Blizzard has announced World of Warcraft: Forever, a new permanent version of the MMO built around the long requested idea of Classic Plus.
The new experience will exist alongside both modern World of Warcraft and the existing Classic versions. It keeps the original level 60 structure while adding new zones, quests, dungeons, raids, professions and other content designed specifically for this version of Azeroth.
World of Warcraft: Forever will launch on November 4, 2026. A beta is scheduled to begin on September 17.
| Detail | World of Warcraft: Forever |
|---|---|
| Type | Permanent Classic Plus experience |
| Level cap | 60 |
| New zones | 3 |
| New quests | More than 1,000 |
| New dungeons | 9 |
| New raids | 2 |
| New race | Skyborne Elves |
| Beta | September 17, 2026 |
| Release date | November 4, 2026 |
Forever expands the original version of Azeroth
World of Warcraft: Forever is designed as a separate long term home for players who want the structure and pacing of early World of Warcraft without simply replaying the same content again.
The game takes place after the events of Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core.
Players will return to the original continents and progress from the beginning to level 60, but the journey will include new stories and activities that did not exist in the original release.
Blizzard says the world itself will remain an important part of the experience, with exploration and community interaction positioned as major parts of the design.
The company also plans to overhaul several existing areas rather than limiting development to entirely new locations.
More than 1,000 new quests are planned
Forever includes three new zones and more than 1,000 new quests.
That represents a substantial expansion of the original levelling experience, particularly because Blizzard intends to keep the game inside World of Warcraft's first year timeline.
Nine new dungeons and two new raids are also planned.
New professions will expand crafting and gathering, while a new PvP battleground will give competitive players another activity outside the existing Classic options.
The Skyborne Elves will join the game as an entirely new playable race.
Updated visuals are also part of the project, although Blizzard has not yet detailed exactly how far the visual changes will go compared with current Classic releases.
The level 60 structure is staying
One of the important differences between Forever and a normal expansion is that Blizzard does not plan to keep raising the level cap.
Future content will continue within the level 60 structure and the early World of Warcraft timeline.
That could allow Blizzard to expand the game horizontally by adding new zones, equipment, stories, dungeons and raids without repeating the traditional expansion model where players constantly move into higher level content.
It also gives the company a way to develop Classic World of Warcraft as its own ongoing branch rather than treating it entirely as a recreation of previous expansions.
Blizzard plans continued updates after launch
Forever is not being presented as a limited seasonal experiment.
Blizzard describes it as a permanent part of the World of Warcraft lineup, and additional content is already planned after release.
The company will provide a deeper look at its design philosophy, systems and development decisions during a dedicated BlizzCon panel on September 13.
The upcoming beta should also give Blizzard an early opportunity to collect feedback before the November launch.
World of Warcraft: Forever therefore represents a significant change for Classic. Instead of continuing to reproduce old content exactly as it originally appeared, Blizzard is building a new version of early Azeroth that can continue growing while keeping the level 60 foundation.
Discussion (0)
Be the first to comment.