WoW Forever beta guide
The WoW Forever beta opened on 17 Sep 2026 and runs to 21 Oct 2026. Week 1 is capped at level 20 and has the Skyborne race, Zephras Isle, the Hall of Thanes and Ruins of Lordaeron dungeons and every zone up to 20. Blizzard will raise the cap to 30 later, open more zones and dungeons as it goes, and run a Server Slam that lets everyone in for a few hours. Nothing carries over to launch.
What is in the WoW Forever beta right now
| Content | Status |
|---|---|
| Level cap | 20 now, rising to 30 later in the test (no date) |
| Races | All, including Skyborne on both factions |
| Classes and new combinations | All nine classes and all six new race and class combinations |
| Zones | Zephras Isle (1 to 12) and every existing zone's content to level 20 |
| Dungeons | Hall of Thanes (13 to 18) and Ruins of Lordaeron (15 to 20) |
| Rule sets | Normal and PvP. Roleplay comes at launch and Hardcore after it |
| Later in the beta | More zones, the other seven dungeons, the Darkspear Islands battleground |
| Not in the beta | Levels 31 to 60, raids, Hardcore, Legacy below level 25 |
How to get into the WoW Forever beta
Access is guaranteed with the Skyborne Epic Pack, the Warcraft Forever Collection or the Collector's Edition, and a purchase can take up to 30 minutes to flag your account. Everyone else can opt in for free on the official WoW Forever page; invites go out in waves through the test, and Blizzard is also inviting creators, press, fan sites, friends and family. If none of that works for you, wait for the Server Slam. Editions and prices are on the release date and beta access guide.
How to install the WoW Forever beta
- Update your graphics drivers and the Battle.net app. Check the system requirements first: cards older than 2014 are no longer supported.
- Select World of Warcraft in Battle.net, open the Game Version dropdown and choose World of Warcraft: Forever Beta under In Development.
- Install. Players report about 60 GB if retail WoW is not installed, much less if it is.
- Create a character on an available realm. If the game crashes at login on a Mac or an AMD card, see the beta fixes.
What to test in the WoW Forever beta
| Test this | Why |
|---|---|
| Skyborne and Zephras Isle | The whole 1 to 12 island is new. Both factions share the questline to level 7, and Blizzard is reading feedback on it. |
| Hall of Thanes and Ruins of Lordaeron | The only two new dungeons open now, levels 13 to 20. Dungeon experience comes mostly from quests, so pick them up first. |
| New race and class combinations | Undead Paladin, Dwarf Shaman, Human Hunter, Gnome Priest, Orc Mage and Troll Warlock all start at level 1 with new quests. |
| Talents to level 20 | Every tree was retuned and the 16-point milestone is new. Plan a build on the talent calculator before you log in. |
| Camping and professions | The Basic Campfire comes from Cooking 1 and the first camp object from skill 20, so both are testable under the cap. |
| Classic and Enhanced presets, gamepad | Blizzard asked for interface and controller feedback in week 1. |
Bug reports and feedback go to Blizzard's WoW Forever Beta Discussion forum, and the official Known Issues post lists what is already fixed for the next build. Running the free Forever Classic collector addon while you play helps map the new quests and creatures for everyone.
WoW Forever beta facts, with sources
- Official Guaranteed beta access comes with the Skyborne Epic Pack, the Warcraft Forever Collection and the Collector's Edition. Digital upgrades flag your account automatically, and the boxed Collector's Edition emails one beta code per account.Blizzard: Pre-Purchase Upgrades · Blizzard Support: WoW Forever beta
- Official Anyone can opt in to the beta for free on the official WoW Forever page. Opting in gives a chance at access, not a guarantee.Blizzard: WoW Forever page · Blizzard Support: WoW Forever beta
- Official The beta client can go offline at any time, and there are no separate beta forums. Feedback goes to the WoW Forever forum.Blizzard Support: WoW Forever beta
- Official Week 1 of the beta has the Skyborne race and Zephras Isle, the Hall of Thanes dungeon (levels 13 to 18), the Ruins of Lordaeron dungeon (levels 15 to 20) and every zone's content up to level 20. More zones, the other seven dungeons and the new battleground open as the beta continues, with no dates given.Blizzard: The WoW Forever Beta Now Live, 2026-09-17
- Official The beta level cap starts at 20 and will be raised to 30 later in the test. Blizzard has not given a date for the raise.Blizzard: The WoW Forever Beta Now Live, 2026-09-17
- Reported Developers said in an interview that the cap rises to 30 after about two weeks and then stays at 30 to the end of the beta.2 independent reports
- Official Opted-in players are picked in waves sent regularly through the test, and selected accounts are flagged automatically on Battle.net. Blizzard says it is also inviting community veterans, press, fan sites, friends and family over the course of the beta.Blizzard: The WoW Forever Beta Now Live, 2026-09-17
- Official A Server Slam will open the beta servers to everyone for several hours later in the test. Blizzard will announce the date closer to the time.Blizzard: The WoW Forever Beta Now Live, 2026-09-17
- Official Buying the Skyborne Epic Pack or Warcraft Forever Collection can take up to 30 minutes to flag your account for the beta.Blizzard: The WoW Forever Beta Now Live, 2026-09-17
- Verified Everyone starts at level 1 at launch. Developers said beta progress does not carry over.2 independent reports
- Official To install the beta: update your graphics drivers and the Battle.net app, select World of Warcraft, choose World of Warcraft: Forever Beta under In Development in the Game Version dropdown, then install and create a character on an available realm.Blizzard: The WoW Forever Beta Now Live, 2026-09-17
- Reported Players report the beta download is about 60 GB when retail WoW is not installed, and much smaller when it is, because the two share assets.Blizzard forums: install size thread
- Official Blizzard keeps a Known Issues list on the beta forum. Items marked fixed in the next build include the Waylaid Crate turn-in bugs, Holy Strike rank scaling, Ret Paladin Vengeance triggering from periodic crits, Starshards ignoring Twilight Focus and the Coldridge Valley map not revealing. Still in progress: pet stat displays, glancing blow maths for casters, guild charters, the Cooldown Manager, the friends list and the character pane missing level and class.Blizzard forums: Beta Known Issues, 2026-09-18
- Official The Legacy panel (hotkey Y) is meant to open at level 25, so it throws errors if opened earlier in the beta.Blizzard forums: Beta Known Issues, 2026-09-18
- Official Feedback goes to the new WoW Forever Beta Discussion forum, opened on 2026-09-17. There are no separate beta forums beyond it.Blizzard forums: Beta Discussion forum
- Verified The beta runs on a single US-hosted regional environment. Launch-night queues reached the tens of thousands, and Blizzard's senior producer explained the causes as a login metering system tripping too early, stale database statistics and empty maps not shutting down, all since fixed with extra world servers added.2 independent reports
- Reported Players in Europe and Oceania report 600 to 800 ms latency on the US-hosted beta. Turning off Optimize Network for Speed under Options, Network helped some players, and press reported Blizzard pushed fixes that brought many EU players near 100 ms.Blizzard EU forums: latency thread · plus 1 independent report
WoW Forever beta questions
When is the WoW Forever beta?
Official The beta runs from 17 Sep 2026 to 21 Oct 2026. Guaranteed access comes with the Skyborne Epic Pack, the Warcraft Forever Collection and the Collector's Edition, and a free opt-in gives everyone else a chance to be picked.
How do I get a WoW Forever beta invite?
Official Opt in for free on the official WoW Forever page. Invites go out in waves through the test and selected accounts are flagged automatically. Buying the Epic Pack, the Collection or the Collector's Edition guarantees access within about 30 minutes.
Is the WoW Forever beta open to everyone?
Official No. Access is only guaranteed with the Skyborne Epic Pack, the Warcraft Forever Collection or the Collector's Edition. Anyone can opt in for free on the official WoW Forever page for a chance to be selected. The Skyborne Heroic Pack does not include beta access.
What is the level cap in the WoW Forever beta?
Official The beta opened at level cap 20, and Blizzard will raise it to 30 later in the test. No date has been given.
Will my WoW Forever beta character carry over to launch?
Verified No. Everyone starts at level 1 at launch, and developers said beta progress does not carry over.
What is in the WoW Forever beta right now?
Official Week 1 has the Skyborne race and Zephras Isle, the Hall of Thanes and Ruins of Lordaeron dungeons, and every zone's content up to level 20. More zones, dungeons and the new battleground open as the beta continues.
What is the WoW Forever Server Slam?
Official A window later in the beta when Blizzard opens the servers to everyone for several hours. The date will be announced closer to the time.