WoW Forever release date: Nov. 4, 2026, at 3 p.m. PT, or 6 p.m. ET, worldwide

World of Warcraft: Forever launches on Nov. 4. Here’s the launch time in every region, what it costs and what happens before the servers open.

When does WoW Forever come out?

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, at 3 p.m. PST, according to Blizzard, which announced the date on Sept. 12 at BlizzCon 2026. That’s 6 p.m. ET. The launch is global, so every region gets in at the same moment, and the countdown on Blizzard’s WoW Forever site ends at 23:00 UTC. Some of Blizzard’s posts give the time as 3 p.m. PDT, but US daylight saving time ends on Nov. 1, so launch day falls on Pacific Standard Time.

WoW Forever runs on Windows and Mac through the Battle.net app. Blizzard hasn’t said whether players can download the game files ahead of launch.

WoW Forever launch time in every time zone

In the US, the servers open at 6 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. CT, 4 p.m. MT and 3 p.m. PT on Nov. 4, which is 2 p.m. in Alaska and 1 p.m. in Hawaii. In Mexico City it’s 5 p.m., and in São Paulo 8 p.m.

In Europe the launch lands late at night: 11 p.m. GMT in London and midnight CET in Paris, Berlin and Madrid, the first minute of Thursday, Nov. 5. In Asia and Australia it’s Thursday morning: 7 a.m. in Taiwan, 8 a.m. KST in Korea and 10 a.m. AEDT in Sydney.

Is WoW Forever included with a subscription?

Yes. Access is included with a World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time, Blizzard says, so there’s no separate game to buy. WoW Forever sits alongside modern WoW and WoW Classic as a new permanent version of the game, and Blizzard’s subscription offers cover modern World of Warcraft, WoW Forever and WoW Classic progression, currently Mists of Pandaria Classic.

Friends without a subscription can still try it during launch week. Every upgrade edition comes with at least one Invite-A-Friend Launch Code, sent by email starting Oct. 20, and an invited friend can play WoW Forever from Nov. 4 to Nov. 11 without a subscription or Game Time. The codes don’t include beta access.

WoW Forever editions and expected price

Blizzard sells three optional upgrades on the Battle.net Shop. The Skyborne Heroic Pack unlocks the new Skyborne race and its Zephras Isle starting area, Early Name Reservation, the Cerulean Prideclaw mount, cosmetics, housing decor for modern WoW and one Invite-A-Friend code. The Skyborne Epic Pack adds beta access, 30 days of Game Time starting Nov. 4, more cosmetics, tabards, pets and three Invite-A-Friend codes in all. The limited Warcraft Forever Collection adds Warcraft III: Reforged, its new Forsaken Kingdom campaign and figurine decor, and it’s on sale through Jan. 11, 2027.

Expected price: about $30 for the Skyborne Heroic Pack, about $60 for the Skyborne Epic Pack and about $80 for the Warcraft Forever Collection. That’s our estimate from Blizzard’s US shop listings, and Blizzard’s announcement posts don’t list official prices.

The physical Collector’s Edition costs $150 on the Blizzard Gear Store. It comes with a 13-inch Dwarf and Bear statue, a Zephras Isle mousepad, art prints, pins, a companion journal and a Warcraft Forever Collection code. Orders from its latest restock are expected to ship in February 2027, after launch, and the store limits it to one per household.

What happens before launch

The beta, open to owners of the Epic Pack and the Collection, runs through Oct. 21. That afternoon, at 2 p.m. PT, Blizzard holds a free stress test open to anyone with the Battle.net app, and our WoW Forever stress test time page has the start time in every region. Characters made during the test are wiped afterward.

From Oct. 27 to Nov. 3, PST, anyone with an upgrade edition gets Early Name Reservation: up to three characters can be created and customized before launch, with names reserved first come, first served. The latest beta changes, from reworked racials to a new tutorial, are on our WoW Forever patch notes page.

What comes after launch

WoW Forever is set after Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core. Players return to the original continents and level to 60, with new places such as Zephras Isle, the Riverglades and Mount Hyjal. Instead of picking a realm, players choose a ruleset, Normal, PvP or Roleplaying, and Hardcore follows after launch.

Blizzard’s roadmap has new raids unlocking on Dec. 9, and the raids it has named are the Barrow Deeps, for 10 players, and Hyjal Summit, for 20. More dungeons, PvP updates, quests and a revamped iconic raid follow. The campaign that sets up the story is on our Warcraft 3 Forsaken Kingdom page.

This page is updated as soon as Blizzard announces download details for launch or changes the schedule.