What is WoW: Forever? Everything to know before launch
LeeroyForever· November 2, 2026
A third way to play World of Warcraft, beside the modern game and Classic: the original continents rebuilt from level 1 to 60, with new zones, a new race, nine dungeons and three raids. It launches November 4 and comes with a normal WoW subscription.
World of Warcraft: Forever is a new version of WoW that returns to the original Azeroth, the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, and rebuilds the journey from level 1 to 60 with new zones, quests, dungeons, raids and systems. Blizzard calls it a permanent home alongside modern WoW and Classic: it doesn't replace either one. Here's what it is, when you can play, and what's different.
At a glance
- Launch: November 4 at 3 PM PT (6 PM ET, 8 PM in Brazil, 11 PM in the UK); November 5 at midnight CET, 7 AM in Taiwan, 8 AM in Korea and 10 AM in Sydney.
- Price: included with an active WoW subscription or Game Time. The new Skyborne race needs the Heroic Pack or a higher upgrade.
- Level cap: 60.
- Where to find it: in the Battle.net app, install World of Warcraft and pick World of Warcraft: Forever from its game versions.
- Platforms: Windows and Mac, with keyboard and mouse; controller support is in beta.
- Raids: three open on December 9, about five weeks after launch.
Is it Retail or Classic?
Neither: it's a third version that sits beside both. Retail (modern WoW) carries on the story through the latest expansions, and Classic replays the original game and its expansions as they were. Forever goes back to the original world, set after Warcraft III and before Molten Core, but doesn't stop at recreating it: it adds new zones, more than 1,000 new quests, new dungeons and raids, a new race and new systems.
It also lets you choose how old-school it feels. The first time you log in, you pick an experience preset, Classic or Enhanced. It's a starting point rather than a lock: every setting can be changed later under Game Menu > Options.
| Classic preset | Enhanced preset | |
|---|---|---|
| Character models | Standard Definition (original look) | High Definition |
| Quest markers and objective areas | Off | On |
| One combined bag | Off | On |
| Transmog | Off | On |
| Turning keys (A and D by default) | Turn your character | Strafe |
| Interface layout | Classic | Centralized |
Not sure? Blizzard suggests Enhanced. You can also choose HD or SD models for each character you create; it only changes how they look, and a Barbershop can switch it later.
Rulesets instead of realms
There's no realm list. Before making a character you choose a ruleset, a large shared world for one style of play:
- Normal: questing and fighting monsters, with PvP only when you want it.
- PvP: players of the other faction can attack you through much of the open world.
- Roleplay: naming and behaviour rules for playing in character.
- Roleplay PvP: the roleplay rules on a PvP world.
- Hardcore: one life per character, coming some time after launch.
You can only group, join a guild, run dungeons and raid with players on the same ruleset and faction, so agree on both with your friends before you start. Without realms, names work differently too: each character has a main name and a second name, and the pair must be unique in your region.
What's new
- Four new zones: Zephras Isle, the Skyborne starting zone for levels 1 to 12; the Riverglades, a frontier with more than 150 quests for the mid-30s to mid-40s; Shen'dralas, between Mulgore and Desolace; and Mount Hyjal, after Archimonde's defeat.
- The Skyborne, a new race: Horde Skyborne can be Shaman, Alliance Skyborne can be Mages. Both start on Zephras Isle.
- New race and class pairings, including Orc Mages, Troll Warlocks, Undead Paladins, Human Hunters, Gnome Priests and Dwarf Shamans.
- Camping: a Cooking campfire becomes a shared campsite where up to three nearby players each add a profession-made Camp Feature. Sit or craft there for a minute to get its buffs.
- The Legacy system: account-wide progress through Legacy Challenges, Perks and Rewards that rewards trying more classes and professions, though everything can be unlocked on one character.
- Darkspear Islands, a new 15 vs 15 battleground off Dustwallow Marsh, and updated PvP progression.
Nine new dungeons
| Dungeon | Levels |
|---|---|
| Hall of Thanes | 13–18 |
| Ruins of Lordaeron | 15–20 |
| Excavation Site | 24–29 |
| City of Dalaran (needs an attunement quest) | 28–33 |
| The Drowned City | 35–40 |
| Krol'dok Stronghold | 40–45 |
| Alcaz Prison | 48–53 |
| Blackmaw Hold | 55–60 |
| Shaper's Terrace | 58–60 |
Three raids from December 9
| Raid | Players | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barrow Deeps | 10 | 8 bosses, in the prison that held Illidan |
| Hyjal Summit | 20 | 13 bosses, with several paths across the mountain |
| Onyxia's Lair | 40 | Each player needs the Drakefire Amulet, from a faction questline |
All three are planned to reset weekly. If you want Onyxia early, start the attunement soon: it includes elite quests and several trips into high-level dungeons.
Getting started
- Make a Battle.net account and get a WoW subscription or Game Time.
- Install World of Warcraft from the Battle.net app and pick WoW: Forever.
- On first login, choose Classic or Enhanced, then a ruleset (Normal if unsure).
- Agree on ruleset and faction with your friends before creating characters.
- Pick two main professions; Cooking, Fishing and First Aid can all be learned too.
Raids open on December 9, so there's no rush to hit 60. And when you want to see how others are getting on, every WoW: Forever stream on Twitch, YouTube and Kick is on the leeroy.tv home page.
