World of Warcraft Forever has just been unveiled on stage at Blizzcon 2026. Blizzard has been waiting for this moment to reveal the future of the MMORPG, including glimpses into what’s ahead for World of Warcraft Midnight and Xal’atath’s plans. The more dramatic announcement, however, is that of Forever, a reinvention of WoW Classic that aims to combine the magic of launch-day World of Warcraft with over two decades of advancements.
Game Director Ion Hazzikostas kicks us off with a look at World of Warcraft: Midnight Eclipse, where we’ll finally get a better look at Xal’atath’s true goal. Unfortunately, he isn’t willing to tell us much about next WoW expansion The Last Titan, due to some “pretty catastrophic Midnight spoilers” that would happen as a result. “Early next year, when we’re on the other side of Eclipse, we’ll have so much more information to share with you.” The trailer also gives us a date: The Last Titan is coming in 2027.
“We are putting the war back in Warcraft: armies, battles, bloodshed, survival – it all hearkens back to the stories that started it all,” Executive Producer Holly Longdale announces. That starts with a teaser for a new Warcraft 3 Reforged expansion, Forsaken Kingdom. Then, however, it’s time for the reveal of what Longdale confirms as the new name for what’s colloquially been dubbed WoW Classic Plus.
World of Warcraft Forever is designed to be “your new permanent home,” Longdale explains. “It’s a new beginning that never ends, and I promise you, if you’re a past, current, or new player, now’s the time to get into the game that changed everything.” Blizzard’s promise is something “friendly, familiar, and new,” focused on “what made vanilla so memorable in the first place – the world as a main character.”
Forever’s tale begins after the events of Warcraft 3 Forsaken Kingdom, “essentially year one of vanilla WoW.” Longdale says the level cap will stay at 60 “indefinitely.” Rather than telling a focused hero’s story, you’ll be able to carve your own path, with more attention placed on exploration and community. “Ultimately, it’s easy to get into and play, and deep enough to stay… forever.” Sounds ominous, but I’m certainly interested to discover whether Blizzard’s truly able to recapture that magic of its early days back in 2004.
Expect all-new dungeons and raids (both 10 and 20 player), fresh skills and talents, and unique race and class combinations, including the new Skyborne. Blizzard says World of Warcraft Forever offers “over 1,000 new quests, new items and rewards, new professions content, new reputations, account-wide perks,” and a world-spanning visual overhaul with the option to toggle your character model between ‘SD’ and ‘HD’ versions. WoW Forever will also support Hardcore as an optional extra.
World of Warcraft Forever launches on Wednesday November 4, but the beta begins Thursday September 17. It’s also being demoed live at Blizzcon 2026, so if you happen to be there you can try it right now.