World of Warcraft: Forever: launch time, packs and what to expect on November 4

World of Warcraft: Forever launches globally on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. PST (midnight in Paris). It isn't a mode, a season or another Classic release: Blizzard presents it as its own version of original Azeroth, one it plans to keep building on, with new zones, new dungeons and a new race from day one.

How to play

Access is included with a World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time, so if you're already subscribed, there's nothing more to buy to play on launch day. The Battle.net Shop does offer three optional upgrades:

• the Skyborne Heroic Pack, required to play the new race: it unlocks the Skyborne and their starting zone, early name reservation, the Cerulean Prideclaw mount (riding skill is bought in-game), an outfit, a bag, a toy, a housing decor item and one Invite-A-Friend code;
• the Skyborne Epic Pack, which adds 30 days of Game Time starting November 4, more cosmetics, pets and three Invite-A-Friend codes in total;
• the Warcraft Forever Collection, on sale through January 11, 2027, which includes the Epic Pack plus Warcraft III: Reforged and its Forsaken Kingdom campaign.

Blizzard's announcements don't list prices; they're shown on the Battle.net Shop.

Before launch

Early name reservation runs from Tuesday, October 27 to Tuesday, November 3 (PST) with any pack, for up to three characters, first come, first served. Invite-A-Friend codes, sent out since October 20, let a friend play during launch week, November 4 to 11, without a subscription. The beta, open to Epic Pack buyers since September 17, ended on October 21.

What's waiting from level 1 to 60

The story is set after Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core. Blizzard promises more than 1,000 new quests and new zones, including Mount Hyjal, Shen'dralas, hidden between Mulgore and Desolace, and Riverglades, a frontier zone for roughly levels 35 to 45 with more than 150 quests of its own. Nine dungeons join the game, such as Hall of Thanes beneath Ironforge, the Ruins of Lordaeron and Alcaz Prison, along with a 15v15 battleground on the Darkspear Islands.

The Skyborne, the new race, start on Zephras Isle, a skybound zone for levels 1 to 12. Horde Skyborne can be Shamans and Alliance Skyborne Mages; on both sides they can also be Warriors, Hunters, Rogues or Druids, with their own druid forms. Their HD models will be reworked to better match the original art style, Blizzard promised after beta feedback, as reported by PC Gamer.

Classes get new abilities and talents. A Camping system lets you build campfires other players can visit for shared buffs. Blizzard is sticking to two rules: no flying mounts and no level scaling. The rest is up to you: opt-in transmog, Modern or Classic visual presets, HD or SD character models, and official gamepad support.

Raids on December 9

The new raids open on Wednesday, December 9: Hyjal Summit, for 20 players, with new tier sets and a legendary reward still under wraps, and Barrow Deeps, a max-level challenge for 10 players. Blizzard then plans more raids and dungeons, a Hardcore mode and a revamped iconic raid, with no dates yet.

One last change before launch: layering, which spreads players across several copies of the world, will split groups up less often, the studio told GameSpot.