The beta opened September 17, early name reservation opens October 27, and raids follow in early December, December 9 on the roadmap image.
The World of Warcraft: Forever release date is November 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. PST. Blizzard calls it a global launch in its pre-purchase announcement, and the Battle.net product page still shows "Pre-purchase"
and "Available November 4."Blizzard: World of Warcraft: Forever - Battle.net Shop, checked Sep 13, 2026.
As of the September 13, 2026 source check, WoW Forever was not out yet. It's an announced future release, not a live one.
Blizzard's opening-ceremony recap says the separate Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom campaign is available to play "today."
Blizzard: Everything Announced at BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony, checked Sep 13, 2026. That line is about the Warcraft III campaign, not Forever, and it doesn't change the November 4 release date.
On This Page
WoW Forever Beta Date and Access
Buy the Skyborne Epic Pack, Warcraft Forever Collection or physical Collector's Edition and your beta access is guaranteed, according to Blizzard's beta-access support article. Signing up without one of those purchases does not guarantee access. A World of Warcraft Subscription or Game Time covers launch access, not beta access.
The three purchases' US prices and included content are in their own reference. The beta reference keeps the access gates and the October 21/22 conflict together.
Leveling guide addons are timing their Forever guides to this launch. Zygor says Elite subscribers get its Forever guides at launch, with no beta guides.Source: Zygor's Forever announcement, checked Sep 28, 2026. See Zygor's WoW Forever launch plans and RestedXP's Forever release roadmap.
Getting Your Account Ready Before November 4
Which Purchase Gets You What
Among the digital upgrades, pick the Skyborne Epic Pack or the Warcraft Forever Collection if you want guaranteed beta access: only these two guarantee it, and both add 30 days of Game Time that starts at launch, not on the purchase date. Every Forever upgrade includes Early Name Reservation.
The Skyborne Heroic Pack gives you the Skyborne race and Zephras Isle, with no beta guarantee and no Game Time. The physical Collector's Edition has the Collection's digital benefits. For prices, see the WoW Forever editions and pricing report.
Beta Needs Access, Launch Needs Game Time
Blizzard Support puts the beta rule in one line: "Game time is not required to participate in the beta, but access is required."Blizzard: World of Warcraft Alpha or Beta Access, checked Sep 13, 2026.
From November 4 it flips: every account needs a WoW Subscription or Game Time to play, and only buyers of Epic, the Collection or the Collector's Edition get the first 30 days included.
The Collection is a limited-time offer through January 11, 2027, about ten weeks after launch. It adds Warcraft III: Reforged and the Forsaken Kingdom campaign to everything in Epic. The Blizzard pages we checked say nothing about the bundle after that date.
Name Reservation and Friend Codes
From October 27 through November 3, 2026, Pacific time, you can create and customize up to three characters in Early Name Reservation. Names go first-come, first-served, and Blizzard doesn't promise your first choice.
You get one Invite-A-Friend code with the Heroic Pack and three in total with Epic or the Collection. Blizzard emails them one per code from October 20. A friend who redeems a code can play from November 4 through November 11 without a subscription. The code grants no beta access, and gift purchases do not qualify.
Hardware and First Steps
Check your computer against our WoW Forever system requirements reference before reservation week; the Battle.net product page lists separate Windows and Mac requirements. Use the guide for new and returning players for the rest of your launch-day prep.
If you plan to level with a route addon, check what exists on day one. RestedXP says its Forever routes for levels 35 to 60 "will be released after launch," with its Era guides covering that range until then.
What the Beta Shows Before Launch
Week 1 Content and the Level Cap
Blizzard's beta launch article says the test opened with a level 20 cap that "will be raised to 30 later in the beta."Blizzard: The World of Warcraft: Forever Beta Is Now Live, checked Sep 28, 2026.
Blizzard's September 30 forum post says the October 1 beta build raises the cap to 30.Source: Blizzard forums: Beta Update Maintenance - October 1, checked Oct 1, 2026. Both Confirmed. See the level 30 report. The article's Week 1 list:
- Skyborne and Zephras Isle
- Hall of Thanes, levels 13 to 18
- Ruins of Lordaeron, levels 15 to 20
- All zone content up to level 20
More zones, dungeons and the new battleground open as the test goes on. Planned.
Getting in Without a Bundle
Players who opt in on the sign-up page can be picked, and Blizzard says invitations "will go out regularly throughout the test."Blizzard: The World of Warcraft: Forever Beta Is Now Live, checked Sep 28, 2026.
Bundle buyers are flagged automatically, but access can take up to 30 minutes and may need a launcher restart.
The client appears under In Development in the Battle.net app's Game Version menu.
A Server Slam and the Last Testing Day
The same article plans a Server Slam: the servers open to anyone "for several hours"
at a later point in the test, with details still to come.Blizzard: The World of Warcraft: Forever Beta Is Now Live, checked Sep 28, 2026. Planned, no date yet.
It also calls October 21 "the last full day of testing,"
which matches the written launch copy.Blizzard: The World of Warcraft: Forever Beta Is Now Live, checked Sep 28, 2026. The schedule table above lists the roadmap graphic's October 22 end date as an open conflict.
Launch Starts Everyone at Level 1
Expect to start over at launch: in a September 13 interview with Destin, reported by Icy Veins, developers said launch starts fresh at level 1 and beta progress does not carry over. Reported, and it's something developers said out loud, not written policy. Levels 30 to 60 stay untested until November 4.
What Comes After Launch
December 9 Raids, and a Count That Doesn't Match
The roadmap graphic's December 9 card names The Barrow Deeps (10 player), Hyjal Summit (20 player) and Onyxia's Lair (40 player). The Opening Ceremony recap counts "two new raids,"
and Blizzard hasn't said whether Onyxia's Lair is one of them.Blizzard: Everything Announced at BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony, checked Sep 13, 2026. Planned.
Our dungeons and raids report tracks that conflict card by card.
Hardcore and the 2027 Cards
The Hardcore launch is planned for a winter, but its roadmap card prints no date or year; the Hardcore ruleset guide tracks it. The Spring 2027 card lists two new raids, two new dungeons, new quests and a playable area, a legendary questline and a PvP season refresh.
Summer 2027 adds a revamped iconic raid, another new raid, two dungeons and profession and Legacy updates. Planned, and Blizzard says roadmap timing can change.
No Token or Level Boost at Launch
GamesRadar quotes associate production director Clayton Stone saying Blizzard has "no plans for anything like a WoW token or a boost." Reported, a September 14 interview. That is current intent, so treat it as what to expect at launch, not a promise for later seasons.
Release-Date Questions
What time does WoW Forever launch?
Blizzard's pre-purchase announcement gives 3:00 p.m. PST on November 4, 2026. This article keeps Blizzard's stated time zone instead of guessing at unpublished local launch times; the launch countdown converts that one time to your clock. The maintained roadmap covers name reservation, raid unlocks, Hardcore, and 2027 milestones, and the beta reference covers the unresolved October 21/22 end-date conflict.
Is WoW Forever out yet?
Not as of the September 13, 2026 source check for this article. Battle.net still showed "Pre-purchase"
and "Available November 4."Blizzard: World of Warcraft: Forever - Battle.net Shop, checked Sep 13, 2026.
The opening-ceremony recap's "available to play today"
wording refers to the separate Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom campaign.Blizzard: Everything Announced at BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony, checked Sep 13, 2026.
Reports and Speculation Before the Reveal
Go by Blizzard's own pages for the November 4 date: the clues from before the reveal were reports and speculation, not a Blizzard release announcement. Before Blizzard announced Forever, secondary coverage connected a DefaultForeverBindings.wtf file, "Camelot" strings, and community posts to possible Classic-era projects. Blizzard's public name is World of Warcraft: Forever.
Icy Veins' report is context for those earlier clues, and it does not confirm a different product or date. Our BlizzCon reveal summary covers the announcement itself.
Still Not Announced
Treat character carryover or transfers, collections, gold, achievements, beta-character persistence or wipes, and regional realm rollout as unknown until Blizzard publishes a Forever-specific policy for them. None of the Forever pre-purchase announcement, product page, beta guidance, or general transfer article publishes one.