WoW Forever Launch: Release Date, Roadmap and What’s Confirmed
World of Warcraft: Forever launches on 4 November 2026. Here is every date on Blizzard’s roadmap, what’s in the game at launch, what has been ruled out, what hasn’t been announced yet, and what costs extra.
By RaidForever Team
Quick summary
- Launch: 4 November 2026 at 3:00 pm PST, included with a normal WoW subscription or Game Time.
- Name reservation and character creation open on 27 October for upgrade-pack owners.
- Raids unlock on 9 December, and the Hardcore ruleset launches in winter.
- Launch content: four new zones, 1,000+ new quests, nine new dungeons, the Darkspear Islands battleground and the Skyborne race.
- Ruled out: flying, level scaling, a level cap above 60, a WoW Token, paid boosts and the Dungeon Finder.
Every date on the roadmap
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 17 Sept – 22 Oct 2026 | Beta, with play up to level 30 |
| 27 Oct 2026 | Early name reservation and character creation for pack owners |
| 4 Nov 2026, 3:00 pm PST | Launch. Guest passes let friends play without a subscription until 11 November. |
| 9 Dec 2026 | Raids unlock: Barrow Deeps (10), Hyjal Summit (20), Onyxia’s Lair (40) |
| Winter 2026–27 | WoW Forever Hardcore launches |
| Spring 2027 | Two new raids (10 and 20 players), two new dungeons, new quests and a new playable area, a legendary questline, a PvP season refresh |
| Summer 2027 | A revamped iconic raid, a new raid, expanded world content, two new dungeons, a PvP season refresh, profession and Legacy updates |
Blizzard notes that content and timing past launch can still change.
What’s in the game at launch
- The world: the original Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, four new zones (Zephras Isle, the Riverglades, Mount Hyjal and Shen’dralas), more than 1,000 new quests and new ship routes.
- Dungeons: nine new ones alongside every original. See the dungeons guide.
- PvP: the new Darkspear Islands battleground plus Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin and Alterac Valley.
- Races and classes: the same nine classes, all reworked; the new Skyborne race; and six new race/class combinations: Gnome Priest, Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock and Undead Paladin.
- Class changes: hit and crit are each merged into single stats; talents keep three trees with an extra milestone at 16 points; some buffs, such as Kings, Divine Spirit and Improved Mark of the Wild, become baseline.
- New systems: Legacy (account-wide points from challenges, up to 65 in total, 16 spendable per character at launch), Camping, opt-in Transmog, HD models with a Classic preset, and gamepad support.
- Rulesets instead of realms: Normal, PvP or RP, one shared world each.
Be ready for launch day
What’s ruled out
- No flying mounts.
- No level scaling.
- No level cap above 60, and no plans for one.
- No Outland, Northrend or later expansions. New content goes into the original world.
- No WoW Token and no paid level boost.
- No Dungeon Finder.
- No character transfers from Classic.
Not announced yet
These may come later, but nothing is confirmed:
- Dual spec: not announced. Some sites quote a 50 gold cost; that’s unconfirmed.
- Account services: faction, race and name changes, and transfers.
- Riding costs: the gold cost of riding training hasn’t been published.
- New classes: none announced.
What costs extra
WoW Forever itself comes with a normal subscription or Game Time. The Skyborne race and a few extras need one of Blizzard’s packs:
| Pack | Price | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Skyborne Heroic | $29.99 | The Skyborne race and starting zone, a mount, a toy, cosmetics and an Invite-A-Friend code. No beta access. |
| Skyborne Epic | $59.99 | Everything in Heroic, plus beta access, 30 days of game time and more cosmetics |
| Warcraft Forever Collection | $79.99 | Everything in Epic, plus Warcraft III: Reforged and its Forsaken Kingdom campaign. On sale until 11 January 2027. |
| Collector’s Edition | $150 | Physical box edition |
FAQ
When does WoW Forever release?
On 4 November 2026 at 3:00 pm PST. Name reservation and character creation open on 27 October for anyone with an upgrade pack.
Is WoW Forever free with a WoW subscription?
Yes. It’s included with a normal subscription or Game Time. The Skyborne race needs an upgrade pack.
When does Hardcore come to WoW Forever?
Blizzard’s roadmap places the WoW Forever Hardcore launch in winter, after raids unlock on 9 December. No exact date has been given.
Will WoW Forever get Outland or later expansions?
No. Blizzard has ruled out moving to The Burning Crusade or later expansions. New content is added to the original world instead.
Is there a WoW Token in WoW Forever?
No. There’s no WoW Token and no paid level boost.
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