Release date · last checked 16 October 2026
WoW Forever release date: 4 November 2026
World of Warcraft: Forever launches globally on 4 November 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PSTBlizzard. It needs a WoW subscription or Game Time; the packs are optionalBlizzard.
Launch countdown · 4 November, 3:00 p.m. PST
Launch time
3:00 p.m. PST in your time zone
Converted from Blizzard’s official time. US daylight saving ends on 1 November, so the launch is at 23:00 UTC.
Los Angeles (PST)
Wed 4 Nov, 15:00
Denver (MST)
Wed 4 Nov, 16:00
Chicago (CST)
Wed 4 Nov, 17:00
New York (EST)
Wed 4 Nov, 18:00
São Paulo
Wed 4 Nov, 20:00
London (GMT)
Wed 4 Nov, 23:00
Berlin / Paris (CET)
Thu 5 Nov, 00:00
Kyiv / Athens (EET)
Thu 5 Nov, 01:00
Moscow (MSK)
Thu 5 Nov, 02:00
Dubai
Thu 5 Nov, 03:00
Singapore
Thu 5 Nov, 07:00
Sydney (AEDT)
Thu 5 Nov, 10:00
Official dates
Every date Blizzard has published
17 September 2026
Beta opens for Skyborne Epic Pack and Warcraft Forever Collection ownersBlizzard
20 October 2026
Invite-A-Friend launch codes start arriving by email (one with the Heroic Pack, three with the Epic Pack or Collection)Blizzard
21 October 2026
Beta ends (runs “through October 21, PST”)Blizzard
27 October – 3 November 2026
Early name reservation: up to three characters, with any upgrade purchaseBlizzard
4 November 2026, 3:00 p.m. PST
Global launchBlizzard
4 – 11 November 2026
Invite-A-Friend codes give a friend access for launch weekBlizzard
9 December 2026
First raids unlockBlizzard
Servers
Rulesets instead of realms
- No realm list: you pick a ruleset, Normal, PvP or Roleplaying, at launch, and Hardcore after launchBlizzard.
- Each ruleset is one large community in your region. You cannot group across rulesets, and switching means a new characterBlizzard.
- Names have two parts and must be unique within your regionBlizzard.
- Oceanic players are on Oceanic data centres and share the US auction house, according to Blizzard’s 17 September live Q&A as reportedCommunity.
More detail on rulesets, Oceania and names: launch time and servers.
What Blizzard has not announced yet
Last checked 16 October 2026 against Blizzard’s news articles and the pre-purchase FAQ.
- When servers open for login on launch day: Blizzard gives 3:00 p.m. PST as the launch time. It has not announced a separate “servers up” time or a launch-day maintenance window.
- Login queues and layering at launch: No policy on queue limits, layering or population caps for launch has been published.
- Early access or a head start: None announced. Name reservation (27 October – 3 November) is the only pre-launch access to the live game.
- Beta character carry-over: Not announced. Every previous WoW beta ended with a wipe, so plan to start at level 1.
- The date for the Hardcore ruleset: Blizzard says “after launch” and puts it in winter on the roadmap. No date yet.
- Rulesets beyond Normal, PvP and Roleplaying at launch: Those three are confirmed for launch. Nothing else has been announced.
Login errors and queues
What to do on launch night if you cannot get in.
First 10 levels
A fast start, with beta client data.
Price and editions
Subscription and the optional packs.
Answers
Release date FAQ
When is the WoW Forever release date?
World of Warcraft: Forever launches globally on 4 November 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST. That is 6:00 p.m. EST and 11:00 p.m. GMT on 4 November, and midnight CET, 2:00 a.m. Moscow and 10:00 a.m. Sydney on 5 November.
Do I need to buy WoW Forever?
No separate purchase is needed to play. Blizzard says WoW: Forever requires a World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time. The Skyborne packs are optional upgrades.
Is there early access or a head start?
Blizzard has not announced early access or a head start (last checked 16 October 2026). Before launch there is the beta (until 21 October, Epic Pack and above) and name reservation from 27 October to 3 November.
Will there be login queues at launch?
Blizzard has not announced its queue, layering or population plans for launch (last checked 16 October 2026). Our login guide covers what to do if you hit a queue or a “world server down” message.
When does the WoW Forever beta end?
The beta runs from 17 September through 21 October 2026, Pacific time.
What are Invite-A-Friend launch codes?
Codes that give a friend access from 4 to 11 November 2026. The Skyborne Heroic Pack includes one, and the Epic Pack and Warcraft Forever Collection three. They are emailed from 20 October.
Checked 16 October 2026 · Sources: What’s Next panel recap, Pre-purchase WoW: Forever upgrades, Choose your ruleset, Create a name of your own, Carried.io: Live Q&A liveblog, Midnight and Forever (17 September)
Market check · 14 October 2026
Before you buy anything for Forever
Levelling 1–60 takes about 150 hours of play by community estimates, and Blizzard has announced no WoW Token and no paid boost for Forever. These are the prices other sellers are already taking pre-orders at.
Market prices: pre-order listings on lfcarry.com, wowvendor.com, skycoach.gg, kingboost.net and others, checked 14 October 2026. Our own rates go up when realms open — no one can deliver Forever gold before 4 November.