The stat changes

  • Hit and crit are combined across spells, melee and ranged attacks.
  • Items carry less weapon skill.
  • Bonus healing also gives one-third as much bonus damage.
  • Caster weapons gain spell power.
  • Some items get effects tied to the environment or to creature types.

Blizzard hasn't shared actual stat values or example items yet.

What it means for your class

In original Classic, spell hit and melee hit were separate stats, and +healing on gear did nothing for your damage. Forever cuts down on those splits, and different roles feel it in different ways.

Hybrids: Druid, Paladin, Shaman

Gearing gets simpler. One hit stat covers spells and weapon attacks alike, so you're not weighing spell hit against melee hit on the same slot.

Healers: Priest, Druid, Shaman, Paladin

You'll notice this one most while leveling. Questing in healing gear now gives you a third of that bonus healing back as bonus damage, which makes soloing in a healing set a lot less painful.

Casters

Caster weapons now carry spell power, so your weapon slot feeds straight into your spells. Pure casters like Mages and Warlocks get that too.

Melee and hunters

Items carry less weapon skill, so it takes up less of your gear budget than it used to.

Dungeon, boss and quest loot

Every dungeon drop has been looked at again. Items unique to a boss become blue, and set bonuses are being improved. The nine new dungeons also come with their own quests and new rewards, and the new raids bring new tier sets.

Out in the world, quest rewards are expanded and rare mobs get hundreds of new drops. That rare you spot while leveling is worth the pull.

Giant fossil in a sunlit cavern from one of the new dungeons
A giant fossil in a sunlit cavern, from one of the new dungeons · 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 ↗

FAQ

Is there a hit cap in WoW Forever?
No hit cap numbers have been announced. What's confirmed is that hit is a single stat for spells, melee and ranged.
Will Classic BiS lists still work?
Don't count on it. Every dungeon drop was re-examined and the stat system changed, and no Forever item list has been published yet.
Is weapon skill gone from gear?
No. The change Blizzard described is less weapon skill per item, not removing it, so it stays on gear in smaller amounts.
Are there legendaries in WoW Forever?
Yes. The new raids come with a legendary reward that Blizzard says it will reveal in full later, and the roadmap's spring update lists a new legendary questline.

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