WoW Forever roadmap at a glance
SeasonDateWhat’s coming
Autumn 2026 Sept 17 – Oct 21 Beta (up to level 30)
Autumn 2026 Oct 27 Early name reservation and character creation
Autumn 2026 Nov 4 Launch
Winter Dec 9 Barrow Deeps (10), Hyjal Summit (20), Onyxia’s Lair (40)
Winter No date Hardcore ruleset
Spring 2027 No date Major update: 2 raids, 2 dungeons, new quests and area, legendary questline, PvP season
Summer 2027 No date Major update: revamped iconic raid, new raid, world content, 2 dungeons, PvP season, professions and Legacy

Autumn 2026: beta, name reservation and launch

Beta opens September 17 and, per the roadmap, lets you play up to level 30. Blizzard’s posts say it ends October 21, while the roadmap image says October 22.

Name reservation and character creation open October 27. Launch is November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 UTC), at the same time worldwide.

Winter: December 9 raids and Hardcore

Five weeks after launch, on December 9, 2026, the raids open. The roadmap lists three: Barrow Deeps (10-player), Hyjal Summit (20-player) and Onyxia’s Lair (40-player). Barrow Deeps is built for max level, and Blizzard says new tier sets and a legendary reward are coming, with full details later.

One mismatch: the BlizzCon recap says “two new raids.” Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit are the new ones; Onyxia’s Lair, the Classic raid you already know, sits next to them on the roadmap with the same date.

The Hardcore ruleset also lands in winter. It’s confirmed for after launch, but there’s no date.

Ruins and a stone arch under a pink sky from the new raids
From the raids section of Blizzard’s What’s Next recap: ruins under a pink sky · 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 ↗

Spring 2027 major update

Blizzard’s What’s Next recap promises more raids, dungeons, PvP updates and world content after December 9. The roadmap splits that into two big patches. Spring brings:

  • 2 new raids, one 10-player and one 20-player
  • 2 new dungeons
  • New quests and a new playable area
  • A new legendary questline
  • PvP season refresh

Summer 2027 major update

  • A revamped iconic raid
  • A new raid
  • Expanded world content
  • 2 new dungeons
  • PvP season refresh
  • Profession and Legacy updates

Is the roadmap final?

No. The fine print says content and timing are subject to change and features will evolve with player feedback. Spring, summer and Hardcore have no dates, and Blizzard says there’s more news coming beyond what the roadmap shows.

Next chance for official answers is the WoW Live Q&A on September 17, 2026. The Forever segment starts at 10:30 a.m. PDT on Warcraft’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.

FAQ

When is Molten Core coming to WoW Forever?
It isn’t on the roadmap by name. Forever’s story takes place before Molten Core, and the “revamped iconic raid” planned for summer hasn’t been named, so any date would be a guess.
Will the level cap go above 60?
Nothing on the roadmap says so. Forever’s cap is 60, and Blizzard talks about adding more quests in the 1–60 range after December 9.
Can you test raids or level 60 content in the beta?
The roadmap caps the beta at level 30. No list of other testable content has been published.

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