WoW Forever beta roadmap
Blizzard has dated the beta, the invite-a-friend codes, the name-reservation week, launch day and the first raids. Every step below is stated in our own words with the official post it came from, and the checklist beside it keeps track of what you have already done.
Dated from Blizzard's own announcements: the pre-purchase post (opens Blizzard's site in a new tab), the Collector's Edition post (opens Blizzard's site in a new tab), the What's Next panel recap (opens Blizzard's site in a new tab), the beta-opening post (opens Blizzard's site in a new tab)
Blizzard's timeline
- Autumn 2026
- Winter 2026
- Spring 2027
- Summer 2027
- Autumn 2026 to
The beta test runs for five weeks before launch, with the level cap raised part-way through.
- It runs from 17 September to 21 October 2026, PST.
- The cap starts at level 20 and is raised to 30 later in the test.
- The Skyborne Epic Pack and the Warcraft Forever Collection both include beta access.
- Without a pack you can opt in on Blizzard's Forever page; invitations go out regularly through the test.
Blizzard's roadmap slide shows 22 October and its pre-purchase post says 21 October PST. The post's date is the one shown here.
- Autumn 2026 to
Qualifying upgrades come with launch codes to hand to a friend: emailed before launch, usable in the first week.
- Codes are emailed from 20 October 2026, PST.
- They can be redeemed from 4 to 11 November, so an invited friend plays free during launch week.
- The Skyborne Heroic Pack carries one code; the Skyborne Epic Pack and the Warcraft Forever Collection carry three.
- Autumn 2026 to
A week before launch, any upgrade lets you create and name up to three characters.
- It runs from 27 October to 3 November 2026, PST.
- You can create and customise up to three characters.
- Names are taken first come, first served.
- Autumn 2026
Forever opens to everyone with nine new dungeons, four new or reimagined regions, a new race and a new battleground.
- 4 November 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST, with a subscription or game time.
- Nine new dungeons: Hall of Thanes, the Ruins of Lordaeron, the excavation site above Whelgar's Excavation, the City of Dalaran, Blackmaw Hold, the Drowned City, Krol'dok Stronghold, Alcaz Prison and the Shaper's Terrace.
- New and reimagined regions: Mount Hyjal, Shen'dralas, the Riverglades and Zephras Isle.
- The Skyborne, a new race for both factions, with faction-specific class options.
- Darkspear Islands, a 15-versus-15 battleground built around control points and flag captures.
- Legacy progression for alternate characters, and camping: campfires that professions contribute to and everyone around shares the buffs from.
- Winter 2026
Five weeks after launch the first raids open, with new tier sets and a legendary reward still to be detailed.
- The Barrow Deeps: a ten-player challenge at maximum level.
- Hyjal Summit: twenty-player raid encounters.
- Onyxia's Lair: forty players, from Blizzard's roadmap slide.
- New tier sets and a legendary reward, which Blizzard plans to reveal in full later.
Blizzard's written recap names the Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit. Onyxia's Lair appears on the roadmap slide shown at the panel and is not restated in the post.
- Winter 2026No date yet
A Hardcore ruleset follows the December raids. Blizzard has not given it a date.
- It is not available at launch; it arrives after the first raids.
- Every decision matters, and death carries lasting consequences.
Blizzard's recap lists Hardcore after the December raids without a date; the roadmap slide places it in Winter. Nothing here is a published date.
- Spring 2027No date yet
The first of two large 2027 updates, as set out on Blizzard's roadmap slide.
- Two new raids, for ten and twenty players.
- Two new dungeons.
- New quests, a new playable area and a new legendary questline.
- A PvP season refresh.
Blizzard's written recap names more raids, dungeons, PvP updates and world content without dating them. The split into a Spring and a Summer window is the roadmap slide's.
- Summer 2027No date yet
The second 2027 update, headed by a revamped iconic raid Blizzard has not yet named.
- A revamped iconic raid, not yet named.
- One further new raid.
- Two new dungeons, more world content and a PvP season refresh.
- Profession and Legacy updates.
Same provenance as the Spring window: the items are Blizzard's, the season split is the roadmap slide's, and none of it is dated.
Blizzard has said that more is still to be announced and that content and timing can change.
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Your launch checklist
Every dated step Blizzard has announced, plus four this site can help with. Signed in, your ticks follow you between devices; signed out, they stay in this browser.
- Before the betaBlizzardBlizzard's Forever page (opens Blizzard's site in a new tab)
- to Blizzard
- Whenever you likeOur suggestionOpen the talent calculator
- Whenever you likeOur suggestionCompare the professions
- Before launch dayOur suggestionGet the companion addon
- to BlizzardBlizzard's pre-purchase post (opens Blizzard's site in a new tab)
- to BlizzardBlizzard's pre-purchase post (opens Blizzard's site in a new tab)
- Blizzard
- From launch dayOur suggestionOpen the Forever auction house
- Blizzard
Reading your checklist