World of Warcraft: Forever goes live worldwide at the same moment: 3:00 p.m. PST on Tuesday, November 4, which is 6:00 p.m. ET, 11:00 p.m. in the UK and midnight (00:00) on November 5 in Spain, France and Germany. Blizzard confirmed the time on its official news site. Below is the time in your country, how to preload, what you need to play and the choices you make at first login.
WoW Forever release time by country
| Region / city | Local time | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (PST) | 3:00 p.m. | Tue Nov 4 | Official |
| Denver (MST) | 4:00 p.m. | Tue Nov 4 | Our math |
| Chicago, Mexico City (CST) | 5:00 p.m. | Tue Nov 4 | Our math |
| New York (EST) | 6:00 p.m. | Tue Nov 4 | Our math |
| Brazil (BRT) | 8:00 p.m. | Tue Nov 4 | Official |
| UK, Ireland, Portugal (GMT/WET) | 11:00 p.m. | Tue Nov 4 | Official |
| Spain, France, Germany, Italy (CET) | 00:00 (midnight) | Wed Nov 5 | Official |
| Greece, Finland, Romania (EET) | 1:00 a.m. | Wed Nov 5 | Our math |
| Turkey, Saudi Arabia | 2:00 a.m. | Wed Nov 5 | Our math |
| UAE | 3:00 a.m. | Wed Nov 5 | Our math |
| India (IST) | 4:30 a.m. | Wed Nov 5 | Our math |
| Taiwan, China, Singapore | 7:00 a.m. | Wed Nov 5 | Official |
| Korea, Japan | 8:00 a.m. | Wed Nov 5 | Official |
| Sydney, Melbourne (AEDT) | 10:00 a.m. | Wed Nov 5 | Official |
| New Zealand (NZDT) | 12:00 p.m. | Wed Nov 5 | Our math |
Rows marked “Our math” are converted from Blizzard’s 23:00 UTC time. Note that Europe and North America are both on standard (winter) time on November 4, so older tables that say BST or CEST are wrong.
How to preload WoW Forever Reported
- Open the Battle.net app and select World of Warcraft.
- In the Game Version drop-down above the Install button, choose World of Warcraft: Forever.
- Click Install (or Pre-load) and pick an SSD with at least 128 GB free.
- Before 3:00 p.m. PST, restart Battle.net to pick up any last patch. Expect queues and login errors in the first hour; Blizzard usually posts status updates on its support account.
System requirements Reported
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-4460 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600X | Intel Core Ultra 5 265K / AMD Ryzen 5 9600X |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | GTX 1060 / RX 5600 (4 GB, DirectX 12) | RTX 4060 / RX 7600 / Arc B570 |
| Storage | 128 GB on an SSD | |
Requirements as reported by IGN and Players.com.ua at preload. If you only meet the minimum, pick the Classic preset and Standard Definition models (below), which are lighter.
What WoW Forever is
Official Blizzard calls it a permanent home alongside modern WoW and Classic. It is set after Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core, and takes you across the original continents to level 60. It adds more than 1,000 new quests and new or reimagined zones: Mount Hyjal, Shen’dralas, the Riverglades (over 150 quests for the mid-30s to mid-40s) and Zephras Isle, the level 1 to 12 starting area for the new Skyborne race.
| Feature | What it means | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Skyborne race | Horde Windshapers (Shaman) or Alliance High-Order Skyborne (Mage) | Official |
| New race/class combos | Orc Mages, Troll Warlocks, Undead Paladins, Human Hunters, Gnome Priests, Dwarf Shamans | Official |
| Rulesets, not realms | Normal, PvP, Roleplay, Roleplay PvP; Hardcore after launch | Official |
| Two-name system | Each character has two names, unique per region | Official |
| Camping | Shared campfires with up to three crafted Camp Features | Official |
| Legacy System | Account-wide horizontal progression; alts help but are not required | Official |
Classic or Enhanced? Our quick pick
Official At first login you choose an Experience Preset, then a Ruleset. Classic starts with Standard Definition models, no quest markers, no one-bag and no transmog. Enhanced turns those on with HD models and a centred UI. Blizzard says it is only a starting point and every setting can be changed later under Game Menu > Options.
- Played vanilla or Classic? Pick Classic for the original feel.
- New to WoW or returning after years? Pick Enhanced, as Blizzard suggests. Quest markers save a lot of time.
- Older PC? Keep Standard Definition character models; you can switch per character at a Barbershop.
Do you need to buy it?
Official WoW Forever is included with an active World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time. Blizzard also sells optional bundles: the Skyborne Heroic Pack, the Skyborne Epic Pack (which adds beta access and 30 days of game time) and the Warcraft Forever Collection. You do not need any of them to play at launch.
Launching a big game the same month as GTA 6? See our November 2026 release calendar.
Frequently asked questions
What time does WoW Forever launch?
3:00 p.m. PST on November 4, 2026. That is 6:00 p.m. ET, 11:00 p.m. GMT, and midnight CET on November 5. In UTC it is 23:00 on November 4.
Can you preload WoW Forever?
Yes. In the Battle.net app, select World of Warcraft, choose World of Warcraft: Forever in the Game Version menu and click Install. You need about 128 GB on an SSD.
Is WoW Forever free?
No, but it costs nothing extra: it is included with a World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time.
Does WoW Forever have realms?
No traditional realm screen. You choose a Ruleset: Normal, PvP, Roleplay or Roleplay PvP. Hardcore comes after launch.
What is the max level in WoW Forever?
Level 60.
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Checked on November 2, 2026. Graphic: HUDWire.