WoW Forever Launch Checklist: Dates, Editions & Prep Before Nov 4

WoW Forever launches on November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 UTC, which is midnight on November 5 in Central Europe). The beta is still running, so there's time to plan. Here's everything with a date on it, and what's worth doing before the servers open.

Key dates

The full timeline, with a launch countdown, is on the release date page.

Which edition do you need?

You can play WoW Forever with a normal WoW subscription. The packs add the Skyborne race and early access to names:

Before launch

1. Pick a class. If you're torn, the best class guide compares them for solo leveling, dungeons and raids, and the leveling tier list ranks them for the trip to 60.
2. Pick a race. Racials matter more than in modern WoW. The race guide lists the best race for every class, including the new Skyborne.
3. Plan your talents. Try your build in the talent calculator so you're not reading tooltips at level 10.
4. Choose two professions. Forever adds personal perks and a camping system, which changes the usual picks. See the professions guide.
5. Install addons. Most Classic addons need updates. Our addons list tracks which ones work.

The first week

Launch-night zones will be crowded. Our leveling zones guide has a route from 1 to 60 with alternatives for every level range, and the dungeon guides list the loot worth running for. Once you reach your teens, the leveling gear page shows the best dungeon drops for each slot up to level 30.

Raids open five weeks after launch, on December 9. The raid guide covers all three, including the two new ones.

What's different from Classic?

A lot more than a fresh start: a new race, new raids, profession perks, account-wide Legacy talents and hundreds of quality-of-life changes. We keep a running list on the what's new page, and the Legacy system guide explains the account progression.

We'll update our guides as the beta wraps up and again after launch.