WoW Forever roadmap: every phase and unlock date
Updated on Published By VaultAlts
The WoW Forever roadmap runs from the beta on September 17, 2026 to launch on November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST, then the first raids (Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia's Lair) on December 9, 2026. Hardcore follows in winter 2026, and larger content updates are planned for spring and summer 2027, each adding raids, dungeons and quests.
On this page
The full WoW Forever roadmap
Blizzard has published exact dates for everything up to the first raids. The seasonal windows after that were shown on the BlizzCon 2026 roadmap, which Blizzard's What's Next recap includes as an image, and are reported by Wowhead and Icy Veins. Each row names its source.
| Phase | Date or window | What unlocks | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Announcement | WoW Forever revealed at BlizzCon 2026; pre-purchase and beta opt-in open | Blizzard | |
| Beta | to | Level cap 20, raised to 30 on ; Skyborne, Zephras Isle, Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron in week 1; more zones, dungeons and the battleground later; a Server Slam open to all | Blizzard |
| Invite-A-Friend codes sent | From | Codes emailed to upgrade pack buyers | Blizzard |
| Early Name Reservation | to | Create and customize up to three characters (any upgrade pack) | Blizzard |
| Launch | Level cap 60, four new regions, nine dungeons, Skyborne race, six new race and class combos, Darkspear Islands battleground, Legacy and Camping systems | Blizzard | |
| Launch week | to , 2026 | Invite-A-Friend codes valid without a subscription | Blizzard |
| First raids | Barrow Deeps (10 players) and Hyjal Summit (20 players); Onyxia's Lair (40 players) per Wowhead and Icy Veins | Blizzard; Wowhead, Icy Veins for Onyxia | |
| Hardcore | Winter 2026 | Hardcore ruleset opens | Blizzard (BlizzCon 2026 roadmap) |
| Warcraft Forever Collection ends | The limited time bundle leaves the shop | Blizzard | |
| SD Skyborne models | Early 2027 | Standard Definition Skyborne player characters and SD Druid forms, announced on | Blizzard |
| Spring 2027 update | Spring 2027 | Two new raids (10 and 20 players), two new dungeons, new quests and a new playable area, a new legendary questline, PvP season refresh | Wowhead, Icy Veins |
| Summer 2027 update | Summer 2027 | Revamped iconic raid, a new raid, expanded world content, two new dungeons, PvP season refresh, professions and Legacy updates | Wowhead, Icy Veins |
Before launch: beta and name reservation
The beta opened on September 17, 2026 with a level 20 cap and runs through October 21. Blizzard raised the cap to 30 on October 1 and has said it will open the servers to everyone for a Server Slam of several hours; no date for it is announced as of October 9, 2026. Early Name Reservation follows from October 27 to November 3 for anyone with an upgrade pack. The release date guide explains how to get in.
Launch: November 4, 2026
Launch is global at 3:00 p.m. PST. On day one Forever has the four new regions, nine new dungeons, more than 1,000 new quests, the Skyborne race, the Darkspear Islands battleground, the Legacy and Camping systems and the class and race reworks. The zones, dungeons and raids guide lists all of it with level ranges.
December 9, 2026: the first raids
Five weeks after launch, on December 9, 2026, the raids open: the Barrow Deeps as a maximum level 10-player challenge and Hyjal Summit as a 20-player raid, with new tier sets and a legendary reward still to be revealed. Wowhead and Icy Veins both list Onyxia's Lair returning as a 40-player raid on the same day. The launch raids need no attunement.
Winter 2026: Hardcore
Blizzard lists Hardcore as a ruleset available after launch, where every decision matters and death carries lasting consequences, and its BlizzCon 2026 roadmap, shown in the What's Next recap, places the Hardcore launch in winter. Hardcore is a fully enclosed ecosystem: a character that dies can transfer to another ruleset, but progress from other rulesets never flows into Hardcore.
Spring 2027 update
The spring 2027 update, as reported by Wowhead and Icy Veins from the BlizzCon roadmap, adds two new raids (one 10-player and one 20-player), two new dungeons, new quests and a new playable area, a new legendary questline and a PvP season refresh. Icy Veins additionally lists two new class and race combinations; Wowhead's table does not.
Summer 2027 update
The summer 2027 update brings a revamped iconic raid, a new raid, expanded world content, two more dungeons, another PvP season refresh, and updates to professions and the Legacy system, per both Wowhead and Icy Veins. Blizzard has not said which raid is being revamped.
What Blizzard has said about the road ahead
Blizzard's own summary: new raids unlock on December 9, followed by more raids, dungeons, PvP updates, world content, additional quests throughout the level 1 to 60 journey, Hardcore, a revamped iconic raid, and major updates that keep expanding this evergreen version of Azeroth over time. The Legacy system is also built to grow, with new challenges, perks, spending caps and possibly whole new trees.
Dates can move. Everything after December 9, 2026 is a seasonal window rather than a date. This page is updated when Blizzard confirms a date.
Frequently asked questions
When does WoW Forever launch?
On November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 UTC), one moment for every region. In Europe and Asia that is the night of November 4 to 5 or the morning of November 5.
When do the first WoW Forever raids open?
On December 9, 2026: the 10-player Barrow Deeps and the 20-player Hyjal Summit per Blizzard, and a 40-player Onyxia's Lair per Wowhead and Icy Veins. No raid is open at launch.
When does Hardcore arrive in WoW Forever?
In winter 2026, per the BlizzCon 2026 roadmap that Blizzard shows in its What's Next recap. Blizzard's written recaps say only after launch, and no exact date has been published.
When does the WoW Forever beta end?
October 21, 2026 is the last full day of testing. Early Name Reservation follows from October 27 through November 3, and launch is November 4.
Until when can I buy the Warcraft Forever Collection?
Through January 11, 2027. It is the limited time bundle with the Skyborne Epic Pack, Warcraft III: Reforged and the Forsaken Kingdom campaign.
What is planned for 2027?
Per Wowhead and Icy Veins from the BlizzCon roadmap: a spring 2027 update with two new raids, two dungeons, a new playable area and a legendary questline, and a summer 2027 update with a revamped iconic raid, another new raid and two more dungeons.
See more
WoW Forever release date, beta and how to get access
Updated on
WoW Forever launches November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST and is included with a WoW subscription. Beta runs September 17 to October 21, 2026; Early Name Reservation runs October 27 to November 3 with any upgrade pack.
WoW Forever new zones, dungeons and raids
Updated on
Every new zone, dungeon and raid in World of Warcraft: Forever with level ranges: four regions, nine dungeons at launch, the Darkspear Islands battleground, and Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia's Lair from December 9, 2026.
What is NOT in WoW Forever: no flying, no level scaling, level 60 cap, optional transmog
Updated on
The features WoW Forever deliberately leaves out: no flying mounts, no level scaling, a level 60 cap, transmog you can switch off, no realm list, no GDKP, no attunements for the launch raids, and no raids before December 9, 2026.
What is WoW Forever? Classic+ explained
Updated on
World of Warcraft: Forever is Blizzard's permanent Classic+ game: original Azeroth to level 60, four new regions, nine new dungeons, the Skyborne race, no flying and no level scaling. It launches on November 4, 2026.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these, Blizzard first. Screenshots and cinematic stills are © Blizzard Entertainment, from the Blizzard Press Center.
- Blizzard: World of Warcraft: Forever 2026 and 2027 roadmap (image in the What's Next Panel Recap)
- Blizzard: World of Warcraft: Forever What's Next Panel Recap
- Blizzard: World of Warcraft: Forever Deep Dive Panel Recap
- Blizzard: Pre-Purchase World of Warcraft: Forever Upgrades
- Blizzard: The World of Warcraft: Forever Beta Now Live
- Blizzard: World of Warcraft: Forever official page
- Blizzard: World of Warcraft at BlizzCon 2026 News Round-Up
- Blizzard forums: Beta Update Maintenance, October 1 (Kaivax, posted September 30, 2026 PDT)
- Blizzard: World of Warcraft: Forever, The Future of Skyborne Visual Updates (October 7, 2026)
- Wowhead: World of Warcraft: Forever Roadmap
- Wowhead: Forever Raids Overview
- Wowhead: No Raid Attunements for Launch Raids (But Why Tho? interview)
- Icy Veins: WoW Forever Release Date, Roadmap and Content Schedule