On 4 November 2026 at 23:00 UTC, World of Warcraft: Forever goes live worldwide at the same moment. This checklist sums up what to know before your first login: the time in your region, choosing a realm and ruleset, what changed compared with Classic and which preparations pay off. Everything here comes from the Forever Hub's local data and the sources linked below.
Launch time by region
Blizzard gives a single global launch time. In local time that lands on a different day depending on the region:
| Region | Time zone (example) | Local launch time |
|---|---|---|
| Americas & Oceania | US East Coast (EST) | Wednesday, 4 November, 6:00 PM |
| Americas & Oceania | US West Coast (PST) | Wednesday, 4 November, 3:00 PM |
| Americas & Oceania | Sydney (AEDT) | Thursday, 5 November, 10:00 AM |
| Europe | United Kingdom (GMT) | Wednesday, 4 November, 11:00 PM |
| Europe | Central Europe (CET) | Thursday, 5 November, 12:00 AM |
| Korea | Seoul (KST) | Thursday, 5 November, 8:00 AM |
| Taiwan | Taipei (CST) | Thursday, 5 November, 7:00 AM |
Note for North America: daylight saving time ends on 1 November 2026, so the launch already falls into standard time. The home page shows a countdown to the launch and to the raid unlock.
Mega-realms and rulesets
Forever does not use many small servers. Each region gets one mega-realm per ruleset. The four regions are Europe, Americas & Oceania, Korea and Taiwan. These rulesets are available at launch:
- Normal: PvE focus, PvP is optional.
- PvP: open-world PvP is always on. On PvP realms, enemies can also threaten campsites.
- Roleplay (RP): strict naming and behaviour rules.
- Roleplay PvP: roleplay rules with a PvP focus.
- Hardcore: death is permanent. The mode arrives after launch; our roadmap lists it for winter 2026/27 (date in the data: 21 December 2026).
The choice matters more than in Classic: there are no groups across rulesets. If you play on the PvP realm, you cannot run a dungeon with friends on the Normal or RP realm. Agree on the choice with your guild and friends beforehand. All rulesets are summed up under rulesets & regions.
Name reservation
Name reservation opened on 27 October 2026, 20:00 UTC. According to the Warcraft Wiki, each account could create up to three characters during that window. If you missed it, simply create your characters at launch. Keep in mind that a mega-realm brings together every player of your region and ruleset, so popular names go quickly.
What is different from Classic
Forever is not a straight copy of Classic. These points matter most at launch:
- No in-game calendar and no server communities. Raids and dates have to be organised outside the game. That is what our raid planner is for, with sign-ups, a waiting list, a ruleset filter and Discord integration.
- No play across rulesets (see above).
- A new race and new combinations: the Skyborne are a new race that has to be bought separately. Six new combinations open up for existing races: Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Gnome Priest, Orc Mage, Undead Paladin and Troll Warlock. More in the Skyborne guide.
- Reworked talent trees: every class has new and changed talents. The first point still arrives at level 10 and there are 51 points in total. Dual talent specialization is learned from your class trainer at level 40 for 10 gold. Plan your build in the talent calculator.
- New systems: Legacy replaces achievements and unlocks at level 25, camping adds group buffs around the campfire, and Merchant's Favor turns material crates into a currency for recipes.
- New content: new zones such as the Riverglades and Mount Hyjal, nine new dungeons and two new raids. The raids open on 9 December 2026; details in the guide to dungeons and raids.
Addons: the _forever_ folder
Forever has its own client with its own addon folder. Addons go into World of Warcraft\_forever_\Interface\AddOns. If Interface and AddOns do not exist yet, create both folders. Beta and test clients use their own directories (for example _forever_beta_). The Battle.net app shows the right path via the gear icon next to "Play" and "Show in Explorer".
Classic addons do not work automatically: each addon needs a matching interface version in its TOC file.
Launch night checklist
- Agree on region and ruleset with friends and guild – switching later separates you.
- Pick race and class. The races per class are listed in the class database; Skyborne requires a purchase.
- Plan your levelling talents and save them as a link (talent calculator).
- Copy addons into the
_forever_folder and check first that they have been updated for Forever. - Put your first group and raid dates into the raid planner, since there is no in-game calendar.
- Pick two professions that fit your plans: gathering professions fill crates for Merchant's Favor, and cooking unlocks stronger campfires.
- Expect queues: at launch every player of a region and ruleset shares the same mega-realm.
What is still open
Some details are unknown or uncertain before launch: the exact date of the Hardcore mode, the time of the raid unlock on 9 December and the exact dates of the spring and summer 2027 updates. We will update this article as soon as Blizzard publishes more.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
When does WoW: Forever launch?
The global launch is on 4 November 2026 at 23:00 UTC. That is Wednesday, 4 November, 6:00 PM on the US East Coast and Thursday, 5 November, midnight in Central Europe.
Which realms are available at launch?
Each region gets one mega-realm per ruleset: Normal, PvP, Roleplay and Roleplay PvP. Hardcore follows in winter 2026/27; our roadmap lists 21 December 2026.
Can I play with friends on a different ruleset?
No. Groups across rulesets are not possible. If you want to play together, pick region and ruleset together.
Where do Forever addons go?
Into World of Warcraft\_forever_\Interface\AddOns. Beta and test clients have their own folders.