WoW Forever Release Date and Roadmap 2026-2027
World of Warcraft: Forever launches worldwide on 4 November 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST, which is 23:00 UTC and midnight going into 5 November in Central Europe. Below is a live countdown and Blizzard's whole roadmap, from the beta to the summer 2027 update. Select a milestone for its details.
Key dates
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 17 September to 22 October 2026 | Beta, playable up to level 30 |
| 27 October to 3 November 2026 | Early name reservation and character creation, with any upgrade pack |
| 4 November 2026 | Global launch at 3:00 p.m. PST; Invite-A-Friend launch week until 11 November |
| 9 December 2026 | Raids unlock: Barrow Deeps (10 players), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia's Lair (40) |
| Winter 2026-27 | Hardcore launch, a ruleset where death has lasting consequences |
| Spring 2027 | Major update: two new raids, two new dungeons, new quests and area, a legendary questline |
| Summer 2027 | Major update: a revamped iconic raid, a new raid, two new dungeons, professions and Legacy updates |
Do you need to buy it?
No separate purchase: Forever is included with a World of Warcraft subscription or game time. The upgrade packs add extras such as the early name reservation.
Before launch
Plan your build in the talent calculator and your account perks in the Legacy Points calculator, and read up on the secrets already found in the beta. Dates come from Blizzard's official 2026-2027 roadmap and can still move.
Mira Duskwood is the pen name of the Lost WOW editorial team. Mira writes the secret walkthroughs and the history of the lost areas, and keeps them up to date when a patch changes something.
- How this guide was made. Every step was checked against at least two independent sources (Warcraft Wiki, Wowhead and Icy Veins), and against the patch notes for anything that changed over time.
- Last updated . When a patch moves a step or breaks a puzzle, the page is corrected and the date changes.
- Spotted a mistake? Tell us and it gets fixed. Read the editorial policy.