World of Warcraft: Forever launches November 4, 2026, with the beta now underway since September 17. It is a permanent game alongside modern and Classic WoW, built around the original continents and a level 60 journey—not a seasonal reset. Those are the basics in Blizzard’s announcement.
Release date and access
You can play at launch with a WoW Subscription or Game Time. The optional upgrades are a separate purchase: the Skyborne Epic Pack and Warcraft Forever Collection include beta access, while the Heroic Pack does not list that benefit. If you only want to play the base game at launch, you do not need an upgrade. See beta dates and access options before buying.
Blizzard’s current schedule has beta running September 17–October 21, followed by Early Name Reservation for upgrade owners on October 27–November 3. These dates come from the official upgrade details; name reservation is not early gameplay access.
What kind of game is Forever?
The familiar part is the world: Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor and leveling to 60. The new part is what fills it. Blizzard has announced new regions, quests, dungeons and raids, plus class updates and systems built around leveling, alts and outdoor play.
The What’s Next panel recap keeps two clear Classic rules: no flying mounts and no level scaling. It also names opt-in Transmog, Classic and modern visual presets, and official gamepad support. If you are deciding whether this is closer to the game you want than Classic Era, start with what changes in Forever.
Raid sizes and unlock date
The official roadmap lists Barrow Deeps (10 players), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia's Lair (40) for the December 9 raid unlock, after the November launch. Use the gap between launch and raids to plan leveling and dungeon runs with your guild. See the raid sizes and unlock schedule.
Plan your character and group
Compare class and spec guides, check race and class combinations, and agree on a ruleset before your group starts leveling. Your profession choices also affect what you can bring to a camp.
For your first runs, use the dungeon overview and check what changed on gear before relying on an old Classic loot list.
Follow the announcements
The Forever news page brings together our coverage and links to official updates. For the announcement-day picture, read what Blizzard revealed about release, beta and raids.