For years, Classic players asked Blizzard for one thing: don’t make us move on to Burning Crusade. Give us more vanilla. Blizzard is finally doing it.
World of Warcraft: Forever launches November 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Pacific on Windows and macOS. Executive producer Holly Longdale called it a “new beginning for World of Warcraft.”
What is WoW: Forever?
Blizzard describes it as a “reimagined original Azeroth.” It’s a new, permanent version of WoW built on the 2004 world, running alongside modern WoW and WoW Classic rather than replacing either.
The fan nickname, “Classic+,” fits. Internally, the project was codenamed “Camelot.”
- Setting: the game’s first year, after Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core. It’s a separate continuity from retail WoW.
- Level cap: 60, and it’s staying there. Blizzard says there will be no cap increases. Progression comes from new activities, stories, abilities and gear instead.
- Price: included with an active WoW subscription or Game Time. The only paid content is the optional Skyborne race (more below).
New zones
- Mount Hyjal: finally playable in a vanilla-era game, and home to the new raids.
- Riverglades
- Shen’dralas
- Zephras Isle: the Skyborne starting area.
- Dalaran in the Alterac Mountains
Original zones are being expanded too, with updated visuals, lighting, water and fog.
New dungeons
Seven new dungeons are confirmed alongside the classics like Deadmines, Stratholme and Dire Maul. Blizzard has said nine are planned in total.
- Hall of Thanes (Ironforge, levels 13–18)
- Ruins of Lordaeron (Undercity, 15–20)
- Excavation Site: Wetlands (24–29)
- City of Dalaran (Arathi Highlands, 28–33)
- Krol’dok Stronghold (Riverglades, 50–55)
- Blackmaw Hold (Azshara, 55–60)
- Shaper’s Terrace (Un’Goro Crater, 58–60)
Raids
Three raids unlock on December 9, about five weeks after launch:
- Barrow Deeps (Mount Hyjal, 10-player): new
- Hyjal Summit (Mount Hyjal, 20-player): new
- Onyxia’s Lair (Dustwallow Marsh, 40-player): the classic
The Skyborne and new race/class combos
- The Skyborne: a new playable elf race available to both factions. Alliance Skyborne can be Mages, and Horde Skyborne can be Shamans. Racials include Walk on Air and Read Ley Line.
- Skyborne is paid: the race and the Zephras Isle starting experience require the Skyborne Heroic or Epic Pack.
- New combos for existing races include Forsaken Paladins and Dwarf Shamans.
- All nine classes get new or updated abilities and talents, rebalanced so every spec is viable.
Quality of life, carefully
Blizzard says it’s protecting the social, slower-paced feel of vanilla while adding:
- 1,000+ new quests
- account-wide collections (transmog, mounts, pets)
- an SD/HD character model toggle
- first and last names for characters
- a new battleground, Darkspear Islands
Each region gets one mega-realm per ruleset (Normal, PvP, RP), with Hardcore coming later.
Roadmap
- Through late October: beta (Epic Pack and Forever Collection owners)
- Oct 27 – Nov 3: early name reservation
- Nov 4: launch
- Dec 9: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia’s Lair open
- Winter 2026/27: Hardcore mode
- Spring 2027: two raids, two dungeons, new questing areas, a legendary questline and a PvP refresh
- Summer 2027: a revamped iconic raid, another new raid, two more dungeons, plus profession and Legacy updates
Editions
- Base game: included with your WoW subscription or Game Time.
- Skyborne Heroic Pack: the Skyborne race, the Zephras Isle start, early name reservation, the Cerulean Prideclaw mount and cosmetics.
- Skyborne Epic Pack: everything in Heroic, plus beta access, 30 days of Game Time and extra cosmetics.
- Warcraft Forever Collection (limited time): the Epic Pack, plus Warcraft III: Reforged and the Forsaken Kingdom campaign.
- Collector’s Edition: physical, available through the Blizzard Gear Store while supplies last.
Check the Battle.net Shop for current pricing.
Our take: this is the vanilla sequel a lot of players have wanted since Classic launched in 2019. Raiding Mount Hyjal at level 60 is a pitch that sells itself. The big questions now are how the mega-realms hold up on launch night, and whether Blizzard can keep up the ambitious 2027 roadmap.
Sources
- Blizzard — Carve a New Path with World of Warcraft: Forever
- Blizzard — Pre-Purchase the WoW: Forever Collector’s Edition
- Warcraft Wiki — World of Warcraft: Forever
- World of Warcraft: Forever — Wikipedia
Header image: World of Warcraft: Forever © Blizzard Entertainment
