WoW Forever Release Date: November 4, 2026 Launch & Countdown
World of Warcraft: Forever launches November 4, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. ET. Every date that matters: beta window, name reservation, December raids and the roadmap.
FAQ
What time does World of Warcraft: Forever launch?
When did the WoW Forever beta run?
When is Early Name Reservation?
What comes after launch?
When do the 30 days of included Game Time start?
When does World of Warcraft: Forever launch?
November 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time — 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Blizzard announced the date at BlizzCon 2026, and the game ships with a level 60 cap that it will keep indefinitely. Unlike modern expansions, there is no midnight launch race or separate purchase: if you have an active subscription or Game Time, Forever is simply there at 3 p.m. Pacific on day one.
Every WoW Forever date announced so far
BlizzCon 2026 dropped the whole schedule at once — from the beta through the first post-launch raids. Here is the calendar in one table:
| Milestone | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BlizzCon announcement | September 2026 | Classic+ revealed as “World of Warcraft: Forever” |
| Beta opens | September 17, 2026 | Level cap 30, character creation, name reservations in beta |
| Beta closes | October 21, 2026 | Access period per Blizzard’s pre-purchase fine print |
| Invite-A-Friend codes emailed | From October 20, 2026 | Launch-week access codes (Nov 4–11) for eligible friends |
| Early Name Reservation | October 27 – November 3, 2026 | Heroic Pack or higher; first come, first served |
| Launch | November 4, 2026, 3:00 p.m. PT | Included with subscription or Game Time |
| 30 days included Game Time | Added November 4, 2026 | Epic Pack and Collection owners |
| Barrow Deeps raid (10-man) | December 2026 | First roadmap raid |
| Hyjal Summit raid (20-man) | December 2026 | Second roadmap raid |
| Hardcore mode | Announced, date not set | More details were promised in a dedicated panel |
What happens between the beta and launch?
Two weeks of quiet, then the pre-launch window opens. Early Name Reservation runs October 27 through November 3 — if you own the Heroic Pack or any higher tier, you can lock your Main and Secondary names before the general population floods in. Names are strictly first come, first served, and Blizzard explicitly says desired names cannot be guaranteed. Then launch codes go out: qualifying pre-purchases include Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes (delivered by email from October 20) that give eligible friends free access during launch week, November 4–11.
What is on the post-launch roadmap?
Blizzard published a Forever roadmap alongside the announcement. The confirmed near-term items are the two December raids — Barrow Deeps (10-player) and Hyjal Summit (20-player) — with “all new Dungeons, 10-man, and 20-man Raids releasing over the next year”, plus new zones over time and the already-teased Timbermaw raid. Hardcore mode is also coming to Forever; its date and rules were promised in a dedicated BlizzCon panel. The full endgame picture is in our dungeons & raids overview.
Do you need to pre-order to play on November 4?
No. Forever is included with an active subscription or Game Time — Blizzard’s own line is that everyone “can access WoW: Forever through their normal game subscription without additional purchase, just like Classic”. The pre-purchase packs are optional perks: the Skyborne race, beta access, cosmetics, and bundled game time. If you want those on day one, the tiers are compared in the Collector’s Edition & packs guide; the race itself is covered in the Skyborne race guide.
Not sure what the game actually is? Start with What Is WoW Forever? — or if you still have beta time left before October 21, the beta access guide explains how to get in.
Sources
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