WoW Forever stress test time: Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. PT, or 5 p.m. ET, and anyone can join for free

WoW Forever’s servers get a public test before launch. Here’s when the stress test starts in every region, how long it runs and how to get in.

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at 2 p.m. PDT, according to Blizzard. That’s 5 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. CT and 3 p.m. MT. In Europe the test starts at 19:00 CEST, or 6 p.m. in London, and in Asia it falls on the morning of Oct. 22: 6 a.m. KST in Korea and 5 a.m. in Taiwan.

Blizzard first scheduled the test for Oct. 19 and moved it to Oct. 21 in an update on Oct. 16. It didn’t give a reason for the change.

How long does the stress test last? Blizzard hasn’t announced an end time. It calls the test a limited-time event on Oct. 21 and says the window may end earlier or run later as needed. The goal is to put the servers through their paces with as many players as possible before launch, and Blizzard asks players to bring friends and guilds.

The WoW Forever beta goes offline shortly before the stress test begins and is expected to return shortly after it ends, so beta players can’t use their beta characters during the test window.

How to join the WoW Forever stress test. Anyone can take part. Blizzard says no subscription, Game Time, invitation or beta access is required. Update your graphics drivers, open the Battle.net desktop app and let it update, then select World of Warcraft. In the Game Version menu above the Play button, pick World of Warcraft: Forever Stress Test under In Development and install it.

You can install ahead of time. When the test begins on Oct. 21, press Play, choose an available test realm, create a new test character and enter the game.

They’re deleted. At the end of the stress test, all characters, names and guilds are wiped from the test servers, so nothing carries over to launch.

The wipe clears the way for name reservations, which open on Oct. 27. Players who pre-purchase the Skyborne Heroic Pack, the Skyborne Epic Pack or the limited-time Warcraft Forever Collection get early name reservation from Oct. 27 to Nov. 3. Names go first come, first served, and Blizzard says it can’t guarantee any name.

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, at 3 p.m. PT, or 6 p.m. ET. WoW Forever is included with a World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time, with no separate purchase. The changes from the latest beta builds, from reworked racials to a new-player tutorial, are on our WoW Forever patch notes page.

This page is updated as soon as Blizzard announces the end time of the stress test or changes its schedule.