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World of Warcraft: Forever is live: what it is, launch time, Skyborne race, rulesets, editions and raids on December 9

TNF-GAMES OPPublished · Updated 4 min de lecture
Official World of Warcraft: Forever launch artwork: a group of adventurers, including a tauren with a bow and an orc with a curved blade, sit around a campfire in a pine forest at night, one of them reading a book, with a giant tree on a mountain in the background
Crédit : Blizzard Entertainment

Blizzard's new permanent WoW version launched November 4, 2026 (November 5 at midnight in Paris): a reimagined original Azeroth to level 60, 1,000+ new quests, the Skyborne race, Classic or Enhanced presets, no realm choice, and three raids on December 9.

World of Warcraft: Forever, Blizzard's new permanent version of WoW, went live globally on November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST, which was midnight on November 5 in Paris. It sits alongside modern World of Warcraft and WoW Classic and takes players back to a reimagined original Azeroth, from level 1 to 60. Access is included with a World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time. Here is what it is, what changes when you log in for the first time, and what is coming next.


Launch, access and editions

  • Global launch: November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 UTC), that is November 5 at 12:00 a.m. in Paris, in all regions at the same time.
  • Access: included with an active World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time; no separate purchase is required to play.
  • Optional upgrades on the Battle.net Shop: the Skyborne Heroic Pack (access to the new Skyborne race and the Zephras Isle starting experience, Early Name Reservation, the Cerulean Prideclaw mount, cosmetics, housing decor and one Invite-A-Friend Launch Code), the Skyborne Epic Pack (adds 30 days of Game Time, more cosmetics, pets, tabards and three Invite-A-Friend codes in total) and the limited-time Warcraft Forever Collection (adds Warcraft III: Reforged and the Forsaken Kingdom campaign).
  • A physical Collector's Edition is sold on the Blizzard Gear Store while supplies last.

What World of Warcraft: Forever is

Blizzard sets the game after the events of Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core. The Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor are expanded with new and reimagined zones and more than 1,000 new quests across the level 1–60 journey, including Mount Hyjal, Shen'dralas, the Riverglades (more than 150 quests for roughly levels 35 to 45) and Zephras Isle, the level 1–12 starting area of the Skyborne.


What you choose on your first login

  • Experience preset: Classic (Standard Definition character models, no quest markers, no one-bag or transmog, classic interface) or Enhanced (High Definition models, quest markers, one-bag, transmog, centralized interface). Blizzard recommends Enhanced if you are unsure; every setting can be changed later under Game Menu > Options.
  • Ruleset instead of a realm: Normal, PvP, Roleplay or Roleplay PvP. A Hardcore ruleset will be added sometime after launch.
  • Character names now use two parts, and the full name is unique within your region.
  • Each character can use HD or SD models; this only changes appearance, and you can switch later in the options or at a Barbershop.

New race and new race/class combinations

The Skyborne (shen'dorei) are the new playable race. Horde-aligned Windshapers can be Shamans and Alliance-aligned High-Order Skyborne can be Mages. Blizzard also lists new combinations such as Orc Mages, Troll Warlocks, Undead Paladins, Human Hunters, Gnome Priests and Dwarf Shamans.


New systems

  • Camping: the Cooking profession's Basic Campfire becomes a shared campsite; nearby players can add up to three profession-crafted Camp Features, and resting there for at least one minute gives buffs.
  • Legacy System: an account-wide horizontal progression with Legacy Challenges, Perks and Rewards. Levelling alts is encouraged but not required.
  • Gamepad play, with reworked targeting, casting, looting and menu navigation.
  • Discord account linking and guild chat mirroring.

Dungeons, raids and PvP

  • Nine new five-player dungeons for levels 13 to 60.
  • December 9, 2026: three raids open for level 60 players: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia's Lair.
  • Darkspear Islands, a new 15 versus 15 battleground off the coast of Dustwallow Marsh, plus a refreshed PvP progression.

What is still unknown (November 9, 2026)

  • The exact date of the Hardcore ruleset: Blizzard only says "sometime after launch".
  • Prices of the upgrade packs and Collector's Edition in euros: we have not checked the Battle.net Shop for France.
  • The time of day the raids open on December 9.

Video

Légende de la vidéo


"Launch Overview | World of Warcraft: Forever", official World of Warcraft YouTube channel, November 3, 2026 (30 min 39 s).


More PC strategy and launches on TricknFix: Ashes of the Singularity II (https://tricknfix.com/articles/ashes-of-the-singularity-ii-release-november-10-2026-pc-steam/) and Dawn of War IV (https://tricknfix.com/articles/dawn-of-war-iv-release-december-3-2026-commander-edition-november-30/), and the PC community (https://tricknfix.com/tags/pc/).


Sources

  • World of Warcraft: Forever Now Live!, Blizzard Entertainment (November 4, 2026): https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24315820/world-of-warcraft-forever-now-live
  • Carve a New Path with World of Warcraft: Forever, Blizzard Entertainment (September 12, 2026): https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24302093/carve-a-new-path-with-world-of-warcraft-forever
  • World of Warcraft: Forever Launch Time, official World of Warcraft forums, Kaivax (November 4, 2026): https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/world-of-warcraft-forever-launch-time/2400905
  • "Launch Overview | World of Warcraft: Forever", World of Warcraft YouTube channel (November 3, 2026): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2Wg46fwmb0

Image: official World of Warcraft: Forever launch artwork, © Blizzard Entertainment.

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