Three days after BlizzCon, the same questions keep coming up everywhere: whether Forever is free, what time it launches, how to get into the beta, whether you can play with a controller. Here are the short answers, with what Blizzard says and, when a detail comes from the press, which outlet. If something isn't confirmed, we say so. Every answer links to a longer guide; the main one is everything new in WoW Forever.
Launch and price
When does WoW Forever launch?
WoW Forever launches on November 4, 2026, worldwide. Blizzard set it for 3:00 p.m. Pacific time, a simultaneous launch in every region.
Before that come the beta (from September 17) and name reservation (October 27 to November 3). The full calendar is on the roadmap.
What time does WoW Forever launch in my time zone?
At 3:00 p.m. PST on November 4, which is 6:00 p.m. EST and 11:00 p.m. GMT the same day. In Central Europe it's midnight, 00:00 CET on November 5, the time Blizzard's Spanish pre-purchase page gives.
Is WoW Forever free?
It isn't free, but it isn't a separate purchase either: it's included with a World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time, the same one that covers modern WoW and Classic. Nobody has to buy a box to play.
The only paid parts are optional: the Skyborne race and some extras come in upgrade packs.
Do I need a subscription to play WoW Forever?
Yes. Blizzard is clear that Forever requires a subscription or Game Time. At the round table covered by Warcraft Tavern, Ion Hazzikostas pointed out it's the same subscription that covers every other version of WoW.
The only temporary exception is the Invite-A-Friend codes, covered below.
Which WoW Forever edition should I buy?
None is required: the subscription gets you the whole game. The choice comes down to two things, the Skyborne race and the beta. The Skyborne Heroic Pack includes the Skyborne race, early name reservation, a mount and cosmetics; Wowhead reported it costs 29.99. The Skyborne Epic Pack adds beta access, 30 days of Game Time and more cosmetics. The Warcraft Forever Collection adds Warcraft III: Reforged with the Forsaken Kingdom campaign, and is only sold until January 11, 2027.
Blizzard Watch lists the Epic Pack at $59.99 and the Collection at $79.99; the official pre-purchase page doesn't show prices in its text. If you only want to play Forever with one of the original races, you don't need any of them.
Can I play for free with Invite-A-Friend?
Only during launch week. Each pack includes Invite-A-Friend codes (one with the Heroic Pack, three with the Epic Pack and the Collection) that let a friend play Forever from November 4 to 11 without a subscription. Blizzard starts emailing them on October 20.
When can I reserve names?
From October 27 to November 3, 2026, with any of the upgrade packs. You can create up to three characters and names are first come, first served. How two-part names work is covered in No realms: rulesets, Hardcore and surnames.
Beta
When does the WoW Forever beta start and end?
The beta starts on Thursday, September 17, 2026. The end date isn't fully settled: the pre-purchase fine print says it runs through October 21, while the official roadmap image says October 22.
Can I play the WoW Forever beta?
Yes, two ways. The Skyborne Epic Pack and the Warcraft Forever Collection guarantee access; the Heroic Pack doesn't. The other way is to opt in for free on the Forever website with your Battle.net account, which gives you a chance but no guarantee.
Step by step, dates and what you can test are in our beta guide.
What is the level cap in the beta?
Level 30. According to what Blizzard told Wowhead, the beta opens capped at 20 and raises the cap to 30 later, where it stays until the end. There's no date for that change.
Do beta characters carry over?
Don't count on it. In the Wowhead interview, the team said everyone will start at level 1 at launch, and Blizzard hasn't announced any carryover from the beta.
Gameplay
What is the max level in WoW Forever?
The max level is 60, and the team has said it has no plans to raise it. Tim Jones, lead Classic designer, told Screen Rant that Forever will grow with new zones, dungeons and raids rather than levels, and that latecomers will find people waiting at 60.
Are there flying mounts in WoW Forever?
No. It's one of the design rules Blizzard confirmed at BlizzCon: no flying mounts and no level scaling. What changes is how you pay for your mount: the cost moves into training, as in The Burning Crusade. More in the systems changes.
Are there new races and classes?
There's one new race, the Skyborne, who pick a faction at creation: Windshapers for the Horde or High Order for the Alliance. They require the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher.
There are no new classes, but there are six new combinations: Undead Paladin, Dwarf Shaman, Orc Mage, Gnome Priest, Human Hunter and Troll Warlock. The race's full story is in our Skyborne article.
Are there realms in WoW Forever?
There's no realm list. When you create a character you pick a ruleset: Normal, PvP, Roleplaying or, after launch, Hardcore. You can only group with people on the same ruleset, and Horde and Alliance stay separate on all of them. The full breakdown is in No realms: rulesets, Hardcore and surnames.
How do surnames work in WoW Forever?
Every character has a two-part name, a first name and a surname, and both are required. According to Blizzard's official recap, the full name is unique per region, which leaves far more room than a single realm did. If you need ideas, try our name generator, which pairs first names and surnames by race.
Is there a Hardcore mode in WoW Forever?
Yes, but not at launch. The roadmap places it in winter 2026-27, with no exact date. It will be a closed ecosystem with a new way out: if your character dies, it can move to another ruleset, PvP included.
Is there a WoW Token or paid level boosts?
There are no plans for either. Clay Stone, associate production director, told Wowhead there are no plans for anything like a WoW Token or a character boost. It's a statement of intent rather than a written ban, but it fits the idea that the journey is the game. Everything the team said is in our interview roundup.
When do WoW Forever raids open?
On December 9, 2026, a month after launch. Three open at once: Barrow Deeps for 10 players, Hyjal Summit for 20 and Onyxia's Lair for 40. The nine new dungeons, on the other hand, are there from day one: see dungeons.
Can I transfer characters from Classic, Anniversary or Classic Era to Forever?
No, at least based on everything announced so far. Blizzard hasn't mentioned any transfer or copy of characters from other versions, and the team told Wowhead that everyone starts at level 1. Forever is a fresh start for everybody.
The only transfer announced happens inside Forever itself: a Hardcore character who dies moving to another ruleset.
Platforms and tech
Can I play WoW Forever with a controller?
Yes. Forever launches with full controller support, and according to Wowhead it's the first WoW Blizzard has built with a controller in mind from the start. The BlizzCon demo already let you play the early zones that way.
Will WoW Forever come to consoles?
Nothing has been announced. Asked by Screen Rant, Tim Jones said there was nothing to announce about consoles.
Does WoW Forever run on Mac?
There's no official confirmation yet. Blizzard hasn't published a platform list specific to Forever. The current Classic versions have published requirements for Windows and Mac on Blizzard's support site, but that guarantees nothing about Forever, which brings new lighting and rendering. We'll know more with the beta client.
What are the WoW Forever system requirements?
Blizzard hasn't published minimum or recommended requirements for Forever. Some sites already circulate requirement tables, but none cite an official source, so we don't repeat them.
For reference, Blizzard's support site does list the requirements for WoW Classic Era. Forever adds global illumination, volumetric fog and an HD/SD model toggle, so it's reasonable to expect somewhat higher demands; we'll add official numbers here as soon as they exist.
Is WoW Forever on Steam?
No. Forever is played through Battle.net. In the interview covered by Warcraft Tavern, Ion Hazzikostas explained that the subscription model fits Battle.net better for now, though he didn't rule Steam out forever.
Forever and the rest of WoW
What happens to Classic Era and modern WoW?
Nothing announced changes for them. Blizzard presents Forever as a new permanent home alongside modern WoW and Classic, not a replacement, and the same subscription covers every version. There's no announcement of Classic Era, Anniversary or modern WoW shutting down.
Is WoW Forever the same as Season of Discovery?
No. Season of Discovery was a Classic season; Forever is a permanent, separate version with its own world, rules and update schedule. It's the closest thing to an official Classic+.
There is a legacy, though: Clayton Stone told But Why Tho? that Season of Discovery taught the team how far Classic could be changed, and Tim Jones ruled out SoD roles like the tank Shaman for launch in his Kotaku interview.
Will there be a World of Warcraft 2?
Nothing points to one. Speaking to IGN, lead designer Kris Zierhut said he doesn't see what a WoW 2 would offer that Forever doesn't already, with an engine and servers that have been improving for decades. It isn't a formal announcement, but it is the team's stance.
What we'll learn soon
Many of these answers will be filled in this week. The beta opens on Thursday, September 17, and that same day at 10:00 a.m. PDT (1:00 p.m. EDT, 6:00 p.m. BST) Blizzard hosts a live Q&A on the official Warcraft Twitch and YouTube channels. We'll update these questions with what comes out of it; day-to-day coverage is in News.
