WoW Forever FAQ
What is WoW Forever?
Blizzard's permanent Classic-style version of World of Warcraft: the 1–60 world of 2004–2006 with changes to classes, races, talents and systems on top. It is not a season; it does not end. It launches November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST after a beta that ends October 21.
Is it the same world as Classic?
Yes for the map: Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, level cap 60, the same zones, dungeons and raids. What changed is the classes (every talent tree was reworked), the races (new ones and new combinations), racials (rewritten), an account-wide Legacy perk system, and a long list of quality-of-life changes logged on the news desk.
Which races are new?
Skyborne, on both sides: the High Order (Alliance) and the Windshaper (Horde). They share Walk on Air (glide), Elemental Insight and 3% haste, and differ on a regen racial. Every race's racials are on the race pages.
Which race and class combinations are new?
Undead Paladin, Dwarf Shaman. Both are confirmed in the beta client's race data.
What are Legacy perks?
An account-wide tree of 16 points you earn by playing, spent on quality-of-life and small power perks (for example Talented, which gives your first talent point earlier). They are in the talent calculator under the Legacy Perks tab, with the challenge list that earns the points.
How many talent points do I get?
51 at level 60, one per level from 10. The Talented perk moves the first point earlier. The calculator has a level box that shows exactly how many you have at any level.
Did my Classic build survive?
Mostly not. Every class has talents that were removed, added, moved or rewritten. The Classic vs Forever pages show every talent side by side, and the 27 starter builds are legal spends under the new trees.
What changed in dungeons?
Dungeon experience was raised about 20% in the October 8 build, tank threat was raised, and a new dungeon, the City of Dalaran, opened for testing. Everything else is the Classic list; see dungeons by level.
What about wands?
Since the October 15 build wands need you to stand still for half a second before they fire. Caster leveling with a wand is still fine; kiting with one is not.
Marks of Honor and PvP?
Marks of Honor stack to 30 (was 20). Battlegrounds and the honor system are Classic's; any further PvP changes will show on the news desk as Blizzard publishes them.
When are name reservations?
October 27. Pre-purchase packs (Skyborne Heroic, Skyborne Epic, Warcraft Forever Collection) get early reservation from October 27 through November 3. Details and a countdown on the launch page.
Do my beta characters carry over?
No. Beta and stress-test characters, names and guilds are wiped.
Is there a mount at 40 and 60 like Classic?
Yes. Riding and mounts follow Classic. Paladins and Warlocks get their mounts from quests; the class quest page lists them.
Is Forever free?
It is part of the World of Warcraft subscription. The pre-purchase packs are optional cosmetics plus early name reservation.
Where do these answers come from?
Blizzard's beta development notes and blue posts, the beta client's own data files (via talentsforever.com, CC BY 4.0), and the community change tracker, all logged build by build on the news desk. When a build changes an answer, this page is regenerated.
What changed for each class
From the beta client data: baseline ability changes first, then the talent counts versus Classic 1.12.
Warrior 0 new talents, 35 changed, 10 removed
- Rage: From damage taken and your swings. Slower weapons give more Rage a swing, so it comes in at a steady rate. Out of combat you lose 1.25 Rage a second
- Victory Rush: Baseline, Arms tab. Instant, 30 sec cooldown: a melee hit that heals 10% of your max health, within 20 sec of a non-trivial kill
- Tactical Mastery: A passive in the Arms tab now, not a talent: keep up to 10 Rage when you change stances, and Improved Tactical Mastery adds up to 15 more
- Intercept: Unchanged from Classic: level 30 in the Fury tab, ranks at 42 and 52. Improved Intercept stays in the Fury tree.
- Slam: A new rank 1 at 20; Classic's four ranks follow at 30, 38, 46 and 54, one rank number higher. 18 sec cooldown now (Classic had none).
Every Warrior talent, Classic vs Forever · leveling guide
Paladin 0 new talents, 23 changed, 12 removed
- Judgement: Changed: it no longer eats your seal. 10 yd range, 10 sec cooldown. Judging Seal of Fury taunts for 4 sec.
- Seal of Fury: The tank seal: every hit adds Holy damage, and with a shield up an absorb worth half of it. Level 10, ranks to 58.
- Holy Strike: Baseline Ret strike, 10 sec cooldown: weapon damage plus Holy. Level 6, ranks to 60. Several talents build on it.
- Blessing of Kings and Consecration: Both trainable now, not talents. Consecration at level 20.
Every Paladin talent, Classic vs Forever · leveling guide
Hunter 0 new talents, 24 changed, 11 removed
- Aimed Shot: Trainable now, not a talent, and quicker: 2 sec cast (Classic 3), 6 sec cooldown shared with Multi-Shot. Level 20, ranks to 60. A reader caught the cast time on Xaryu's stream.
- Call Owl: Call Pet is named after your pet. The demo Hunter's read Call Owl.
- Aspect of the Beast: Changed: rank 1 makes you untrackable and adds 50 melee attack power (Classic: untrackable only). Spotted by a reader on Xaryu's stream.
Every Hunter talent, Classic vs Forever · leveling guide
Rogue 0 new talents, 31 changed, 7 removed
- Energy: Comes back 1 point every 0.1 sec, 10 a second: Classic's rate with no tick to wait for
- Mutilate: New talent, Assassination row 5: both weapons at 75% each, 20% more on poisoned targets, 2 combo points. Remorseless Attacks, Lethality, Cold Blood, Puncturing Wounds and Opportunity name it.
- Venom: New finisher at the bottom of Assassination. Your poisons do 30% more and apply 10% more often, longer per combo point.
- Thousand Cuts: New Subtlety capstone. Each Rupture tick takes 3 Energy off your next Hemorrhage or Backstab, stacking to 5.
- Axes: Rogues can use one-handed axes now. The Hack and Slash talent lists Axe/Sword as a weapon group.
Every Rogue talent, Classic vs Forever · leveling guide
Priest 0 new talents, 30 changed, 9 removed
- Penance: New Discipline channel: Holy damage or healing, instantly and every 1 sec for 2 sec, 12 sec cooldown. Rank 1 from the talent at 30, ranks 2 to 4 at 40, 50 and 60.
- Binding Heal: New 1.5 sec cast: heals a friend and you at once, low threat. Rank 1 from the talent at 25, ranks 2 to 6 from 32 to 56.
- Prayer of Mending: New: a heal that goes off when the target is hit or healed, then jumps to a party or raid member within 20 yd, up to 5 times. Instant, 10 sec cooldown. Rank 1 from the talent at 40, ranks at 50 and 60.
- Shadow Word: Death: New Shadow nuke, 18 sec cooldown, ranks at 32, 40, 48 and 56. If the target survives you take 10% of your max health. Early Demise adds 15 or 30% crit on targets at or below 20% health.
Every Priest talent, Classic vs Forever · leveling guide
Shaman 0 new talents, 30 changed, 8 removed
- Lightning Bolt: Ranks 4 to 10 cast in 2.5 sec, half a second under Classic's 3. Ranks 1 to 3 keep 1.5, 2 and 2.5 sec.
- Chain Lightning: Also half a second faster: rank 1 is a 2 sec cast, 6 sec cooldown, 3 targets, each jump 30% weaker. Max Elemental Alacrity brings Lightning Bolt to the same 2 sec.
- Totemic Projection: New: pick a spot up to 30 yd away and your totems move there. Seen on Guzu's stream. Totemic Recall is in too.
- Totems last 5 min: Lasting totems last 5 min now (most were 2 min in Classic; Healing Stream and Mana Spring 1 min). Searing (30 to 55 sec by rank), Magma (20), Stoneclaw (15), Earthbind and Grounding (45) and Mana Tide (12) keep their short timers. Blizzard's Class Highlights video (3:00) says five minutes.
- Call of the Elements, Ancestors and Spirits: New: each drops up to four totems from its own Totem Bar set in one 3 sec cast. Elements at 20, Ancestors at 30, Spirits at 40.
Every Shaman talent, Classic vs Forever · leveling guide
Mage 0 new talents, 35 changed, 2 removed
- Comprehend Scroll: New little ability: decipher an untranslated scroll. Level 6.
- Arcane Blast: New. Rank 1 from the Arcane talent, ranks 2 to 5 at 30, 40, 50 and 60.
- Ice Lance: New. Rank 1 from the Frost talent, five more ranks from 28 to 56.
- Frostfire Bolt: New at 40, ranks at 50 and 60: a bolt that is both Fire and Frost. Missile Barrage, Improved Fireball and Heating Up name it.
- Teleport: Dalaran: New at 50. The files give it to Alliance races only and the class trainer does not sell it; where it is learned is not known yet.
Every Mage talent, Classic vs Forever · leveling guide
Warlock 0 new talents, 30 changed, 15 removed
- Bane of Agony: Curse of Agony, renamed. Bane of Doom the same. Banes and Curses are separate now, so you can run one of each.
Every Warlock talent, Classic vs Forever · leveling guide
Druid 0 new talents, 33 changed, 9 removed
- Omen of Clarity and Nature's Grasp: Both trainable now, not talents, in the Balance tab: Nature's Grasp at 10, Omen of Clarity (a passive now) at 20.
- Revive: New out-of-combat resurrection, 10 sec cast. Rebirth keeps its 30 min cooldown.
- Lacerate: Bear bleed from later expansions, baseline here; Shredding Attacks cuts its Rage cost. Level 42, ranks at 50 and 58. Thanks to a reader.
- Cure Poison: Still here: level 14 from the quest Power over Poison, as in Classic. Since build 70170 High Order Skyborne can take that quest too (Blizzard's notes).
Every Druid talent, Classic vs Forever · leveling guide