WoW Forever roadmap at a glance (date, what, status)
Search wants a roadmap, not another release-date page. The clock below is the same calendar as the release-date guide, but every row carries a status: official (Blizzard news or shop), on-stage roadmap (slide Icy Veins transcribed; not in Blizzard's written recap), or press (Wowhead / Icy Veins / interview). If a row is press, do not treat it as a Blizzard date.
| Date | What | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Announced at BlizzCon What's Next | official |
| Sep 17, 2026 | Beta starts. Shop lists Epic Pack, Collection, or the $150 CE code. Level cap starts at 20 and rises to 30 after a couple of weeks (Clay Stone, Destin interview, Sep 14) | official |
| Sep 17, 10:30 a.m. PDT | Live Forever Q&A on Warcraft Twitch and YouTube | official |
| Oct 20, 2026 | Invite-A-Friend codes emailed (Heroic 1, Epic or Collection 3) | official |
| Oct 21, 2026 | Beta ends on Battle.net shop and the pre-purchase article. Icy Veins prints Oct 22 | official |
| Oct 22, 2026 | Icy Veins beta-end / roadmap row (not Blizzard's shop clock) | press |
| Oct 27–Nov 3, 2026 | Early Name Reservation, any upgrade pack, up to 3 characters, two-part names | official |
| No Blizzard date | 3-day early access for the Epic Edition — Icy Veins roadmap intro only; Blizzard's pre-purchase article and shop list no early access | press |
| Nov 4, 2026, 3:00 p.m. PST | Global launch. Included with a WoW subscription or Game Time | official |
| Nov 4–11, 2026 | Invitee plays Forever that week without a sub | official |
| Dec 9, 2026 |  Barrow Deeps (10) and  Hyjal Summit (20) unlock | official |
| Dec 9, 2026 | Onyxia (40) — shown on the on-stage roadmap as transcribed by Icy Veins, not in Blizzard's written recap | on-stage roadmap |
| After launch — no day |  Hardcore ruleset opens | official |
| Winter 2026 — no day | Hardcore window as transcribed by Icy Veins / Wowhead panels | press |
| Through Jan 11, 2027 | Warcraft Forever Collection on sale ($79.99) | official |
| Spring 2027 — no day | Icy Veins wave: 2 raids (10 + 20), 2 dungeons, 2 race/class combos, new quests and area, PvP refresh | press |
| Summer 2027 — no day | Icy Veins wave: revamped iconic raid, new raid, expanded world, 2 dungeons, PvP refresh, professions + Legacy | press |
The dated launch story sits on release date. What the product is sits on Forever explained.
Beta phase: September 17 to October 21
Beta starts September 17, 2026. Blizzard's shop and pre-purchase article end it on October 21, 2026. Icy Veins' roadmap table prints October 22 — that is press, not the shop clock. Blizzard has not published the hour on September 17.
Who is in: the Skyborne Epic Pack ($59.99), the Warcraft Forever Collection ($79.99), or the $150 Collector's Edition digital code. The Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99) does not include beta. Blizzard's written pages do not describe a free opt-in. Wowhead and Icy Veins describe a chance-based Battle.net opt-in — press, not a shop promise, and not a free wave for every account.
The level cap starts at 20 and rises to 30 after a couple of weeks (Clay Stone, Destin interview, September 14). Icy Veins' beta guide says progress does not carry to live. Treat the window as a test of the first four new dungeons and the new zones — not a banked head start. Full access list: beta guide.
Same day as the open: a live Forever Q&A at 10:30 a.m. PDT on Warcraft Twitch and YouTube, VOD after (Blizzard news, September 15). That is the first place a dual-spec or dungeon-finder answer can land. Dual spec today: not announced.
Pre-order 1–60 leveling →1–60 Leveling Boost is $259, pre-order, refundable before the session starts. A Pro pilots the character from 1 to 60 after November 4 — we do not sell a set hour count.
Pre-launch: invites October 20, names October 27–November 3, early access
Three clocks sit between beta and launch. Only two are official.
| Window | Who | What Blizzard wrote | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Oct 20 | Pack buyers (not gift purchases) | Invite-A-Friend launch codes emailed. Heroic 1, Epic or Collection 3. Redeem Nov 4–11; the invitee plays that week without a sub | official |
| Oct 27–Nov 3 | Any upgrade pack | Early Name Reservation. Up to three characters. Two-part names, unique per region. First-come | official |
| No written Blizzard date | Epic Edition, per Icy Veins | Icy Veins' roadmap intro says 3-day early access for the Epic Edition. Blizzard's pre-purchase article and shop list no early access | press |
Icy Veins also ties name reservation to Epic-and-up. Blizzard's shop footnote is broader: any upgrade pack, including Heroic. Use the shop. How the two-part name works: name reservation. Pack contents: editions.
Skyborne itself is a paid race (Heroic or higher), not a date. It is not a launch-week unlock you wait for — you either bought the pack or you did not. Race guide: Skyborne.
Launch day: November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST
One global clock. World of Warcraft: Forever launches November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST — PC and Mac, included with a WoW subscription or Game Time. Packs are upgrades, not the ticket to log in. Blizzard has not published per-region go-live hours.
One Blizzard article printed the daylight-time zone by mistake. The pre-purchase article, the Collector's Edition post, What's Next, and the shop all print PST. November 4 falls after the US daylight-saving change. Treat 3:00 p.m. PST as the legal time.
What is open on day one: the new zones, the nine new dungeons, the six new race/class combos, realmless rulesets Normal / PvP / Roleplaying, and leveling to 60. What is not open: Hardcore (after launch, no day), and the first raid unlock (December 9). Dungeon finder: not announced. Dual spec: not announced.
Invite week runs November 4–11 for people who redeem a launch code. That is a week of access, not a character boost. How Forever sits next to today's Classic family: Forever vs Classic. Dungeon list: dungeons.
December 9 raids: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit, Onyxia status
Launch on November 4 does not open raids. What's Next says new raids unlock on December 9, 2026. That is the first raid date Blizzard has printed.
| Raid | Size | Unlock | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow Deeps | 10 | Dec 9, 2026 | official |
| Hyjal Summit | 20 | Dec 9, 2026 | official |
| Onyxia's Lair | 40 | Dec 9 on the slide | on-stage roadmap — shown on the on-stage roadmap as transcribed by Icy Veins, not in Blizzard's written recap |
Boss counts, attunes, and lockouts: Blizzard has not said. A legendary reward is "to be revealed in full" (What's Next). Do not book a raid night Blizzard has not set. Full raid page: raids.
Pre-order Forever raids →Raid runs from $149 — Barrow Deeps $149, Hyjal Summit $249, Onyxia $199 held or refunded if it does not ship. The Pro runs the raid on the unlock date Blizzard publishes.
Hardcore after launch — winter is press, not a day
Hardcore is not at launch. Blizzard's Deep Dive list marks it available after launch and gives no day. The BlizzCon panels, as transcribed by Wowhead and Icy Veins, said later this winter — that is press, not a shop footnote.
What is official about the ruleset: it is a fully enclosed ecosystem; a dead Hardcore character can transfer to another ruleset, including PvP; Collections and Legacy can leave Hardcore and nothing flows in. Death rules, appeal, auction house, and whether it opens with the December 9 raids: Blizzard has not said. The "Go Again!" panel is an official VOD (September 14) with no written recap.
Do not plan a launch-week Hardcore character. Our Hardcore 1–60 at $349 opens when the ruleset does — not on November 4. Rulebook when it exists: Hardcore guide. How rulesets wall groups: realmless.
2027 waves: Icy Veins transcription of the on-stage slide
Blizzard's written What's Next names a post-launch direction — more raids and dungeons, PvP updates, Hardcore, a revamped iconic raid — and does not stamp Spring or Summer 2027. The table below is Icy Veins' transcription of the on-stage roadmap slide. Status on every row: press.
| Wave | What Icy Veins printed | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2027 | 2 new raids (10-player and 20-player); 2 new dungeons; 2 new race/class combinations; new quests and a new area; PvP refresh | press |
| Summer 2027 | A revamped iconic raid; a new raid; an expanded world; 2 new dungeons; PvP refresh; new professions and Legacy updates | press |
No day inside either season. Named raid titles, dungeon names, and which "iconic" raid gets the remake: not announced. When Blizzard writes a 2027 article, this table changes and the changelog says when.
What to do before each date (the part other roadmaps skip)
A date without an action is a countdown widget. Here is what actually changes on your account, and what we will sell you if you want a Pro on it. No hour count. No delivery day we invent.
| Before | What you do | What a Pro can do |
|---|---|---|
| Now | Decide if you need shop-listed beta (Epic $59.99, Collection $79.99, or $150 CE). Heroic $29.99 buys Skyborne and name reserve, not beta. Nothing you do in beta carries over (Icy Veins) | Nothing yet — we do not sell beta hours |
| Sep 17 | Watch the 10:30 a.m. PDT Q&A. If you have Epic or Collection, test the first four new dungeons and the new zones while the cap is 20 | Coaching at $29/hour if you want a Pro on the talent calculators |
| Oct 20 | Watch the Battle.net email for invite codes. Gift purchases are excluded | — |
| Oct 21 | Official beta ends. Treat Oct 22 as Icy Veins only | — |
| Oct 27–Nov 3 | Reserve two-part names if you own a pack. First-come. Blizzard does not promise the name you want | — |
| Nov 4, 3:00 p.m. PST | Log in with a sub. Level. Clear the new dungeons. Do not wait for Hardcore or for raids | 1–60 Leveling Boost is $259, pre-order, refundable before the session starts. A Pro pilots 1–60 after launch. Dungeon first-clears from $9 |
| Nov 4–11 | Invite week. The friend plays without a sub that week — that is access, not a boost | — |
| Dec 9 | First official raids unlock. Onyxia is on-stage only until Blizzard writes it | Raids from $149 — Barrow Deeps $149, Hyjal Summit $249, Onyxia $199 held or refunded if it does not ship |
| Hardcore (no day) | Do not roll a launch-week Hardcore character. Winter is a panel line, not a shop date | Hardcore 1–60 at $349 opens when the ruleset does |
How to level yourself: leveling guide. How to power-level after the dungeon-XP change: power leveling.
From the source
Official“World of Warcraft: Forever launches globally on November 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. PST, with beta beginning September 17. New raids unlock on December 9.”
Official“When World of Warcraft: Forever launches globally on November 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. PST, access will be included with your World of Warcraft Subscription or Game Time.”
Report“World of Warcraft: Forever is releasing on November 4, 2026. However, you can get a 3-day early access via purchasing the Forever Epic Edition.”
Official“When: Thursday, September 17 at 10:00 a.m. PDT for modern WoW, and 10:30 am PDT for WoW Forever. Where: Official Warcraft Twitch and YouTube channels. Tune in live on Thursday or watch the VOD after the stream.”
FAQ
Ask about the roadmap →If the status column still looks messy — Hardcore winter, Onyxia on-stage only, 2027 waves as press — ask the chat. We will answer from the same calendar.