Who are the Skyborne?
Also called the shen’dorei (“the hidden people”), the Skyborne descend from rebels who fled Eldre’Thalas after the War of the Ancients and found refuge in Skywall.
They start on Zephras Isle, a level 1–12 zone mixing the Classic look with Skywall-style architecture. The island is failing: its elemental patrons have vanished and its pylons are giving out.
Source / rights
Skyborne is WoW Forever’s new race. Horde Windshapers can be Shaman, Alliance High Order can be Mage, and three of four racials are shared: the difference is Skysight (10% run speed) vs Read Ley Line (100% more health and mana regen). You need the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher.
Skyborne classes by faction
Your faction decides the sixth class: Windshapers follow elemental traditions and get Shaman, while the High Order carries an arcane legacy and gets Mage.
Source / rights
| Class | Horde (Windshapers) | Alliance (High Order) |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Yes | Yes |
| Hunter | Yes | Yes |
| Rogue | Yes | Yes |
| Druid (with new Skyborne forms) | Yes | Yes |
| Shaman | Yes | No |
| Mage | No | Yes |
Druids get Skyborne-only forms. The race also has its own voices, its own /dance and new emotes such as /flirt, /silly, /cackle and /applaud.
What are the Skyborne racials?
Like every race, Skyborne get two actives and two passives. Three are identical on both sides; only the second active differs.
| Racial | What it does | Horde | Alliance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk on Air (active) | Glide downward for 10 seconds | Yes | Yes |
| Skysight (active) | Elemental Blessing: 10% run speed | Yes | No |
| Read Ley Line (active) | Activate a ley line: 100% more health and mana regen | No | Yes |
| Wind Blessed (passive) | 1% melee, ranged and spell Haste | Yes | Yes |
| Elemental Insight (passive) | 5% more damage to Elementals | Yes | Yes |
Source / rights
Walk on Air turns a fall into a controlled glide (2:48 in the video). With no flying mounts in Forever, it’s the racial you’ll use most getting down from high places. Blizzard hasn’t said yet how long Skysight and Read Ley Line last.
Horde or Alliance Skyborne?
Friends still come first. Horde and Alliance can’t group, and on the PvP ruleset you can only roll characters on one faction. Otherwise it comes down to class and that one racial.
| Deciding factor | Windshaper (Horde) | High Order (Alliance) |
|---|---|---|
| Faction-only class | Shaman | Mage |
| Faction-only racial | Skysight: 10% run speed | Read Ley Line: 100% more health and mana regen |
| After Zephras Isle | New Earthen Ring area in Mulgore | Dalaran and the Kirin Tor |
| Best fit | Shaman; Warriors, Rogues and Hunters who want speed | Mage; Druids who live off mana |
On the four shared classes the gap is small: speed versus regen. Lots of running while leveling or in world PvP favors Skysight; a caster or healer who drinks a lot gets more from Read Ley Line.
When will Skyborne get SD models?
On October 7, Blizzard announced SD Skyborne character models targeting early 2027, including SD Druid forms. The first preview is work in progress, rather than confirmation that the SD option is ready for the 2026 launch.
HD forms are being revised separately with more detailed fur and saturation changes. The October 8 build updates Bear and Travel textures; Cat Form and some Zephras Isle creatures await later work. Different forms can therefore be at different stages during the transition.
Skyborne customization: how many faces and hairstyles?
| Option | Body Type 1 | Body Type 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Faces / skin colors | 10 / 9 (sky blue to light peach and darker) | 10 / same 9 |
| Hairstyles / hair colors | 21 / 11 | 25 / 10 |
| Eye colors / ear lengths / eyebrows | 9 / 3 / 4 | 9 / 3 / 4 |
| Facial hair / jewelry | 13 / — | — / 6 earrings, silver or gold |
| Face tattoos | 4 options, 2 colors | 2 colors |
| Both body types | Zephyr and Wayfinder body tattoos in 2 colors, feather colors, eyesight | Same |
Blizzard says that adds up to thousands of combinations. A city barber can redo your look later for a bit of gold, though Barber Chairs currently throw a LUA error in the beta (a known issue).
What the devs said about Skyborne on the podcast
From episode 1 of the WoW: Forever Podcast (September 24):
- Skyborne are a small slice of the game: you level the starting zone to 12 and move on. It’s not a place you go back to every week to farm or raid. 10:12
- After Zephras, Windshapers head to a new Earthen Ring area in Mulgore and the High Order to Dalaran. Both have reputations attached, leaving room for future patch content. 20:30
- No Skyborne Priests, since the race was written as anti-religion. The answer was “never say never” and “Horde, I hear you,” but no promise. 28:52
The September 24 beta build also fixed four Skyborne quests, including “Exploring the Horde” (now completes the Sylvanas objective) and a redesigned “Catching Wind” (see WoW Forever beta patch notes).
How to unlock the Skyborne
The race and the Zephras Isle questline come with the Skyborne Heroic Pack or any higher upgrade. A subscription or Game Time gets you into Forever, but not into a Skyborne character.
- Skyborne Heroic Pack: $29.99 / €29.99
- Skyborne Epic Pack: $59.99 / €59.99 (adds guaranteed beta access and 30 days of Game Time)
- Warcraft Forever Collection: $79.99 / €79.99 (adds Warcraft III: Reforged and the Forsaken Kingdom campaign)
Invite-A-Friend launch codes won’t unlock the race either.
Share your experience