Getting Beta Access to World of Warcraft: Forever

World of Warcraft: Forever is the very same Classic+ that Blizzard has been promising us for years. Not a cosmetic update to Classic, but a full-fledged third branch of WoW with its own content, its own rules, and plans stretching years ahead.

The key difference from Classic is that Forever brings back the unknown: it features content no player has ever seen and continues storylines that the original WoW abandoned halfway through, while the level 60 cap is frozen forever.

The release is set for 5 November 2026. You won't need to buy the game separately — access is granted by a regular subscription or game time.

The Forever beta test kicks off on 17 September and runs until 21 October 2026. That means testers will have more than a month to try the game out before release.

The beta is not an open test. Simply taking out a subscription and logging in won't get you in.

There are two ways to secure that coveted access.

Signing Up for the Test

You can try your luck and submit an application on the official website. Before the test begins, Blizzard will pick the lucky ones who get beta access for the entire period. Based on previous tests, Blizzard tends to favor experienced players, so the older your account and the more you play World of Warcraft, the higher your chances of getting in.

Buying a Special Preorder Pack

Guaranteed beta access is built into the Warcraft Forever Collection preorder packs, but not every edition grants it. This is the main catch that's easy to get wrong when buying.

• Heroic pack (€29,99) — no beta. It only unlocks the Skyborne race and the starting zone, but does not let you into the test.
• Epic pack (€59,99) — includes beta access from 17 September to 21 October.
• Warcraft Forever Collection (€79,99) — includes beta access, plus many other bonuses across all Blizzard games.

In other words, the minimum entry point for the beta test is the Epic pack at €59,99. If your goal is specifically the test rather than collector's goodies, there's no point buying the most expensive edition.

A subscription is still mandatory on top of this: the pack unlocks beta and race access, but does not replace paying for game time.

Skyborne Heroic Pack — €29,99

• The Skyborne race and the Isle of Zephras starting zone.
• The Sky-Blue Pride Claw mount.
• The Shen'dorai Sky Seer's Outfit transmog set.
• The Seasoned Adventurer's Backpack cloak.
• The Shen'dorai Wind Well toy.
• Housing decor items.
• Early name reservation — from 27 October to 3 November.
• 1 friend invite code.
• No beta access.

Skyborne Epic Pack — €59,99

• Everything from the Heroic pack.
• Beta test access: from 17 September to 21 October.
• An additional mount and outfit set.
• Pets: Zergling, Panda, Diablo, and Pachimari.
• Lordaeron and Shen'dorai tabards.
• 30 days of game time.
• 2 friend invite codes in total.

Warcraft Forever Collection — €79,99

• Everything from the Epic pack, including beta access.
• Warcraft III: Reforged.
• Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom.
• Figurines and housing decor items.
• 3 friend invite codes in total.
• The edition is sold on a limited basis — until 11 January 2027.

The difference between the Heroic and Epic packs is €30. For that you get not only the test access itself, but also 30 days of game time that partly offsets the surcharge, as well as an extra mount, outfit, pets, and a second invite code.

If you were going to play Forever at launch and pay for a subscription anyway, the Epic pack looks like the logical choice. But if you're only interested in the race and are willing to wait until 5 November, the Heroic pack is enough.

The main novelty that draws many into the test is the Skyborne, a new playable race. This is an elven people from the Isle of Zephras, a floating scrap of land inspired by the element of air, Thunderous Fury, and the legacy of the Highborne.

Beyond the race, Forever brings reworked talent trees for every class, new locations (Mount Hyjal, Riverdale, Shen'Dralas), fresh dungeons and 10- and 20-player raids, more than 1000 new quests, and new class-and-race combinations — Dwarf Shaman and Forsaken Paladin.

• 17 September — beta test start (with the Epic pack).
• 21 October — beta test ends.
• 27 October – 3 November — early name reservation window.
• 5 November 2026 — release of World of Warcraft: Forever.
• 5–11 November — window in which friends invited via codes play for free.
• 11 January 2027 — last day to buy the Warcraft Forever Collection.