WoW Forever dates: launch, raids and countdown
All confirmed dates around WoW Forever in one place: end of beta, name reservation, launch and raid opening. Times appear in your local time, and every date can be added to your calendar. Anything Blizzard has not confirmed yet is listed without a date under “Still open”.
- Launch: Wed, Nov 4, 3:00 pm PST · 11:00 pm UTC
- Raids: Dec 9, 2026
WoW Forever launch
Blizzard has not given a time. The countdown runs to the start of the day on the US West Coast.
Upcoming dates
Forever Open: beta duel tournament
Community per fan sitesCommunity duel tournament on the beta, not a Blizzard event: qualifiers on Oct 17, finals on Oct 18.
Invite-A-Friend codes arrive by email
Launch officialThe codes can be redeemed from Nov 4 to Nov 11. They do not grant beta access.
Last day of the beta
Beta officialThe servers close in the early hours of Oct 22 (Pacific Time), which is mid-morning in Europe. Progress does not carry over.
Early name reservation
Launch officialUp to 3 characters with any upgrade pack, first come, first served. Korea and Taiwan: Oct 28 to Nov 4 local time. Blizzard has not given a time.
Invited friends play without a subscription
Launch officialInvite-A-Friend: anyone who received a code plays from Nov 4 to Nov 11 without a subscription.
WoW Forever launch
Launch officialAt the same time worldwide, no early access: Nov 4 at 3:00 pm PST, Nov 5 at 00:00 CET.
Raids open
Raids officialBarrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit open. Korea and Taiwan: Dec 10 local time. Blizzard has not given a time.
Raid sizes of 10 (Barrow Deeps) and 20 (Hyjal Summit), plus Onyxia's Lair (40) as a third raid. per fan sites
Last day of the Warcraft Forever Collection
Shop officialAfter that, Blizzard stops selling the Collection with Warcraft III: Reforged. The Heroic and Epic Packs have no announced end date.
Blizzard gives dates without a time in Pacific Time (US West Coast); in Europe and Asia the start may fall on the following day. Dates with a time are shown in your local time.
Calendar export
- Import the file into Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar. As a subscription (link above), your calendar picks up new dates on its own.
- Every date also has its own calendar entry. For the launch, your calendar reminds you one hour before.
Not decided yet
- Stress test (“Server Slam”) unconfirmed
Blizzard has announced an open stress test lasting a few hours. The date and time have not been officially confirmed yet. More on this - Time of name reservation unconfirmed
The days are set, but Blizzard has not given a time yet. More on this - Weekly raid reset unconfirmed
The day and time of the raid reset in WoW Forever have not been confirmed yet. As soon as Blizzard announces them, the reset goes into the calendar as a recurring date from Dec 9. More on this - World events and holidays unconfirmed
Blizzard has not published a holiday calendar for WoW Forever yet. Whether and when Feast of Winter Veil and other festivals happen is still open. More on this - Maintenance after launch unconfirmed
Blizzard announces maintenance at short notice. We add it here once it is official. More on this - Hardcore ruleset unconfirmed
According to Blizzard it arrives “after launch”; there is no date. More on this
Past dates
Beta maintenance
Maintenance officialThe beta servers were offline for maintenance and updates.
Beta: level cap 30
Beta officialMaintenance in the evening, then a level cap of 30 until the end of the beta.
Beta begins
Beta officialThe beta starts with a level cap of 20.
More about the launch
- Launch time in every time zone: WoW Forever launch time.
- What to sort out before launch: Launch checklist.
- Everything about the release on one page: Release overview.
- Bosses, sizes and entrances of the first raids: Raids in WoW Forever.
- New announcements and maintenance: News.
FAQ
When does WoW Forever launch?
On Nov 4, 2026 at 3:00 pm Pacific Time (PST), at the same time worldwide. In Central Europe that is Nov 5 at 00:00 CET.
When do the raids open in WoW Forever?
On Dec 9, 2026. Blizzard has officially announced Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit; according to fan sites, Onyxia's Lair opens as well. Blizzard has not given a time yet.
When is the raid reset in WoW Forever?
The day and time have not been confirmed yet. As soon as Blizzard announces them, the reset will be listed here and in the calendar.
When can I reserve my name?
From Oct 27, 2026 to Nov 3, 2026 with any upgrade pack, up to 3 characters. The time is not known yet.
When does the beta end?
Oct 21, 2026 is the last full day of the beta. The servers close in the early hours of the following day (Pacific Time). Progress does not carry over.
How do I get the dates into my calendar?
Download the .ics file or subscribe to it. It works with Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar.
Updated: Oct 15, 2026. Only dates Blizzard has officially announced are listed here. Community events are marked as such.
More WoW Forever Guides
- Beginner's guide
Getting started in WoW Forever: picking a class, leveling route and checklist. - What's New in WoW Forever?
Every change compared to Classic at a glance. - Forever vs. Classic
Every difference, topic by topic, with sources. - Rulesets and Names
Normal, PvP, RP, Hardcore and name reservation. - Races and Classes
Skyborne and every race and class combination. - Raids
Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia from Dec 9, 2026. - PvP
Honor, rank points, ranks 1–14 and the new battleground. - Legacy System
65 challenges, three trees, cosmetic rewards. - Which class suits me?
Quiz with 8 questions and a class recommendation. - BiS lists
The best gear for every class and playstyle. - Dungeons by level
Which dungeon fits your level, plus the raids. - Professions 1–300
Leveling routes for every profession with materials and a shopping list. - Best professions
Which profession suits which class. - Making gold
Honest ways to earn gold, no buying, no bots. - Release and Countdown
Every date up to the raid launch. - Editions and prices
All editions, prices and what the subscription includes. - Roadmap
Dates and phases through 2027, confirmed or open. - Name generator
First and last names for every race, with a rules check. - Class quests
Every class quest chain for each class, by level. - Class trainers
Where every class finds its trainers, with coordinates. - Macros
Ready-made macros for all nine classes to copy. - Dungeon quests
Every quest to pick up before each dungeon as a checklist. - Quest Chains
Every quest chain by zone, in the right order. - Librams and Arcanums
All eight librams with materials, costs and bonuses. - Tier list
The strongest classes and specs by role. - Skyborne guide
The new race: factions, racial abilities and starting zone. - Hardcore
What is confirmed and what is still open. - Onyxia attunement
Every attunement quest as a checklist. - Launch time worldwide
When WoW Forever launches in your time zone. - Server status
Servers, queues and known issues during launch week. - What to do at which level?
Zones, quests and dungeons for every level. - Riding
Required level, cost and mounts. - Attributes and stats
What Strength, Stamina, Armor and more actually do. - Camping
Every camp object and what it does. - Lockpicking
Rogue guide, skill 1–300. - Pick Pocket
What rogues can steal and where. - Best addons
The best addons for leveling, raids, PvP and gold. - Install addons
How to get addons into WoW Forever. - Reputation
Every faction with its rewards and the quests that grant reputation. - Launch checklist
Your day-one checklist for WoW Forever. - Legacy planner
Plan the perk trees and tick off all 65 challenges. - Patch notes
What changes in the game data from build to build.
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