What time does name reservation start in your region?
| Region | Local start | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | Oct 27, 18:00 CET | Oct 27, 17:00 |
| North America | Oct 27, 1:00 p.m. PDT | Oct 27, 20:00 |
| Korea | Oct 28, 07:00 KST | Oct 27, 22:00 |
| Taiwan | Oct 28, 07:00 CST | Oct 27, 23:00 |
The 3 characters are a total across every ruleset, not 3 per ruleset. Blizzard's example: make 2 on PvP and you only have 1 left for Normal or Role-Play. That cap only applies during early reservation.
WoW Forever early name reservation opened 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.
How WoW Forever names work
Per Blizzard's September 21 naming article, every character gets a first and last name, and only the combination has to be free in your region. Two players can share a first name as long as their full names differ.
Blizzard's example: Asha Brightvale, Thalen Brightvale and Mira Brightvale, one family name with three first names. A guild can share a surname the same way if every full name is open. Taken or against the rules? Try another combo or the in-game random name generator.
Source / rights
That's the screen from the September 17 Q&A: “Full Name” has two separate boxes, and the last name isn't optional.
What Blizzard said about names in the live Q&A
How to hide your second name
Source / rights
Naming rules and the September 24 beta crackdown
Names still follow the in-game code of conduct. Some names, words, spellings and repeated-character patterns can be restricted, including anything confusing or impersonating Blizzard or the WoW team. Both names can be judged together, so splitting a banned word across them may not get it through.
On September 24 a WoW developer posted on the beta forum that characters breaking the naming policy are getting forced name changes, and some players whose names went far outside the Code of Conduct lost beta access. The dev team reviewed each case, and Customer Service won't help with appeals.
The post adds that the name enforcement system comes online very shortly and asks testers not to “test” it, or risk action and losing beta. The rules cover reserved names too. Refresher: Blizzard's Code of Conduct.
Name reservation timeline
Done
Pre-purchase opens; all three upgrades include Early Name Reservation for up to 3 characters
Done
Live Q&A: last name required, one name across every ruleset
Done
Naming article: first names can repeat, second name can be hidden; ruleset article the same day
Done
Forced renames in beta, some beta access removed; in-game mail surname bug fixed
Done
Blizzard posts the start times; the 3-character limit covers all rulesets
Done
Early name reservation opens: Europe 18:00 CET, North America 1:00 p.m. PDT
Next
Early name reservation ends
WoW Forever launches (November 4, 3:00 p.m. PST)
How to reserve your name
- Buy a Forever upgrade on the WoW account you'll play on; the perk only applies to that account.
- Update your graphics drivers, then install or update the Battle.net desktop app.
- Pick World of Warcraft, open the Game Version menu above Play and choose World of Warcraft: Forever, then Install.
- Your region opened on October 27: hit Play and choose your ruleset.
- Create up to 3 characters with the names you want. If a full name is taken, change the last name first, then try a backup.
Name reservation not working? Day-one problems
Reservations opened on the evening of October 27 and stay open until November 3. In the first hours the Battle.net app showed a technical-difficulties notice and the start slipped for a short while, and some players couldn’t pick a ruleset. Restarting the app and updating the game fixes most of it.
According to reports, Blizzard said the day-one name check was too strict and blocked valid names, such as names containing “con”. The fix came with realm restarts, so if a fine name got rejected, try it again.
Source · news.blizzard.comBlizzard — Early Name Reservations are live
All three upgrades include it; the cheapest is the Skyborne Heroic Pack at $29.99 / €29.99 (Epic $59.99 / €59.99, Collection $79.99 / €79.99). Forever itself comes with a subscription or Game Time, but early names are a pack perk.
Which region's name pool are you in?
Names are unique per region, and the Battle.net Shop lists four: Americas & Oceania, Europe, Korea and Taiwan. Friends in another region? Reserve there, since WoW characters don't move between regions.
Checklist for your 3 reservations
- Grab your main's full name now. Waiting a day is how names get sniped.
- Have 2–3 backups per character, and try a new last name before giving up on a first name.
- Shared guild surname? Settle everyone's full name beforehand.
- Don't split a banned word across both names; in beta that earned forced renames.
- Going PvP? You can only make characters on one side there, so pick your faction first. Rulesets aren't a free switch, and a character elsewhere can't reuse your name.
- Rolling RP? Roleplaying has strict naming conventions.
- Plan all three slots: main, alt, maybe a new combo like Dwarf Shaman or Undead Paladin.
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