When does WoW Forever name reservation start?

Early Name Reservation runs from October 27 to November 3, 2026, Pacific time. Blizzard’s roadmap marks October 27 as the start of both name reservation and character creation, so that’s the day to be ready.

The game launches the day after the window closes: November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 UTC). Blizzard hasn’t said what time reservation opens on the 27th, or whether you pick a ruleset when you claim a name.

Name-related dates before launch
DateWhat happens
October 27, 2026 Early name reservation and character creation open
November 3, 2026 Early name reservation ends
November 4, 2026, 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 UTC) WoW Forever launches worldwide

Which upgrade do you need?

All three digital upgrades include Early Name Reservation. The cheapest way in is the Skyborne Heroic Pack at $29.99 / €29.99. The Skyborne Epic Pack is $59.99 / €59.99 and the Warcraft Forever Collection is $79.99 / €79.99.

You don’t need an upgrade to play Forever. Access comes with an active WoW subscription or Game Time. Grabbing your name early is a pack perk, though.

How do two-part names work?

Forever characters have a first name and a last name. Blizzard’s own example from the Deep Dive recap is “Ana Forever.” So instead of one word on your nameplate, you get a proper first and last name.

Names are unique per region, not per realm. Forever doesn’t have a realm list at all; you pick a ruleset instead. That means there’s no hopping to a fresh server to grab a name someone already took. The Battle.net Shop lists four regions: Americas & Oceania, Europe, Korea and Taiwan.

A human, a gnome and a dwarf showing new race and class combinations
A human, a gnome and a dwarf showing off new race and class combinations · 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 ↗

Tips for your 3 reservations

  • Grab your main’s name first thing on October 27. It’s first come, first served, and waiting a day is how names get sniped.
  • Have 2–3 backups per character. Mix up both the first and last name so you’re not brainstorming on the spot while someone else takes the one you wanted.
  • Plan all three slots before the window opens: your main, an alt, maybe one of the new combos like Dwarf Shaman, Orc Mage or Undead Paladin.
  • Rolling on the Roleplaying ruleset? The ruleset selection screen Blizzard showed says RP comes with strict naming conventions, so pick something that fits the world.

FAQ

Can I reserve a name without buying an upgrade?
Not during the early window. Blizzard lists Early Name Reservation only as part of the Skyborne Heroic Pack, Skyborne Epic Pack and Warcraft Forever Collection. No early window for players without a pack has been announced.
Can I use the same name on two rulesets?
No. Names are unique across the whole region, so the name on your Normal character can’t also go on a PvP character in the same region.
Does an Invite-A-Friend code let my friend reserve a name?
No. Launch codes grant access from November 4 to 11, 2026, and the reservation window has already closed on November 3 by then.
Is my name protected in other regions?
Blizzard only says names are unique per region and doesn’t mention any cross-region protection. Reserve it in the region you actually plan to play in.

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