Blizzard announced the release date for World of Warcraft: Forever, which it announced at BlizzCon 2026, as November 4, 2026. Players will be able to access the new Azeroth experience with their existing World of Warcraft subscriptions or playtime. The company will start beta tests on September 17. Expanding the 1-60 level journey of the classic world with new content, the production will expand the scope of the subscription without requiring the purchase of a separate game.
Blizzard’s release and access description distinguishes between standard access and expansion packs. It is not necessary to purchase one of the Skyborne Heroic or Skyborne Epic packs to play Forever. These packs appeal to players who want additional benefits such as access to the new race and cosmetic content. Thus, existing subscribers will be able to participate in the new content by waiting for the release in November.
The Heroic pack provides access to the Skyborne race and the Zephras Isle starter experience. Early character name reservation, cosmetic content and a release invite code for a friend are also included in the package. The Epic option adds beta access starting September 17, additional cosmetics, a total of three launch invitation codes and 30 days of game time. This period will begin on November 4; Friend codes are not defined as beta invites.
Forever will present familiar regions with new missions. According to the official synopsis of the developer panel, players will encounter three new regions, a new starting island, and more than 1,000 quests. Blizzard will not use flying mounts and level scaling. This choice makes the level at which you enter the regions and how you move through the world important factors.
WoW: Forever adds new regions to classic Azeroth
The new Skyborne race will be on both the Horde and Alliance sides. Both sides will have access to Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid classes. There will be a Shaman option on the Horde side and a Mage option on the Alliance side. Players will need to choose sides not only based on appearance, but also based on the class they want to play as.
Group content will expand with nine dungeons and two raids. Barrow Deeps is prepared for 10 players and Hyjal Summit is prepared for 20 players. Blizzard plans to open these raids on December 9th. In the competition between players, Darkspear Islands will pit two teams of 15 people against each other. Therefore, there will be a separate period for character development between release day and the opening of raids.
Blizzard will support alternative character progression with the Legacy system; Camping and optional Transmog will also be included in Forever. On the display side, HD and SD options will be offered. Players will be able to make their visual preferences between these two modes. Game controller support is also among the announced features. Although those with active subscriptions will be able to access the exit, the participation conditions announced for the beta operate separately; September tests should not be confused with general access in November.