What is WoW Forever
World of Warcraft: Forever is a new version of WoW that Blizzard announced at BlizzCon on September 12, 2026. It is made by the WoW Classic team. Its internal codename was Camelot, and the community had been asking for this kind of game as "Classic+" for years.
Blizzard describes Forever as a new permanent home alongside Modern WoW and Classic. It does not replace either of them. The "What's Next" panel recap puts it plainly: "This is not a mode, a season, or a new version of Classic". Ion Hazzikostas told Windows Central that Forever is a "third pillar" next to retail and Classic. Classic servers keep running, and Forever is meant to grow without new expansions: The Burning Crusade is not on the roadmap.
The game runs on Windows and macOS and is included in a WoW subscription (Game Time). You only pay extra for the Skyborne race. Pack prices, launch time and name reservation: everything about the launch.
The beta runs until October 21, 2026: Blizzard calls that day the "last full day of beta testing", while Warcraft Tavern and Warcraft Wiki say it ends on October 22. Launch: November 4, 2026 at 3:00 PM Pacific time, which is midnight CET on November 5.
Story: a "time bubble" in WoW's first year
Forever is set after the events of the Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom campaign and before Molten Core, on the original continents: Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. According to Warcraft Wiki, Forever stays in WoW's first year indefinitely and is not part of the same continuity as retail. Metzen calls it a "time bubble" (said on Twitch on September 13, 2026, quoted by Warcraft Wiki).
What this means:
- the world grows horizontally: Blizzard adds zones, quests and raids but does not move the story forward (Duskforge, October 12, 2026);
- Northrend, Deathwing and the opening of the Dark Portal "have not happened yet" in this version;
- races from The Burning Crusade and later will not be playable, and Blizzard has no plans to add retail races.
The Forsaken Kingdom campaign (released September 12, 2026) tells how the Forsaken rose and shows the origins of the Forsaken Paladin (Undead Paladin). Its story threads continue in Forever.
On the Blizzard forums players argue whether this is a branching timeline or a "bubble". Blizzard has not said what Forever will do with Arthas and the Lich King.
New zones
Blizzard names four new regions, including the paid Skyborne starting zone. Some outlets write about three new zones, because the game page carousel shows only three. On top of that there are more than 1,000 new quests across the whole 1–60 journey.
| Zone | Level and travel | What's there |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Hyjal | 60 (Wowhead) | aftermath of Archimonde's defeat, Darkwhisper Gorge, the Hyjal Summit raid |
| Shen'dralas | between Mulgore and Desolace | Shen'dralar, Eldre'Thalas, Dire Maul, a war between centaur tribes; quests lead to Razorfen Downs and Maraudon |
| Riverglades | about 35–45, Eastern Kingdoms | rivers, grasslands and trade routes, more than 150 quests; Steamwheedle boat from Gadgetzan to Powderfuse Port |
| Zephras Isle | 1–12 | Skyborne starting zone inspired by Skywall; only with the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher |
Old zones change too. Desolace and Wetlands got many new quests. A new plateau, Skywatcher Plateau, sits above Thunder Bluff in Mulgore, where Horde Skyborne arrive. Dalaran in Alterac Mountains becomes a dungeon. Blizzard has not published a full list of expanded zones.
Dungeons, raids and PvP
There are 9 new dungeons at launch: Hall of Thanes (beneath Ironforge), Ruins of Lordaeron, a dig site above Whelgar's Excavation (Wetlands), City of Dalaran, Blackmaw Hold, the Drowned City, Krol'dok Stronghold, Alcaz Prison and Shaper's Terrace. The old Classic dungeons stay. Details on each: new dungeons.
Raids open on December 9, 2026, not on launch day. Blizzard's panel recaps name two new ones: Barrow Deeps (10 players) and Hyjal Summit (20 players), with new tier sets and "a legendary reward". The roadmap graphic (according to Warcraft Wiki) also lists Onyxia's Lair (40 players) on the same day. We did not find that name in Blizzard's own texts, so treat it as unconfirmed.
PvP gets a new Honor system with Rank Points and seasons, and the High Warlord and Grand Marshal titles return. The new battleground Darkspear Islands is 15 vs 15 off the coast of Kalimdor: control points plus flag capturing in the style of Arathi Basin.
Classes, talents and Skyborne
All 9 Classic classes stay, but every class and specialization has been revamped. Blizzard wants to fill gaps without blurring class identity.
- Talents: same trees and the same number of rows. New 1-point "milestone" talents unlock at 11, 16, 21 and 31 points. Talents that gave key buffs (Divine Spirit, Blessing of Kings, Improved Mark of the Wild) become baseline abilities. Details: talents.
- Dual spec: from level 40 at your trainer for 10 gold (Warcraft Wiki). Blizzard has hinted that the unlock level may still change.
- 6 new race/class combinations: Gnome Priest, Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock, Undead Paladin. More are planned.
- Racials: every race has 2 active and 2 passive abilities. Example: Dwarf Stoneform reduces physical damage instead of granting armor.
Skyborne are a new elf race from Zephras Isle. When you create a character you pick a faction: Windshaper Horde (access to Shaman) or High Order Alliance (access to Mage). Both can also play Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid, and Skyborne druids have their own forms. The race and its starting zone require the Skyborne Heroic Pack (€29.99) or higher. More: races and Skyborne. Where to start: which class.
The new class survey
Forever has no new class. In late September 2026 some players received a Battle.net survey about 11 class concepts (Kotaku, September 30, 2026): Bard, Death Knight, Demon Hunter, Illusionist, Monk, Necromancer, Metalborn/Runemaster/Runeknight, San'layn, Tinker, Warden and Witch.
This is only a survey. Blizzard has confirmed nothing, and outlets could not verify the leaks.
Some concepts (Bard, Tinker, Witch) were described as "support", a role Classic does not have. The survey's Demon Hunter was slower and less mobile than in Legion.
What was added for convenience, and what is left out on purpose
Forever does not copy retail. Some conveniences were added, others were deliberately rejected.
| Added | Not in the game |
|---|---|
| a mount when you learn riding (cost model from The Burning Crusade) | flying mounts |
| transmog you can switch off completely (Classic Mode) | level scaling |
| account-wide collections (transmog, mounts, pets) | WoW Token and paid boosts ("no plans") |
| camping: a campfire with 1-hour buffs, vendors and repairs | automatic Dungeon Finder and teleport to dungeons (there is an LFG list) |
| more than 600 new profession recipes | Summoning Stones |
| Legacy System: account-wide points | Housing (works only in Midnight) |
| choosing a ruleset instead of a realm list | tedious World Buff farming before raids |
Instead of a realm list you pick a ruleset: Normal, PvP, Roleplaying, and Hardcore after launch. Names have two parts (first name and surname) and are unique per region. How it works: servers and rulesets.
Graphics
The style stays classic, but the world got new lighting and upgraded environments: rivers flowing through Elwynn Forest, fog over Darkshore and moonlight in Ashenvale. In the options you choose a Modern or Classic visual preset and HD or SD character models. HD models got their Classic animations back.
Beta opinions are split. Windows Central writes that the lighting, water and fog are better than in retail. A popular Reddit thread argues that HD models, Skyborne and the new tier sets look like retail and clash with the classic world (Skyborne have no SD model). Players also complained about heavy fog. On October 15, 2026 Blizzard fixed overly bright fog at lower shadow settings.
Roadmap
The roadmap shown at BlizzCon. Blizzard notes that timing can change; details according to Warcraft Wiki.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| November 4, 2026 | launch |
| December 9, 2026 | raids: Barrow Deeps (10), Hyjal Summit (20), Onyxia's Lair (40) |
| winter 2026/2027 | Hardcore mode |
| spring 2027 | 2 new raids, 2 new dungeons, new quests and a new area, a legendary questline, a PvP season refresh |
| summer 2027 | a revamped iconic raid, a new raid, world expansion, 2 new dungeons, a PvP season refresh, profession and Legacy System updates |
Progression is meant to be "horizontal": items with bonuses tied to a biome (for example desert) or an enemy type (for example dragons). Tim Jones still promises moderate power growth: "We're not going to make a Tier 2 raid without making the loot better" (IGN Nordic).
WoW Forever vs Classic vs retail
Anniversary servers are now in The Burning Crusade (TBC Classic Anniversary), which is why they have a level 70 cap.
| Classic Era and Hardcore | TBC Anniversary | WoW Forever | Retail (Midnight) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max level | 60 | 70 | 60, permanently | 90 |
| Content | original (patch 1.12), frozen | Outland, Blood Elf and Draenei | the old world, 4 new regions, 1,000+ quests | modern WoW with the Midnight expansion |
| Talents | 1.12 trees | TBC trees | revamped trees, milestones at 11/16/21/31 | modern system |
| New dungeons | none | TBC dungeons | 9 new plus the old ones | yes |
| Raids | Molten Core, Onyxia's Lair, Blackwing Lair, Zul'Gurub, Ahn'Qiraj, Naxxramas | Karazhan, Gruul's Lair, Magtheridon's Lair | from December 9, 2026: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit (and Onyxia's Lair per the roadmap) | yes |
| PvP | old rank system | arenas | new Honor with Rank Points and seasons, Darkspear Islands 15v15 | modern |
| Hardcore | separate realms | none | Hardcore ruleset in winter 2026/2027 | none |
| Flying | no | yes | no | yes |
| Transmog | no | no | yes, optional | yes |
| Group finding | LFG list | LFG list | LFG list, no automatic matching or teleport | automatic Dungeon Finder |
| WoW Token / boost | – | paid Level 58 Character Boost | "no plans" | yes |
| Servers | realm list | realm list | ruleset choice, no realm list | realm list and cross-realm |
| Cost | subscription | subscription | subscription (Skyborne is paid) | expansion bought separately plus subscription |
How to read it: Classic Era is the untouched original, TBC Anniversary is Outland and arenas, and retail is flying, automatic group finding and level 90. Forever is for you if you want the pace and rules of Classic, but with new content. First steps: beginner's guide.
