW Forever system requirements: PC, Mac and storage size
WoW Forever's minimum specs are Windows 10 64-bit, a 4-core CPU, a 4 GB DirectX 12 GPU and 8 GB of RAM, with 128 GB free on an SSD. It's out on Windows and Mac; no console version has been announced.
Latest publications
Recently updated
WoW Forever beta patch notes: October 1 update (level 30) and every build so far
The latest WoW Forever beta build is October 8. City of Dalaran is open, dungeon creature XP and party calculations changed, and Legacy test points were granted alongside class and gamepad fixes. The level cap remains 30.
10 min read
WoW Forever name reservation: start time on October 27, 3 characters and how to reserve
WoW Forever early name reservation opens October 27, 2026 at 18:00 CET in Europe and 1:00 p.m. PDT in North America, and runs until November 3. Every character has two names; only the full name must be unique in your region.
6 min read
How to get into and install the WoW Forever beta: beta keys, dates and level cap
The Epic Pack, Collection and Collector’s Edition guarantee WoW Forever beta access; opt-in does not. Beta access does not require Game Time. The test cap is 30 and the latest build is October 8; the beta now ends October 23 at 10:00 a.m. PDT.
5 min read
WoW Forever stress test October 21: start times, how to join, and is it free?
The WoW Forever stress test runs on October 21, 2026: 2:00 p.m. PDT in North America and 19:00 CEST in Europe. Anyone with a Battle.net account can join; no subscription, Game Time, invite or beta access needed.
3 min read
WoW Forever dungeons: all 9 new dungeons and level ranges
WoW Forever has nine announced new dungeons. City of Dalaran joined beta testing on October 8, alongside higher dungeon creature XP and a revised party calculation. Those changes are separate from dungeon quest bonus XP.
5 min read
WoW Forever gold: auction house, buying gold, GDKP and WoW Token
Don't buy gold in WoW Forever. Since October 13, accounts suspected of buying or selling gold can get a Temporary Economy Hold that locks trade, mail, guild banks and the auction house; confirmed buyers can lose the account. GDKP is banned too.
5 min read
WoW Forever addons: do they work, what's built in and how to install them
Yes, addons work in WoW Forever, with Midnight's in-combat limits. A damage meter and the Cooldown Manager are built in, and since the October 8 beta build the Cooldown Manager supports every class.
4 min read
WoW Forever Warrior changes: Rage generation, Victory Rush, tank talents and Fury rework
WoW Forever Warriors get Rage from weapon speed instead of hit size, and armor no longer cuts the Rage you get from taking damage. Victory Rush comes at level 20, Thunder Clap works in Defensive Stance, and Whirlwind always hits with both weapons.
7 min read
WoW Forever Paladin changes: Seal of Fury taunt, Consecration at 20 and a 20-minute Lay on Hands
WoW Forever Paladins can main tank: with Seal of Fury active, Judgment taunts. Every Paladin gets Holy Strike at level 6 and Consecration at 20, Blessings last an hour instead of 5 minutes, and Lay on Hands drops from a 1-hour to a 20-minute cooldown.
5 min read
WoW Forever Mage changes: Frostfire Bolt, Arcane Blast, Ice Lance and Heating Up
WoW Forever Mages get Frostfire Bolt, which counts as both Fire and Frost so talents from both trees boost it, Ice Lance for Frost, an Arcane Blast that stacks damage and mana cost, and a reworked Hot Streak that the October 1 beta build renamed Heating Up.
4 min read
WoW Forever graphics settings: HD vs SD models, Classic visuals and weather
Classic and Enhanced presets can be changed later. Skyborne SD character models and Druid forms are still in development for early 2027; HD form texture updates are arriving separately through beta builds.
5 min read
WoW Forever Legacy system explained: all 65 challenges, perks and rewards
Legacy Points are earned account-wide, with each character spending up to 16 across its own three perk trees. Normal progression requires challenges; the October 8 beta build grants testers points to try the system in full.
6 min read