Classic vs Enhanced: what each one changes

Starting settings shown in the Deep Dive
SettingClassicEnhanced
Character models SD (standard definition) HD
Quest points of interest and objective blobs Off On
One-bag Off On
Transmog Off On

What Blizzard said about graphics in the live Q&A

  • HD and SD models share the same skeleton, and the animations were reworked to feel like Classic. Going HD doesn't change how your character moves. 1:05:27
  • First login offers Classic or Enhanced. Pick Classic and quest tracking and transmog get switched off automatically. 1:07:59
Classic and Enhanced choice cards: Classic starts with standard character models, quest markers, one-bag and transmog off; Enhanced starts with high-definition models and those settings on
The Classic and Enhanced cards from first login, each listing its starting settings for character models, quest markers, one-bag and transmog · Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Source / rights
Image / usage information: (c) Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Frame from the official World of Warcraft video World of Warcraft: Forever - Deep Dive | BlizzCon 2026 (captured 22 Sep 2026); shown with source link, no ownership asserted. · Image source ↗

Blizzard calls these starting settings, so you're not locked in. HD/SD lives in the Graphics menu too, and transmog can be turned on or off later. Appearances still get collected while transmog is off.

Short answer

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.

Which one should you pick?

  • Want the old-school feel of reading quest text and finding things yourself? Classic.
  • Coming from modern WoW and want map markers? Enhanced.
  • Sharper characters with a Classic-style UI? Pick Classic, then switch to HD in Graphics.
  • Collecting appearances? Either works; you keep collecting with transmog off.
Bottom-right corner of character creation: an unticked High-Definition Models checkbox below the appearance panel, next to the red Finish button
The High-Definition Models checkbox in the bottom-right of character creation, just above the Finish button, unticked in this shot · Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Source / rights
Image / usage information: (c) Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Frame from the official World of Warcraft video World of Warcraft Developer Q&A (captured 22 Sep 2026); shown with source link, no ownership asserted. · Image source ↗

HD vs SD character models

Blizzard's comparison shots put the same dwarf in the same snowy spot with each model. SD is the classic model, HD the higher-detail one, and HD models get restored Classic animations.

Dwarf character standing in snow, HD model
A dwarf standing on a frozen lake, HD model · Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Source / rights
Image / usage information: (c) Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Official World of Warcraft: Forever media from Blizzard announcement pages (downloaded 16 Sep 2026); shown with source link, no ownership asserted. · Image source ↗
Dwarf character standing in snow, SD (classic) model
The same dwarf in the same spot, SD (classic) model · Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Source / rights
Image / usage information: (c) Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Official World of Warcraft: Forever media from Blizzard announcement pages (downloaded 16 Sep 2026); shown with source link, no ownership asserted. · Image source ↗

Skyborne HD and SD model status

The October 7 development article describes sharper fur detail, reduced softness and adjusted saturation for HD Druid forms. This work has a different delivery schedule from the original races’ SD/HD toggle.

Skyborne visual updates by delivery status
VisualOfficial status
HD Bear / Travel Form Textures updated in the October 8 beta.
HD Cat Form Texture update awaits a later build.
SD Skyborne character In development for early 2027.
SD Skyborne Druid forms Included in the same SD development plan.

Ray Traced Shadows was removed on October 1, with its return planned after the functionality is fixed. October 8 also fixes effect flickering on large creatures. These changes do not guarantee a particular frame-rate increase on every system.

Lighting, rendering and weather in old zones

Old zones get a lighting pass: flowing rivers in Elwynn, mist over Darkshore's water, moonlight in Ashenvale. The Forever page has zone update videos, and a short lighting and fog clip went up September 20.

Red-roofed stone houses and trees lit with sunlight and deep shadows
A village from the Evolving a Timeless World panel, lit with sunlight and deep shadows · Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Source / rights
Image / usage information: (c) Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Frame from the official World of Warcraft video World of Warcraft: Forever - Evolving a Timeless World | BlizzCon 2026 (captured 22 Sep 2026); shown with source link, no ownership asserted. · Image source ↗
The same red-roofed stone houses and trees shown with flat, shadowless lighting
The same village from the same angle with flat, shadowless light, showing how much the lighting changes the scene · Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Source / rights
Image / usage information: (c) Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Frame from the official World of Warcraft video World of Warcraft: Forever - Evolving a Timeless World | BlizzCon 2026 (captured 22 Sep 2026); shown with source link, no ownership asserted. · Image source ↗

The September 23 “A Rainy Day in Elwynn Forest” video previewed heavier rain. The October 1 build separately improved rain visibility; it did not provide a list confirming the same effect in every zone.

Heavy rain falling on a blue-roofed building and large trees, with a character sitting with their back to the camera on the left
Rain over a blue-roofed building in Blizzard’s September 23 “A Rainy Day in Elwynn Forest” clip · Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Source / rights
Image / usage information: (c) Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Frame from the official World of Warcraft video Put a cloak on: increased weather effects are coming to certain WoW: Forever Beta Zones soon (captured 25 Sep 2026); shown with source link, no ownership asserted. · Image source ↗

FPS drops in the beta: the September 24 graphics fixes

The September 24 build has four graphics fixes: a setting that could switch fog off unintentionally is gone, the Undercity canal ooze no longer glows too bright, Mac water and other display issues are fixed, and the memory leak that slowly tanked performance is fixed. The September 22 client (1.60.1) had already fixed Mac display and stability.

What the devs said on the podcast

  • Engineers found that toggling graphics settings while grouped was part of what dropped FPS in cities. 40:02
  • The beta runs for weeks partly to catch performance problems across hardware. 38:17

Install the latest build through Battle.net rather than targeting an old version number. If performance problems persist, include hardware and graphics settings in the bug report.

Will my GPU run it?

Minimum on Windows is a DirectX 12 card with 4 GB (GTX 10 series, RDNA 1, Iris Xe2-LPG); on Mac, Apple M2. Blizzard's September 17 GPU post also sets an architecture floor: AMD GCN 1 (2012), NVIDIA Maxwell (2014) or Intel Skylake (2015). Official gamepad support is in, too.

Graphics news so far

WoW Forever graphics timeline
DateWhat was shown or announced
September 12, 2026 What's Next: modern and Classic presets, HD/SD models, rendering examples
September 17, 2026 GPU architecture post; Q&A on the shared skeleton and HD/SD toggle
September 20, 2026 Short lighting and fog update video
September 22, 2026 Client 1.60.1: Mac display and stability fixes
September 23, 2026 Heavier weather clip: “A Rainy Day in Elwynn Forest”
September 24, 2026 Build: fog setting removed, Undercity ooze, Mac water, memory leak; podcast note on city FPS
Does SD mode improve performance?
Blizzard gives one set of requirements, with no separate specs for HD, SD, Classic or Enhanced. The beta performance problems it has named are different: toggling settings while grouped in cities, and the memory leak fixed September 24.
Is Classic Mode the same as the Classic visual preset?
On the first-login screen Blizzard showed, there's one Classic card, setting both visuals (SD models) and UI helpers (quest markers, one-bag, transmog). HD/SD and transmog can each be changed later.

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