WoW Forever Beta Guide: 17 September to 21 October, How to Get In, Level Cap 20 to 30

The World of Warcraft: Forever beta opens on 17 September 2026 and closes on 21 October 2026, 5 weeks in total. Blizzard has published the days and has not published the hour. The level cap is 20 at the start and rises to 30 later in the test.

30 is half of a 60-level game. The beta is a look at the 1st 30 levels: the reworked classes, the new starting-zone quests and the 1st 4 new dungeons. Launch follows 2 weeks after the beta closes, on 4 November at 3:00 PM PST, and every plan in this guide is measured against that date.

Beta access comes 2 ways. Guaranteed access ships with the Skyborne Epic Pack ($59.99), the Warcraft Forever Collection ($79.99) and the physical Collector's Edition ($150) digital code. Bundle buyers can see up to about 30 minutes of delay and may need a launcher restart.

There is also a free Battle.net opt-in. Players who have opted in can be selected, and invitations go out regularly through the test. The Heroic Pack ($29.99) does not include guaranteed beta. A subscription alone does not either.

The Collector's Edition code needs a WoW game account and works once per game account. It cannot be redeemed on an account that already has beta. Pack contents side by side: the editions guide. Dollar math: WoW Forever price.

The dungeon brackets are Blizzard's own. Hall of Thanes under Ironforge is 13 to 18 and Ruins of Lordaeron is 15 to 20, both open from the level 20 cap. Excavation Site in the Wetlands is 24 to 29 and City of Dalaran is 28 to 33, so a level 30 sees the start of Dalaran. The 5 dungeons above 33 stay closed, and so do the Riverglades, Hyjal and the raids.

Skyborne characters start on Zephras Isle, levels 1 to 12, and join the shared world from there. Every beta account owns a pack, so every beta account can create 1. Skyborne pick Horde or Alliance at creation and play Warrior, Hunter, Rogue or Druid on both sides, Shaman on the Horde and Mage on the Alliance.

Beta progress does not carry to launch. Characters, gold, professions and Legacy Points are gone when the test ends on 21 October. Everyone starts at level 1 on 4 November, on a fresh character with a fresh name.

The 1st thing that persists is name reservation on 27 October, 6 days after the beta closes, with any pack. The name you used in beta is not held for you. How the 2-part names work: the name reservation guide.

Invite codes are a launch benefit too. They are emailed from 20 October, and each lets a friend play Forever from 4 to 11 November without a subscription. A code is not a beta key.

Whatever level you reach in the beta, your launch character starts from 1, about 150 hours of play from 60. The raids open 5 weeks after launch, on 9 December.

Use the beta for the questions a trailer cannot answer.

• Class feel. 6 new combos are in: Gnome Priest, Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock and Undead Paladin. Every class was reworked, so a Classic main plays differently at 30.
• Talent trees. Same rows as Classic, with a new 16-point milestone. Divine Spirit, Blessing of Kings and Improved Mark of the Wild sit on the baseline kit.
• Racials. Each Classic race ships 2 active racials and 2 passives in Forever. Dwarf Stoneform now cuts physical damage taken. Undead Will of the Forsaken removes Charm, Fear and Sleep and no longer grants immunity.
• Camping. A Basic Campfire opens a campsite with vendors, repairs and 1-hour buffs. The 1st profession objects come at skill 20.
• Combat pacing. Blizzard aims at 10 to 15 seconds per ordinary mob for a solo player. Check it on your class.
• Dungeons. Clear each 1 time for the raised 1st-run quest XP and the blue drops. Repeats pay little.

Skip riding tests: Blizzard has not published the riding level or its gold cost. Skip gold farming you expect to keep. The beta economy dies on 21 October.

The beta ends on 21 October. Name reservation opens on 27 October and closes on 3 November. Launch is 4 November at 3:00 PM PST with a level cap of 60. The raids open on 9 December: Barrow Deeps for 10 players, Hyjal Summit for 20 and Onyxia's Lair for 40 on Blizzard's roadmap slide.

1 to 60 is about 150 hours of play. On your own at 3 hours a night that is 7 weeks, so a launch-day character reaches 60 around 24 December, 2 weeks after the raids open. The beta is where those hours get checked. We re-check the 1 to 60 figure on the beta on 20 September, 6 October and 22 October, and a placed pre-order never goes up.

The class you settle on in beta is the class you reserve on 27 October and level from 4 November. Fastest classes and the route by bracket: the leveling speed guide.

We do not sell beta access. If you own the Epic Pack or the Collection, coaching at $29 an hour puts a Pro on your talent build and your dungeon routes before launch. You play in your own beta client, on your own character.

For launch day, leveling opens in the builder: Custom order from $49, full 1 to 60 at $299 with 1 booster in 14 days or $420 with 2 boosters in 7 days.