World of Warcraft: Forever
2026 – 2027 Launch & Content Roadmap
The official year-one plan for World of Warcraft: Forever, beat by beat, as Blizzard laid it out at BlizzCon 2026.
Official Global Launch & Content Roadmap
BlizzCon 2026
Autumn 2026: The Road to Worldwide Launch
Closed & Opt-In Beta
Extensive public PTR opening worldwide at 10:30 AM PST, allowing players to level characters up to the current Level 20 cap, with the max Level 30 cap released at a later point in time.
Name Reservation & Creation
Early character creation window enabling active subscribers to lock in character names ahead of the worldwide release.
GLOBAL LAUNCH (3 PM PST)
World of Warcraft: Forever goes live simultaneously across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Winter 2026/27: Raids Unlock & Official Hardcore
Raids Unlock Schedule
Raid progression opens five weeks after worldwide launch, featuring two brand-new instances alongside Onyxia’s Lair:
Underground night elven prison beneath Hyjal.
Ascend Mount Hyjal and battle corrupted forces.
The broodmother returns with classic dragon mechanics.
Official Hardcore Realm Launch
Single-life permadeath arrives with dedicated server tracking and Mak’gora dueling:
Spring 2027: Major Updates & Horizontal Expansion
Dedicated 10-player and 20-player horizontal tier progression.
Fresh 5-player instances expanding underutilized classic regions.
New overland quest hubs and outdoor world boss encounters.
All-new legendary item questline and seasonal PvP refresh.