Skyborne at a Glance
Skyborne are a new playable elven race. Blizzard's official name is Skyborne, though players also search for "Skyborn". Blizzard's Meet the New Skyborne article, published September 22, 2026, covers their factions, classes, and starting zone. Confirmed.
For class details, see the Druid guide for Forever, the Mage guide for Forever, and the Shaman guide for Forever. Our Zephras Isle report covers the first announcement. (Meet the New Skyborne, What's Next Panel Recap, official Skyborne short, Battle.net product page)
Access and Entitlement Status
You need the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher to play the race; beta access is separate.
| Question | Answer | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Play the race | Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher | Confirmed, a first-party sourceSource: Blizzard pre-purchase announcement, checked Oct 8, 2026. |
| Enter the beta | Epic Pack, Collection, or selected beta invite | Confirmed, a first-party sourceSource: Blizzard edition details, beta sign-up details, checked Oct 8, 2026. |
| Later quests and training | “Power Over Poison” (High Order Druids); Shenthul trainer | Confirmed, a first-party sourceSource: October 1 beta notes, checked Oct 8, 2026. |
Confirmed race access: you need the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher to play the race and do the Zephras Isle starting questline.
Separate beta entitlement: the Epic Pack and Warcraft Forever Collection include the Heroic benefits and add beta access on top. The Heroic Pack's Invite-A-Friend Launch Code is for launch week, not beta.
The October 1 notes say Shenthul in Orgrimmar will train Windshaper Skyborne; they list these beta updates, not a quest chain that unlocks the race or its six classes.
Confirmed, Reported, and Unknown
The faction and class split, racial lists and access have official sources. The October 15 notes add racial tuning below, including a 30-second minimum for Read Leyline; the full Druid form list and Zephras Isle quest sequence remain unresolved here.Sources: Blizzard, September 22 racial list for unchanged baseline effects; October 15 beta development notes, post 6, for the stated changes; retained capture Oct 18, 2026. Official wording; realm behavior not tested.
Confirmed:
- The faction and class split.
- Zephras Isle's level range.
- The racials above.
- The new visual features.
- The Heroic-or-higher requirement.
Not added: Skyborne get no Paladin, Priest, or Warlock from the six new race-class combinations (Gnome Priest, Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock, and Undead Paladin).
Still open:
Skysight's duration and cooldown, and Read Leyline's cooldown and complete duration rules. The October 15 notes do give Read Leyline a 30-second minimum.Sources: Blizzard, September 22 racial list for unchanged baseline effects; October 15 beta development notes, post 6, for the stated changes; retained capture Oct 18, 2026. Official wording; realm behavior not tested.
- The complete Druid form list (including tree form).
- A faction-change policy.
- Zephras Isle's map, landmarks, and quest order.
- Zephras Isle's post-level-12 route and loot table.
Found Photos Origins and Factions
In Blizzard's announced/planned lore, the Skyborne's story starts with rebels who fled Eldre'Thalas, and the Found Photos recap adds that lore beyond the starting-zone description. Our Found Photos panel report covers that recap's world and story notes. Blizzard calls the Skyborne the shen'dorei, or "hidden people,"
and describes rebels who fled Eldre'Thalas after the War of the Ancients before finding refuge in Skywall.Blizzard: Found Photos recap. The recap also names the Windshapers, the High Order, and Al'Aketh.
Blizzard's September 22 articles tie those names to the factions. They say Windshapers are Horde and descend from the first shen'dorei to receive the wind spirits' gift of elemental skysight. They say the High Order is Alliance and descends from Highborne scholars of Eldre'Thalas.
Blizzard's September 24 beta development notes name two Skyborne quests. The High Order Skyborne quest "Catching Wind" on Zephras Isle was redesigned, and the Skyborne quest "Exploring the Horde" in Undercity now completes its objective to talk with Lady Sylvanas Windrunner. Both are Confirmed for the beta build. Neither note gives a level or a route, so the post-level-12 path is still open. The Zephras Isle guide lists the island quests the notes name.
The October 1 beta development notes add two more Skyborne details, both Confirmed for that beta build.Source: WoW Forever Beta Development Notes, October 1, Quests and Professions sections, checked Oct 1, 2026. High Order Skyborne can now do "Power Over Poison,"
listed under Druid quests, to learn the Cure Poison spell. The notes don't say where it starts. The notes also say "Shenthul in Orgrimmar will now train Windshaper Skyborne."Blizzard: WoW Forever Beta Development Notes, October 1, checked Oct 1, 2026.
They list that line under Professions without explaining what the training is.
Press reports:
Warcraft Tavern describes Skyborne as High Elf exiles who fled their ancient kingdom. Blizzard's September 22 articles now use "high elves"
and "Highborne"
too.Blizzard: Meet the New Skyborne.
Warcraft Tavern's racial-ability report reported five racials from the BlizzCon demo floor. Blizzard lists four per faction, five names across both.
GameFragger reports bear, cat, travel, and moonkin forms in sky blue; the slide did not show tree form. Reported.
Customization Options for Skyborne Characters
Blizzard's Skyborne article gives you two body types to customize, each with its own list of options.Source: Meet the New Skyborne, checked Sep 28, 2026. Body Type 1 offers ten face options, nine skin colors running from sky blue through light peach to darker tones, twenty-one hairstyles, eleven hair colors, three ear lengths, nine eye colors, and four eyebrow styles. Confirmed.
Look closer and Body Type 1 adds thirteen facial hair options, eyesight choices, feather colors you can weave into the hair, four face tattoo designs in two colors, and two body tattoo sets, Zephyr and Wayfinder, each in two colors. Confirmed.
Body Type 2 and Changing Your Look Later
Body Type 2 has ten face options and keeps the same nine skin colors as Body Type 1. It also offers eyesight and feather color choices, Zephyr or Wayfinder body tattoos, and six earring styles in silver or gold jewelry. Its other options are twenty-five hairstyles, ten hair colors, nine eye colors, three ear lengths, and four eyebrow styles. Confirmed.
Blizzard says the combinations run into the thousands, and a barber shop visit in cities lets you change your look later for an in-game cost. Confirmed. The article gives no price and doesn't say whether the visit covers tattoos and feathers as well as hair.
One Race, Two Faction Halves
Skyborne join the Horde or the Alliance at character creation, according to GameFragger's panel report, which says the What's Next panel called them elemental hybrids. It compares them to Pandaren in modern WoW: you choose a side, then you live there.Source: GameFragger, checked Sep 28, 2026. Reported. Blizzard's own articles don't use the Pandaren comparison.
What the Beta Client Stores
High Order Skyborne (Alliance) and Windshaper Skyborne (Horde) are separate race rows in the beta client, build 1.60.1.70009. Both carry the lore name Shen'dorei and start at level 1.Source: beta client data, build 1.60.1.70009, ChrRaces and CharBaseInfo tables, checked Sep 28, 2026. Reported.
Each row uses its faction's base language, the same value Human or Orc uses, so expect Common on High Order and Orcish on Windshapers. The default class differs too: Mage for High Order, Shaman for Windshaper. Those are the two classes the other side cannot pick.
Class Rows Match Blizzard's List
The client's class rows match Blizzard's September 22 list, so no hidden sixth class sits in the data. They give High Order Druid, Hunter, Mage, Rogue and Warrior, and Windshaper Druid, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman and Warrior. To choose among those five, the race and class combination tool lays out every pairing.
Skyborne FAQ
Where do they start?
Zephras Isle is the confirmed starting experience for levels 1 to 12. A verified map, entrance, travel route, and landmark list are still open, so fan-made locations aren't confirmed. For the climb after that, the wider route anchors and pacing cover what is published about it.
Is there a walkthrough?
The starting questline is confirmed, and Blizzard's September 24 beta notes name a few of its quests. The quest order, rewards, and a complete walkthrough are still open, so a route guide or loot table would be speculation until those details are published. RestedXP's addon notes list Forever updates for original starting zones such as Durotar and Mulgore, but none for Zephras Isle as of September 28. See RestedXP's Forever routes.Source: RestedXP addon releases, v4.11.10, Sep 25, 2026.
Which racials do Skyborne get?
Both factions get Walk on Air, Wind Blessed and Elemental Insight; Windshaper adds Skysight and High Order adds Read Ley Line in Blizzard's September 22 list. The October 15 notes raise Wind Blessed to 3% Haste, reduce Walk on Air's cooldown to 90 seconds, allow Skysight and Read Leyline to be cast while moving, and raise Read Leyline's minimum duration to 30 seconds, from 20. The notes spell that last ability "Read Leyline." They do not provide a complete current tooltip for every trait.Sources: Blizzard, September 22 racial list for unchanged baseline effects; October 15 beta development notes, post 6, for the stated changes; retained capture Oct 18, 2026. Official wording; realm behavior not tested.
Can I change my Skyborne's look after character creation?
Yes. Blizzard's Skyborne article says a city barber shop visit changes your look for an in-game cost, without saying whether that covers tattoos or feather colors. The October 1 beta notes add barbershops in Darnassus and Thunder Bluff.Source: WoW Forever Beta Development Notes, October 1, Changes and Updates, checked Oct 1, 2026.
Are Windshaper and High Order two different races?
Blizzard presents them as one race whose name follows your faction: Windshaper for Horde, High Order for Alliance. The beta client stores them as two race rows. Racials, customization and Zephras Isle are shared, apart from Skysight, Read Ley Line and the Shaman or Mage split.