WoW Forever: Release date, how to join beta and what to expect

Though being more than two decades old, WoW continues to, well, wow and with the World of Warcraft: Forever release date looming, we’ve got everything to expect in WoW: Forever to get you up to speed, as well as how to join the beta.

Of course, WoW isn’t the only MMO in town, and you might want to check out all that’s coming in FF14: Evercold. FF14 does owe WoW a great deal, however, as Yoshi-P revealed that two major housing updates are inspired by World of Warcraft.

But for fear of this intro going on forever, read on to find out all there is to know about World of Warcraft: Forever, how to gain access to the beta and what to expect!

When is the WoW Forever release date?

The World of Warcraft: Forever release date is 4 November 2026.

This gives you a couple of weeks to dive in and explore all that’s new before the release of GTA 6. Though, as the name suggests, perhaps you will be playing WoW forever...

Though the full release is in November, you can play a little earlier.

When is the WoW Forever beta? How to join WoW Forever beta explained

The World of Warcraft: Forever beta runs from 17 September 2026 to 21 October 2026.

To gain access to the beta, you need to purchase either the Skyborn Epic Pack or the Warcraft Forever Collection.

Alternatively, you can try your luck by signing up for a random chance via the free opt-in on Battle.net.

World of Warcraft: Forever is a new WoW client that Blizzard Entertainment describes as being a “new permanent home alongside modern and Classic WoW”.

WoW Forever is set after the events of Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core, and takes place on the original continents, making it more akin to classic WoW.

You can reach Level 60 and play through new quests and experiences. As can be seen above, there is a 2026-2027 roadmap that lays out what we can expect up to summer of next year.

Most striking are the new graphics on show, which have massively improved the look of the game over WoW Classic, though at the cost of performance.

Which consoles and platforms can play WoW Forever?

World of Warcraft: Forever will be available to play on PC and macOS.

While only properly supported on Windows, it is possible to play WoW: Forever via Linux distributions such as SteamOS found on the Steam Deck, though the new graphical enhancements will see the game running slower than before.

Is there a WoW Forever trailer?

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There is indeed a World of Warcraft: Forever trailer, and you can check it out above.

The trailer shows off the new graphics tech, with old familiar locales looking rather lovely with the new lick of paint. Crucially, the Classic WoW look is retained, with the graphics mostly improving lighting and water.

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