WOW FOREVER · BETA AND LAUNCH
WoW Forever beta access, launch date and name reservation explained
The official September–November 2026 dates, which upgrades include beta access, and what a normal WoW subscription covers at launch.
The announced dates
Blizzard’s upgrade announcement gives the following schedule. Its launch time is 3 p.m. PST, equivalent to 23:00 GMT on November 4 in the UK. The beta start date alone does not establish an opening hour.
| Event | Announced window |
|---|---|
| Beta | 17 September–21 October 2026 |
| Early name reservation | 27 October–3 November 2026 |
| Global launch | 4 November 2026, 3 p.m. PST |
Subscription access and upgrade benefits
Launch access is included with a WoW subscription or Game Time. The optional Skyborne Heroic Pack adds the Skyborne race and name reservation. Beta access is included with the Skyborne Epic Pack and Warcraft Forever Collection; Heroic alone does not include it.
Any upgrade includes early creation and customisation of up to three characters during name reservation. Names are first come, first served. Epic and the Collection include 30 days of Game Time starting November 4.
What follows launch?
Blizzard’s What’s Next recap dates the new raid unlocks to December 9. Further raids, dungeons, PvP updates, world content and Hardcore are on the longer-term roadmap. Treat a roadmap window as a plan that still needs release-specific details.
A short preparation plan
Our recommendation is to start with the way you want to play. Write down your preferred faction, likely class, and whether your first sessions will be solo or with friends. Then decide whether you want to participate in testing or simply begin at launch.
If you do test, use one small goal per session: check a quest chain, record a travel connection or inspect the profession trainer. Keep a dated note of the client build and what you actually observed. That makes feedback easier to reproduce and helps you distinguish a remembered announcement from the behaviour on screen.
Before committing to an upgrade, read the current regional shop listing for its exact price and benefits. This article is an access explainer, not a recommendation to buy a particular edition.
Continue with the field guides
Sources and review notes
This article reports pre-beta information. No route timings, class rankings or gold returns are claimed as playtested results. We will review the relevant details against future official updates and documented client testing.
