WoW Forever BlizzCon 2026 Recap Guide: Every Announcement in One Place

Blizzard opened BlizzCon 2026 on Saturday, September 12, 2026 with World of Warcraft: Forever (Blizzard’s BlizzCon opening article). Wowhead called Deep Dive “the first of four” Sunday Forever panels; we identified Deep Dive, Found Photos, and Hardcore. A fourth Sunday title is unpublished. This recap is What’s Next (Saturday) plus those three Sunday sessions.

	When (PDT)	Panel	Speakers (official)	Write-up
	Sat Sep 12 — opening / What’s Next	What’s Next	Ion Hazzikostas, Tim Jones, Nora Mills, Clay Stone	Official What’s Next recap. Wowhead liveblog.
	Sat	New Horizons cinematic	—	Official YouTube “World of Warcraft: Forever - Official New Horizons Cinematic Trailer” (New Horizons). Forsaken Paladin is the lead. The official trailer is the source; we have not published a caption transcript.
	Sun Sep 13, 10:00 PDT	Deep Dive	Clay Stone, Josh Greenfield, Ana Resendez, Kris Zierhut	Official Deep Dive recap. Wowhead liveblog.
	Sun	Found Photos	Josh Greenfield, Evan Lee	Official Found Photos recap.
	Sun evening	Hardcore / “What’s Next Forever”	not in an official recap	No official written recap found on September 13, 2026. Wowhead Hardcore liveblog.

Eastcoast, official forums: “New zones. Undead paladins. Dwarf shamans. New races. 10/20 player raids. I’m in love” (official forums). Homesteader, same thread: “After watching the presentation, they nailed it! It’s classic + and a place to play forever.” Jayco, on Wowhead’s announcement comments: “Great way to kill ANY hype or goodwill....snatching defeat from the jaws of vctory.” Weekend split: content yes, paid race no. Not a poll. Live Q&A is September 17 (submit questions; Wowhead) — not a BlizzCon-floor transcript.

Legal launch time is November 4, 2026, 15:00 PST, globally. Blizzard’s Carve a New Path lede also says 3:00 p.m. PDT; later in that article, the shop, the pre-purchase article, and What’s Next say PST. November 4, 2026 is after US daylight time ends. Use PST. Per-region staggered hours: unpublished.

	Milestone	Clock	Who / note
	Announced	Sep 12, 2026	BlizzCon opening / What’s Next
	Deep Dive	Sep 13, 2026 · 10:00 PDT	Official Deep Dive + opening article
	Live Q&A	Sep 17, 2026	Submit questions (coverage / blue tracker)
	Beta	Sep 17–Oct 21 PST	Epic or Collection only. Press roadmap recaps also print Oct 22. Delivery gates use Oct 21. Heroic does not include beta. Cap 30 is on the on-stage roadmap, not yet in Blizzard’s written articles.
	Invite codes emailed	From Oct 20 PST	Shop footnote. Gift purchases excluded.
	Early Name Reservation	Oct 27–Nov 3 PST	Any pack; up to 3 two-part names; first come; unique per region
	Launch	Nov 4, 2026 · 15:00 PST	Included in a WoW Subscription / Game Time. Packs optional. Invite week Nov 4–11 (invitee plays without a sub that week).
	First raids	Dec 9, 2026	Official: Barrow Deeps 10, Hyjal Summit 20. Onyxia 40 is roadmap-announced.
	Hardcore	After launch; slide “Sometime Between 2026 And 2027”	No calendar day. Not a November 4 product.
	Collection sale window	Through Jan 11, 2027	Shop + pre-purchase article
	Spring 2027 / Summer 2027	Season windows, no day	Press slide. See world-content below.

Full clock with pack footnotes: release date. Beta access and the cap-30 caveat: beta.

Battle.net US shop. Forever itself is in the subscription. Packs are upgrades. Heroic does not include beta — that error appeared in a Wowhead Skyborne article and is wrong.

Edition	USD	Beta	Game Time	Invites	Skyborne + Zephras 1–12	Names
Sub / Game Time only	—	no	existing	0	no	no
Skyborne Heroic Pack	$29.99	no	no	1	yes	yes
Skyborne Epic Pack	$59.99	yes from Sep 17	30 days from Nov 4	3 total	yes	yes
Warcraft Forever Collection	$79.99	yes	30 days from Nov 4	3 total	yes	yes

Heroic also lists Cerulean Prideclaw (riding skill still bought in-game), Shen’dorei Skyseer’s Garb, rucksack, Windwell toy, Skyborne Housing décor for modern WoW (Housing needs Midnight), and one Invite-A-Friend code. Epic adds Loyal Companion, Outdoor Wear, Forever-only pets (Zergling, Panda, Diablo, Pachimari) and Lordaeron / Shen’dorei tabards. Collection adds Warcraft III: Reforged, Forsaken Kingdom, and Forsaken & Human figurine décor. We do not sell the race unlock. Skyborne · mounts.

Physical Collector’s Edition (Gear Store listing, Blizzard’s Collector’s Edition article / Wowhead): Collection digital code, 13-inch Dwarf and Bear statue, Zephras mousepad, art prints, pins, companion journal. AU/NZ via regional retailers. Box USD price: unpublished. Shop: Windows and Mac; Americas & Oceania, Europe, Korea, Taiwan. China: unpublished. No console SKU.

Pre-BlizzCon baseline = shop + pre-purchase / Carve a New Path / opening article: launch clock, packs, Skyborne paywall, beta, name reservation, shop copy naming Dwarf Shaman / Forsaken Paladin, included in a sub, Year-1 after Forsaken Kingdom. The right column is what the weekend added.

Topic	Pre-order pages	Added this weekend
Combos	Two named in shop	Official six: Gnome Priest, Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock, Undead Paladin. More planned. No new class.
Realms	Not as rulesets	Realmless rulesets: Normal, PvP, Roleplaying, Hardcore after launch. Not one giant realm. No cross-ruleset grouping. Factions stay separate.
Hardcore death	—	Transfer out to another ruleset, including PvP. Nothing flows in. Coverage also notes a refresh warning; Legacy as leftovers after death; Mak’gora tease.
Racials	—	Every race 2 active + 2 passive. Official examples: Dwarf, Undead. Press also printed Skyborne, Tauren, Orc, Gnome extras.
Paladin	—	Holy Strike at 6; seals not consumed; Seal of Fury Judgment taunts; Consecration at 20. No interrupt, no generic slow. Instrument of the Law = Holy Wrath instant (not Wowhead’s Hammer of Wrath line).
Talents	—	1.12 rows; new milestone at 16. Divine Spirit, Blessing of Kings, Improved Mark of the Wild baseline.
Dungeons / raids	—	Nine named dungeons. First raids Dec 9: Barrow 10, Hyjal 20. Onyxia 40 on the slide only.
Zones	—	Zephras 1–12 (paid), Riverglades, Shen’dralas, Hyjal. Harbor→Auberdine; Tanaris→Powderfuse Port.
Camping / Legacy / riding	—	Camping is Cooking / campfire, not a tenth profession. Legacy spend 16 / earn 65. Riding is BC-style. No flying. No level scaling.
Transmog / input	—	Opt-in; dungeon Uncommon/Rare to all eligible looters; epic raid to binder. Official gamepad. HD and SD models.
PvP / 2027	Honor at a high level	Darkspear Islands 15v15 (bracket unpublished). Spring: two raids (10 & 20), two dungeons, zone, legendary, PvP refresh. Summer: revamped iconic raid, new raid, two dungeons on the on-stage roadmap.
Physical CE / catch-up	Thin heading	Contents listed. USD price unpublished. Catch-up on stage: “play the game.” No instant-60. On stage, new classes are not off the table.

Official Deep Dive list — six, including Dwarf Shaman (Wowhead’s BlizzCon coverage listed five and omitted it):

Gnome PriestAlliance · new combo

Human HunterAlliance · new combo

Dwarf ShamanAlliance · new combo

Orc MageHorde · new combo

Troll WarlockHorde · new combo

Undead PaladinHorde · new combo

Undead Paladin story is from Forsaken Kingdom (Bandarion Keep, Whispering Wood, Tirisfal); level-60 epic mount in the name of Retribution (Alliance charger = Redemption). Lore for the other five, and Wildhammer speech: unpublished. Skyborne (shen’dorei) pick faction at create: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Druid (new forms); Horde-only Shaman; Alliance-only Mage. Paladin / Priest / Warlock for Skyborne: unpublished. Race + Zephras 1–12 needs Heroic or higher. Classes · Undead Paladin · Dwarf Shaman · Skyborne · Undead Paladin 1–60 from $259 · Dwarf Shaman 1–60 from $259.

Racials: two active + two passive; similar offensive power. Official Dwarf: Stoneform (bleed/poison/disease; physical damage taken down, not Armor); Find Treasure stacks; Mace Specialization crit; Big Game Hunter versus Beasts. Official Undead: Will of the Forsaken still clears Charm/Fear/Sleep and no longer grants immunity; Cannibalize restores Mana and Health; Touch of the Grave. Full table for other races: unpublished. Press extras: racials.

Paladin (official): Holy Strike at 6 (instant Holy, 12s). Seals are not consumed. Seal of Fury Judgment taunts (10-yard, per BlizzCon coverage). Consecration at 20. Holy / Protection / Retribution trees named. Still no interrupt and no generic slow. 1.12 talent rows plus milestone 16. Shaman / Druid / Hunter spell lists: unpublished.

Realmless rulesets (Blizzard’s Deep Dive article): Normal (PvP needs consent), PvP (contested; Season of Discovery-style faction balance), Roleplaying, or Hardcore after launch. “Not one giant realm.” No cross-ruleset grouping. Factions stay separate. Two-part names, unique per region. Language preference matching. Named realm list, same-character Normal/PvP/RP toggle, Auction House scope, and guilds: unpublished. Hardcore death: transfer to another ruleset, including PvP — use the article, not @Warcraft’s looser line. Sunday press (Wowhead’s Hardcore BlizzCon coverage): refresh warning; Legacy as leftovers after death; Mak’gora tease. Full Hardcore rulebook (buffs, auction house, grouping, corpse runs, addons): unpublished. Realmless · Hardcore.

Camping is a campfire system on Cooking, not a tenth profession. Sit for vendors, repairs, workspaces, and one-hour buffs. Up to three contributed objects; Cook can raise that to 5 or 10. First objects at skill 20. 600+ recipes. Blueprint recipes from dungeon bosses. Sharpening Wheel = Attack Power (official; Wowhead’s coverage printed Strength).

Legacy Points: account-wide, spent per character; trees Professions / Adventure / Resourcefulness. Spend cap 16; earn up to 65 (Spectral Bear Cub named). Collections and Legacy do not flow into Hardcore.

Riding: Burning Crusade-style — gold into training; a mount is granted. Pack mounts still need the skill. No flying. No level scaling. Gold at 40 and 60: unpublished. Mounts. Transmog: opt-in; dungeon Uncommon/Rare to all eligible looters; epic raid to the binder only. Gamepad is official. HD and SD models; Classic animations restored on HD. Shop spec still lists keyboard and mouse. No console SKU.

Four named playable additions (What’s Next + Found Photos): Zephras Isle 1–12, paid with Skyborne; Riverglades mid-30s–mid-40s (~Stranglethorn; 150+ quests official, nearly 200 in Found Photos — print both); Shen’dralas between Mulgore and Desolace (level range unpublished); Mount Hyjal endgame (60, per BlizzCon coverage), entrance to both December 9 raids. Travel: Stormwind Harbor → Auberdine; Tanaris → Powderfuse Port. Gilneas, Uldum, Emerald Dream were unfinished Classic potential — not launch zones. Leveling · Forever vs Classic.

Nine new dungeons (official names): Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron, the excavation above Whelgar’s Excavation, City of Dalaran, The Drowned City, Krol’dok Stronghold, Alcaz Prison, Blackmaw Hold, The Shaper’s Terrace. Press bands and Dalaran / Krol’dok conflicts: dungeons. Vanilla remains; Scarlet Monastery still exists, per Wowhead’s BlizzCon coverage. Unique dungeon boss items are now blue. No dungeon finder announced. Riverglades has a dungeon; official name unpublished.

Raids (December 9, not launch week): Barrow Deeps 10 (three world entrances, one in Hyjal; Night Elf prison; infamous prisoner teased); Hyjal Summit 20 (summit “being drained of power”). Onyxia’s Lair 40 is roadmap-announced, omitted from written What’s Next. Boss lists, loot, attunements, lockouts: unpublished. Raids.

Darkspear Islands: 15 vs 15, control points plus an Arathi-style flag. Bracket unpublished. Original battlegrounds remain, per BlizzCon coverage. 2027 (on-stage roadmap): Spring — two raids (10 and 20), two dungeons, zone, legendary questline, PvP refresh. Summer — revamped iconic raid, new raid, two dungeons. No names, no days.

Blizzard published no boosting or gold-buying policy specific to Forever. What’s Next philosophy (“rewards come from playing the game: leveling up, running dungeons, making friends…”) is not a published ban. There is no Blizzard instant-60 in any pack. Catch-up on stage was “play the game.” Company-wide real-money rules still exist as company policy; they are not a Forever announcement. Paid character services beyond pack name reservation and the free Hardcore-death ruleset transfer: unpublished. WoW Token in Forever: unpublished. We do not sell Skyborne unlocks, we do not promise Hardcore on November 4, and we do not sell a named-realm move — there is no named-realm list.

LFCarry hub and the two class routes this recap converts to: /wow-forever, Undead Paladin leveling from $259, Dwarf Shaman leveling from $259. Other live offers from November 4 unless noted: leveling from $259 (shorter brackets cost less on the same slider), dungeons from $9 leveling / $29 endgame, gold from $19 per 100g (1,000g $150), professions 1–300 from $89, coaching $29/hour. Raids from December 9 (from $149; Hyjal Summit $249). Hardcore 1–60 from $349 when that ruleset opens — not at launch. Custom order from $10.

Guides in this set (open the one you need; this page is the index):

• Release date · Beta · Forever vs Classic
• Classes · Undead Paladin · Dwarf Shaman · Skyborne · Racials
• Leveling · Dungeons · Raids
• Realmless · Hardcore · Mounts
• This recap

1. Blizzard News — World of Warcraft at BlizzCon 2026: Discover What’s Next
2. Blizzard News — Forever What’s Next Panel Recap (speakers Ion Hazzikostas, Tim Jones, Nora Mills, Clay Stone)
3. Blizzard News — Forever Deep Dive Panel Recap (speakers Clay Stone, Josh Greenfield, Ana Resendez, Kris Zierhut)
4. Blizzard News — Forever Found Photos Panel Recap (Josh Greenfield, Evan Lee)
5. Blizzard News — Pre-Purchase World of Warcraft: Forever
6. Blizzard News — Carve a New Path with World of Warcraft: Forever
7. Blizzard’s Collector’s Edition article / Gear Store listing
8. Battle.net shop — Forever product page
9. @Warcraft — realmless ruleset graphic
10. Wowhead — What’s Next liveblog
11. Wowhead — Deep Dive liveblog
12. Wowhead — Hardcore panel liveblog
13. Wowhead — Collector’s Edition and live Q&A write-ups; Icy Veins roadmap
14. Official forums — announcement thread (Eastcoast / Homesteader quotes)
15. Wowhead announcement comments (Jayco quote)
16. YouTube — New Horizons cinematic

Editor’s note: Blizzard’s shop and legal copy say PST; we use PST throughout. Beta ends October 21. Onyxia’s Lair (40) is on the on-stage roadmap. Heroic has no beta. Instrument of the Law makes Holy Wrath instant. The Sharpening Wheel grants Attack Power. Camping sits on Cooking, not a tenth profession. Riverglades lists both 150+ and nearly 200 quests. Dalaran and Krol’dok still have conflicting press bands. The official combo list is six, including Dwarf Shaman. Blizzard’s later article supersedes the panel wording where they disagree.