Blizzard Announces World of Warcraft: Forever Launching in November 2026

Blizzard has officially confirmed World of Warcraft: Forever, verifying long-standing rumours about a Classic plus experience. Following the BlizzCon opening ceremony, Blizzard announced that the new project will launch globally on November 4, 2026. Beta access begins on September 17 for players who pre-purchase one of the game upgrade packs.

Senior game director Ion Hazzikostas, lead Classic designer Tim Jones, lead software engineer Nora Mills, and associate production director Clay Stone detailed the systems and design philosophy during a dedicated panel. Blizzard describes Forever as a permanent home for World of Warcraft alongside Modern and Classic rather than a replacement. The experience takes place between two fixed points in lore, specifically after the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign and before the original Molten Core raid, featuring the original continents and a level cap of 60.

World of Warcraft: Forever includes three new zones at launch, over 1,000 new quests, nine new dungeons, and two new raids supporting both 10 and 20 player groups. The game also introduces new races and classes, including a brand new playable race called the Skyborne. Access to the game requires no separate purchase, as it is included with an existing subscription.

Optional upgrade packs are available for purchase separately. The Skyborne Heroic Pack unlocks the Skyborne race and starting zone early. The pricier Skyborne Epic Pack grants beta access, a month of Game Time, and additional cosmetics. The announcement was part of the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony, which also featured reveals for Diablo 5 and a new open world StarCraft shooter.