Which client should I install now?
For name reservation and launch, use Battle.net → World of Warcraft → Game Version → World of Warcraft: Forever. The Beta and Stress Test entries were temporary test clients. Follow Blizzard’s reservation instructions for your eligible WoW account; reservation opens at the regional times below.
Earlier European beta connection issues
Blizzard has rolled out EU beta routing fixes to address early movement, interaction and disconnect problems. Some players may still experience connection issues.
For addon-specific disconnects and missing quest markers, check addon troubleshooting.
Latest beta update: October 15
Recheck your build before copying an older allocation. Blizzard’s October 15 development notes, posted October 16 UTC, move or replace talents in Mage, Priest, Shaman and Warlock trees. Our talent calculator now includes those tree changes, using the October 19 community export for client 1.60.1.70425. Existing saved links retain their original trees. The build catalogue separates the newly checked Affliction allocation from historical recommendations. Later client differences remain unverified. October 22 correction: the community export now agrees with Blizzard’s final Winter’s Chill effect; the calculator’s effect and saved points have not changed.
There are useful changes outside the talent window too:
- Choosing a race: Human, Orc and Dwarf weapon specializations have been replaced, Skyborne Haste is now 3%, and Gnome Eureka! lasts eight seconds instead of three charges. Check the updated racial table before choosing around an old weapon bonus.
- Tanking as a Paladin: Salvation no longer excludes another Blessing, and Revoke removes it from a party or raid member. Reckoning can bank up to four extra attacks for the next melee swing. The same patch reduces Consecration’s Spell Power coefficient and raises Righteous Fury’s Holy-damage threat bonus; these are not a simple damage buff.
- Playing Hunter or using a wand: Auto Shot and wand shots now require half a second standing still before firing. Hunter Auto Shot can still fire during casts such as Aimed Shot and Sniper Shot.
- Questing as Horde: completing the Sewer Key chain no longer makes open-world Dalaran safe. Guards attack Horde on sight; access to the City of Dalaran dungeon is unaffected.
- Cleaning up combat text: look under Options → Gameplay → Combat → Scrolling Combat Text for Self for Text on Me and Text on Target. Try the native controls before adding another combat-text addon.
The October 15 notes accompanied client 1.60.1.70425. At our October 20 check, the official beta distribution manifest listed 1.60.1.70450 for US, EU, Korea and Taiwan. A distributed client version does not guarantee that every regional realm is open, and the talent calculator still has unresolved scaling and effect differences; selected 70450 corrections are included, but full client parity is not established. The notes also reduce many profession-crafted items’ vendor prices; check the current sell value before crafting a batch for vendor profit.
Earlier beta update: October 8
All beta players have been granted Legacy Challenge completion, awarding 16 Legacy Points for testing. This was a testing grant, not a launch unlock or a reason to level another character now. Our Legacy guide separates the beta grant and respec rules from launch progression.
The October 8 development notes describe the new build, without a numeric client build or a regional availability receipt. Check the dated fixes and new known issues before treating an older bug report as current.
Earlier weekly updates: October 1 and September 24
Announced October 1: the US notice schedules morning PDT maintenance; the EU notice gives evening CEST downtime and an expected return early October 2. Both promise an updated build with a level-30 cap. Neither supplies exact reopening times. Blizzard subsequently published the October 1 development notes.
Blizzard’s September 24 weekly beta update introduced the following changes. The development notes include broad class tuning and bug fixes, temporary 1-silver talent resets during beta, Cooldown Manager testing, more gamepad work, quest/item/UI fixes and a memory-leak fix that could cause performance to degrade over time.
The official September 24 notes do not state a client build number, so ForeverAtlas is not assigning one from community reports. Read Blizzard’s September 24 development notes.
Dates and rules worth checking this week
Registration for the Forever Open closed early on October 2 at 19:00 CEST, replacing the previously announced October 4 deadline. The announced October 17–18 tournament dates have now passed. See the event article for its dated rules and announcements; this is not an open registration window.
Blizzard scheduled its PAX Aus dungeon showcase for October 9, and has clarified gold-buying penalties during beta. Neither announcement changes beta access requirements.
What Blizzard is adjusting after week one
In the first WoW: Forever Podcast, Blizzard developers reviewed the opening beta week with Countdown to Classic and Xaryu. The discussion points to several changes still being worked on rather than final launch rules:
- Dungeon quest rewards: the team plans to pull back some guaranteed Rare/blue rewards where a single dungeon run currently hands out too many.
- Layering: developers acknowledged bugs that can separate party members or open-world PvP targets unexpectedly.
- Visual feedback, updated October 7: Blizzard has now previewed revised HD Skyborne Druid forms. The separate SD character and Druid-form options are in development with an early-2027 target; they are not promised for launch. See the Skyborne model update.
Watch the official WoW: Forever Podcast episode. These are beta adjustments and feedback areas, so details can still change before launch.
Hunter auto-shot and wand timing: fix delivered
Blizzard’s September announcement described a bug that shortened the intended 0.5-second pause before a Hunter auto-shot or wand attack. The October 15 development notes now list the half-second standing-still requirement as restored. Let your character settle before expecting the shot; Hunter Auto Shot can still fire during casts such as Aimed Shot and Sniper Shot.
The original Auto-shoot Bug and Fix Incoming post remains useful history, but its future-fix wording no longer describes the latest patch.
Earlier weather-effects announcement
On September 23, Blizzard said increased weather effects were coming to the beta. That announcement did not give a rollout time or specify affected zones. With the test now closed, it remains a dated plan; this guide does not establish when or where those changes shipped.
Read Blizzard’s Increased Weather Effects blue post.
Can I join the Server Slam?
The announced window has passed — this is no longer an invitation to join. As of October 22, all scheduled regional windows below have ended. Blizzard opened this separate test to everyone, without a subscription, game time, invitation or beta access. The October 20 staff schedule superseded the original October 19 date:
These were separate regional opening times; every listed window ended at October 22, 01:00 UTC. Blizzard planned to take the regular beta offline during the stress test and reopen it afterwards. Blizzard subsequently confirmed the beta’s closure on October 23.
The event used the separate World of Warcraft: Forever Stress Test client. A remaining download entry does not mean the test is still open. The regular beta has also closed.
Blizzard said stress-test characters, names and guilds would be wiped afterwards. They do not reserve your launch name. Early name reservation starts October 27 for eligible upgrade owners. Read Blizzard’s stress-test announcement. The October 19 date in the earlier Wowhead launcher report is superseded by Blizzard’s October 16 update.
When did the beta end?
Blizzard confirmed that the WoW Forever beta closed on October 23, 2026. The October 23 staff confirmation followed the announced 10:00 PDT / 17:00 UTC / 19:00 CEST closing time.
Blizzard scheduled its final beta celebration in Zephras Isle, Dun Morogh, Elwynn Forest, Teldrassil, Durotar, Tirisfal Glades and Mulgore until Friday, October 23 at 10:00 PDT — 17:00 UTC / 19:00 CEST. The beta is now closed.
Do not use celebration drops or encounters as a launch loot guide: Blizzard warns that this one-time event includes items and experiences that may not be present after November 4.
The October 22 staff announcement confirms the closing time from the October 20 schedule, which superseded the older October 21 written terms and October 22 roadmap. The later closure confirmation supersedes the invitation to make a final visit.
The announced global launch is November 4 at 23:00 UTC — November 5 at 00:00 CET. Those are the same opening time.
Which upgrade includes Skyborne and name reservation?
Beta access below is historical; the test is closed. Choose any upgrade for its remaining benefits, not for a beta session.
Epic and Collection include 30 days of game time starting November 4. Collection also includes Warcraft III: Reforged, Forsaken Kingdom and additional housing decor.
Early Name Reservation
Choose your ruleset and three character names before reservations open. October 27–November 3 is the reservation window; Blizzard’s October 20 announcement gives these regional starts:
October 22 update: Roleplay-PvP is announced for the November 4 launch. Blizzard plans to include it in Early Name Reservation beginning October 27. If your group wants RP-PvP, agree on it before using your reservation slots; check the selector when your region opens.
These are separate regional starts. Early name reservation permits up to three characters in total across all rulesets. The benefit applies only to the WoW account for which the eligible upgrade was purchased. Names are first come, first served and are not guaranteed. Two characters on PvP leave one slot for Normal or RP; this limit applies during early reservation.
Use the WoW account with your Skyborne Heroic Pack, Skyborne Epic Pack or Forever Collection entitlement. In Battle.net, select World of Warcraft → Game Version → World of Warcraft: Forever, install it, then choose your ruleset and create your characters when reservations open. Use the Forever entry, rather than the temporary Stress Test entry.
Blizzard’s reservation instructions include the eligibility footnote and launcher steps.
Characters can share a first name or surname. The full two-name combination must be unique within your region.
To hide your surname above your character, open Escape → Options → Nameplates and turn off My Secondary Name. Your full name still appears in chat.
What are Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes?
These are launch-week codes, not beta invites. Heroic includes one; Epic and Collection include three in total. Blizzard’s written terms say email delivery begins October 20, Pacific time, with access November 4–11, Pacific time. They do not give an exact delivery hour. Check the code email’s regional dates and redemption instructions when it arrives.
Choosing a ruleset with friends
Forever uses regional Normal, PvP, Roleplaying and Roleplay-PvP rulesets at launch rather than a traditional realm list. Choose the same region, ruleset and faction as your friends so you can group together. EU and North American characters cannot group together at launch; choosing English as a preferred language does not bridge that boundary. Developer explanation, from 49:46. Hardcore is planned for later. The ruleset FAQ explains the October 22 RP-PvP announcement and what remains unspecified.
For quest problems, search the Quest Atlas. For client and class bugs, check the beta known-issues list.
