WoW Forever release date, beta and how to get access

When exactly does WoW Forever launch?

Blizzard gives one global launch moment: November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST. Because United States daylight saving time ends on November 1, 2026, Pacific time is UTC−8 on launch day, which puts the launch at 23:00 UTC. The table converts that single moment into other time zones.

Do I need to buy WoW Forever?

No. Access is included with your World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time, the same subscription that covers modern WoW and WoW Classic. Icy Veins notes there is no free trial or starter edition, so a subscription is the only way in outside the launch week Invite-A-Friend codes.

The optional upgrade editions add cosmetics, beta access and one gameplay feature: the Skyborne race and its Zephras Isle starting zone are only available with the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher. Prices below are from Wowhead's preorder guide; the contents are from Blizzard.

A physical Collector's Edition is sold through the Blizzard Gear Store. It includes a Warcraft Forever Collection digital code, a 13-inch Dwarf and Bear statue, a Zephras Isle mousepad, art prints, pins and a companion journal.

How do I get into the WoW Forever beta?

The beta began on September 17, 2026 and runs through October 21, 2026, the last full day of testing. There are two routes in: buy the Skyborne Epic Pack or the Warcraft Forever Collection for guaranteed access, or opt in on Blizzard's WoW Forever page for a chance at an invitation. Blizzard sends invitations in waves throughout the test.

Wowhead and Icy Veins both report the level 30 cap arriving about two weeks into the test. Blizzard's own wording is that the cap will be raised to 30 later in the beta.

How to install the beta

1. Update your graphics drivers and run the Battle.net desktop app, which may need to update itself.
2. Select World of Warcraft from the list of games.
3. In the Game Version drop-down above the Play button, choose World of Warcraft: Forever Beta under In Development, then click Install.
4. After installation, click Play and select any available test realm.
5. Create a new test character and enter the game.

How does Early Name Reservation work?

Early Name Reservation runs from October 27 through November 3, 2026 (PST) and is included with any upgrade purchase, Heroic Pack and up. During that window you can create and customize up to three characters. Names are first come, first served, and a desired name is not guaranteed.

Forever uses two part character names, a first and last name, and names are unique per region rather than per realm. The reservation applies only to the specific WoW account the pack was bought on.

What are Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes?

Every upgrade pack includes codes you can send to friends so they can play Forever during launch week, November 4 through November 11, 2026, without a subscription or Game Time. The Heroic Pack includes one code; the Epic Pack and the Warcraft Forever Collection include three.

Codes are delivered by email from October 20, 2026. An invited friend redeems the code through Battle.net. The codes do not include beta access, and gift purchases are excluded.

What PC do I need for WoW Forever?

Blizzard has set a hard GPU floor: your graphics card must be based on AMD Graphics Core Next 1 (2012), NVIDIA Maxwell (2014) or Intel Skylake (2015) or newer, because the updated visuals rely on RGBA16F UAV support in compute shaders. Cards such as the Radeon HD 6950 or GeForce GTX 760/770/780 will not run the game.

Wowhead also lists Mac requirements: macOS 12 and an Apple M2 or 9th generation Intel Core at minimum, macOS 15 and an Apple M4 recommended.

What happens after launch?

The first raids, Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit, open on December 9, 2026, and Hardcore arrives after launch. The roadmap guide lists every phase and unlock date that has been announced so far.