How do you unlock Zephras Isle?

Forever itself is included with an active subscription or Game Time. Skyborne and their starting island are extra: you need an upgrade. The Skyborne Heroic Pack is the cheapest way in, and the Epic Pack and Warcraft Forever Collection both include everything in Heroic.

Upgrades that unlock Zephras Isle (Battle.net Shop, September 16, 2026)
UpgradeUSEU
Skyborne Heroic Pack $29.99 €29.99
Skyborne Epic Pack $59.99 €59.99
Warcraft Forever Collection $79.99 €79.99

Invite-A-Friend launch codes won't get a friend in here. They give Forever access from November 4 to 11, 2026, but they don't unlock the Skyborne race or its starting zone.

What's the story on Zephras Isle?

The Skyborne call themselves the shen'dorei, the "hidden people." They descend from rebels who fled Eldre'Thalas after the War of the Ancients and found refuge in Skywall.

Now their island is failing. Its elemental patrons have vanished and the pylons holding things together are breaking down. That collapse is the backdrop Blizzard uses for the whole zone.

Zephras Isle: spires between snowy mountains
Zephras Isle spires rising between snowy mountains · 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 ↗

What the island looks like

Blizzard describes Zephras Isle as the Classic art style mixed with Skywall-inspired architecture. The Found Photos screenshots show a spired city in the clouds, towers among snowy peaks and forests full of pink trees.

Windshapers, High Order and Al'Aketh

Three factions are named on the island. When you create a Skyborne, you pick a side, and that decides one of your class options:

Skyborne sides and classes
SideAligned withExclusive classAvailable on both sides
Horde-aligned Windshapers, elemental traditions Shaman Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Druid
Alliance-aligned High Order, arcane legacy Mage Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Druid

Blizzard hasn't said yet where the Al'Aketh fit in. Skyborne also get new racials, customization, voices and dances, and Skyborne Druids get their own new forms.

Zephras Isle: forest path with pink trees
A forest path lined with pink trees on Zephras Isle · 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 ↗

Where do you go after level 12?

Zephras Isle takes you to level 12. Where Skyborne head next hasn't been covered in any official post. The level cap is 60, same as every other race.

FAQ

Is Zephras Isle in the beta?
The beta starts September 17 and goes up to level 30 per the roadmap, but Blizzard hasn't listed which zones are open. Guaranteed beta access comes with the Skyborne Epic Pack, the Warcraft Forever Collection and the physical Collector's Edition.
Can I reserve my Skyborne's name early?
Yes. Early Name Reservation runs October 27 to November 3, 2026 (PST) and comes with any upgrade. You can reserve up to three characters, names are first name plus last name, and it's first come, first served.
Is the Heroic Pack enough, or should I get Epic?
Heroic covers Skyborne and Zephras Isle. Epic adds guaranteed beta access, 30 days of Game Time applied from November 4 and extra cosmetics.
Do Skyborne Druids have different forms?
Yes, Skyborne Druids get new druid forms. Blizzard hasn't shown whether they play any differently or only look different.

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