A Third Branch of WoW
World of Warcraft: Forever launches November 4, 2026, and Blizzard is careful about what to call it. It is not a season, not a mode, and not another version of Classic. It is a permanent third branch that sits beside modern World of Warcraft and WoW Classic, built on the original level 1–60 world and meant to keep growing for years through regular content patches. The pitch is simple: what if the original Azeroth had never stopped growing? Forever is set in the early Year 1 period, after Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core, and it expands the events, characters and locations of that era instead of replaying old expansion releases. The level cap stays at 60 permanently, so gear and professions keep their value from patch to patch.
What Is New in Old Azeroth
The world itself grows. New and reimagined zones include Mount Hyjal, Shen’dralas, the Riverglades and Zephras Isle, with more than 1,000 new quests across the level 1–60 journey. Nine new five-player dungeons span levels 13–60, including the Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron, Excavation Site, City of Dalaran, The Drowned City and Krol’dok Stronghold. Raids arrive December 9, when level 60 players can enter Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia’s Lair. Player-versus-player players get a new 15-versus-15 battleground, Battle for the Darkspear Islands, off the coast of Dustwallow Marsh. The headline addition is the Skyborne, also called the shen’dorei, or hidden people. Their journey begins on Zephras Isle, a level 1–12 starting zone. Players choose their faction at character creation, and part of the class lineup shifts with that choice: Horde Skyborne can become Shamans, Alliance Skyborne can become Mages, and both sides can choose Warrior, Hunter, Rogue or Druid, with dedicated Skyborne druid forms. New race and class combinations also break old rules elsewhere, including Forsaken Paladins and Dwarf Shamans.
Rulesets, Presets and Price
Forever drops the traditional server list. Players choose a ruleset before creating a character — Normal, PvP, Roleplay or Roleplay PvP at launch, with Hardcore planned later — and names are unique per region rather than per server. On first login, players pick a Classic or Enhanced presentation preset, affecting character models, quest markers, bag setup, transmog, movement bindings and UI layout. Access to the core game comes with an active subscription or Game Time, with no separate purchase. The Skyborne race and starting experience sit behind the Heroic Pack at $29.99 or higher, with the Epic Pack and Warcraft Forever Collection adding extras and 30 days of Game Time from November 4. Early name reservations ran October 27 to November 3 for pre-purchase owners, and the packs stay on sale through January 11, 2027.
What to Watch Next
Launch day answers the first question: how many players show up for a permanent old Azeroth. December 9 answers the second, when raids open and the endgame gets its first real test. After that, the watch is on Blizzard’s promise itself — regular new stories and systems inside a world that never levels past 60, and a Hardcore ruleset still to come.
