WRITTEN ARTICLE · NAME RESERVATION
WoW Forever name reservation: October 27 start times and the three-character limit
When WoW Forever name reservation opens in Europe, North America, Korea and Taiwan, who can reserve, the three-character limit across rulesets and what happens to beta and stress test names.
When does WoW Forever name reservation start?
Early name reservation opens on October 27 in Europe and North America and on October 28 in Korea and Taiwan. Blizzard lists November 3, the day before launch, as the last day but gives no closing time.
It is open to accounts with an eligible World of Warcraft: Forever upgrade. Each of those accounts can create up to three characters in total across all rulesets.
| Region | Opens | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | Tuesday, October 27 | 18:00 CET, which is 17:00 in the UK |
| North America | Tuesday, October 27 | 1:00 p.m. PDT |
| Korea | Wednesday, October 28 | 07:00 KST |
| Taiwan | Wednesday, October 28 | 07:00 CST |
In this article
Diagram: ForeverWisp Editorial. Not an in-game screenshot.
How many characters can you reserve?
The limit is three characters in total across all rulesets, not three on each one. Blizzard’s own example: if you create two characters on a PvP ruleset, you can create only one more on a Normal or Role-Play ruleset. Blizzard says this limit applies only to early name reservation.
Our advice is to settle your ruleset with friends before the window opens. Blizzard does not say whether deleting a reserved character frees up a slot, so treat each character you create as one of your three.
Who can reserve a name?
Blizzard says players who pre-purchase the Skyborne Heroic Pack, the Skyborne Epic Pack or the limited-time Warcraft Forever Collection can reserve names. The footnote describes this as buying the World of Warcraft: Forever Digital Upgrade or Collector’s Edition, and says the benefit applies only to the WoW account it was bought for.
The upgrade announcement says early reservation comes with any upgrade purchase. A subscription or Game Time on its own gives you access from launch. If you have more than one WoW account, check which one holds the upgrade before October 27.
How to reserve a name
Blizzard’s steps use the Battle.net desktop app.
- Update your graphics drivers, and install the Battle.net desktop app if you do not have it.
- Open the Battle.net app and let it update.
- Select World of Warcraft from the list of games.
- In the Game Version menu above the Play button, choose World of Warcraft: Forever, then select Install.
- When the install finishes, select Play and choose your ruleset.
- Create up to three characters with the names you want.
Your full name must be unique, not just your first name
Every Forever character has a first name and a second name. Blizzard’s naming post says the complete name must be unique within your region rather than on a single realm, so two players can share a first name if their second names differ. Names are first come, first served, and Blizzard says it cannot guarantee the one you want. The naming rules check both parts together, so splitting a restricted word across the two names will not necessarily get it through.
Our advice is to write down three or four complete names in order of preference. If you want a shared second name with friends or across your alts, agree it before the window opens.
What happens to beta and stress test names?
Blizzard’s October 20 forum post takes the beta offline on October 21 and opens WoW Forever on its regional launch hardware for a stress test. Any WoW account can join, with no subscription needed. In Battle.net, the test is a separate Game Version called World of Warcraft: Forever Stress Test, listed under In Development.
When the test ends, every stress test character is deleted, including its name, so a name you use in the stress test is not kept for launch.
Blizzard lists the times below. By our conversion, the European times start four hours before the others, and every region finishes at the same moment.
| Time zone | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Central Europe (CEST) | October 21, 19:00 | October 22, 03:00 |
| UK and Ireland (BST and IST) | October 21, 18:00 | October 22, 02:00 |
| US Eastern (EDT) | October 21, 5:00 p.m. | October 21, 9:00 p.m. |
| US Central (CDT) | October 21, 4:00 p.m. | October 21, 8:00 p.m. |
| US Pacific (PDT) | October 21, 2:00 p.m. | October 21, 6:00 p.m. |
| New Zealand (NZDT) | October 22, 10:00 a.m. | October 22, 2:00 p.m. |
| Australia Eastern (AEDT) | October 22, 8:00 a.m. | October 22, noon |
| Taipei | October 22, 5:00 a.m. | October 22, 9:00 a.m. |
| Seoul | October 22, 6:00 a.m. | October 22, 10:00 a.m. |
When does the WoW Forever beta close?
After the stress test, Blizzard reopens the beta. The same post says Blizzard plans to close it for good at 10:00 a.m. PDT on Friday, October 23, which is 18:00 in the UK.
Blizzard’s upgrade announcement still says the beta runs through October 21. The October 20 forum post is newer, so we use its date.
Launch day and Invite-A-Friend codes
World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. PST, which is 23:00 in the UK. Blizzard’s upgrade announcement describes reservation as creating and customising up to three characters, so plan each one’s race, class and ruleset as if you will play it at launch.
The same announcement says qualifying upgrades include Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes, emailed from October 20. The Skyborne Heroic Pack includes one code, and the Skyborne Epic Pack and Warcraft Forever Collection include three. A friend who redeems a code through Battle.net can play from November 4 to November 11 without a subscription or Game Time. The codes do not include beta access, and Blizzard says gift purchases do not qualify.
Related reading and guides
Sources and review notes
- Blizzard: Claim Your World of Warcraft: Forever Character Names, October 20
- Blizzard forums: WoW Forever Stress Test on October 21, posted October 20
- Blizzard: Pre-purchase World of Warcraft: Forever upgrades
- Blizzard: Create a name of your own in WoW: Forever
Written October 20 from Blizzard’s October 20 name reservation announcement, its October 20 stress test forum post, its upgrade announcement and its post on how Forever names work. UK times are our own conversion. The reservation window had not opened when we wrote this, so nothing here comes from using it.
