Following WoW: Classic, the Blizzard MMO is, in a sense, starting over from scratch. WoW: Forever, however, is designed to permanently capture the 1.0 experience from back then and comes without an expansion roadmap.
BlizzCon is taking place this weekend in Anaheim, California. After two years without its in-house convention, the American development studio has plenty of new things to show and announced during the opening ceremony, among other things, that World of Warcraft will be getting a new Vanilla game mode.
The project is set to be called “World of Warcraft: Forever” and, in a sense, will permanently capture the classic gaming experience from the period shortly after the launch of the popular online role-playing game. More than 20 years have passed since then, but many players still feel a strong sense of nostalgia for the early days of the MMO.
In 2019, Blizzard had already made a similar attempt with WoW: Classic; unlike Classic, however, WoW: Forever is not intended to receive subsequent expansions but will remain forever at the 1.0 era.
In terms of story, Blizzard apparently wants to break new ground. Although we’ll start at the same point as in Vanilla WoW, the developers emphasized that this is an alternative version of the world in which certain events could unfold differently than in the WoW lore we’ve come to know. With this, the developers also aim to get newcomers excited about classic WoW without overwhelming them with years of lore.
World of Warcraft: Forever is set to be released on November 4, 2026. However, the beta starts as early as this coming Thursday, September 17. To play WoW: Forever, you’ll need an active World of Warcraft subscription. Access to the beta costs 60 euros.
What else is known about WoW: Forever?
- Forever has a permanent level cap of 60.
- Three new zones (Mount Hayal, Zaphras Isle, Riverglades).
- Expanded familiar zones and new dungeons.
- New raids for 10 and 20 players.
- There’s a new race (Skyborne), but it costs an extra 30 euros.
- WoW: Forever stands as the third WoW experience, on equal footing with Modern and Classic WoW. The other two will, of course, remain available.
- A hardcore mode is planned.
https://www.global-esports.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/At-Blizzcon-the-Warcraft-creators-also-presented-a-first-content-roadmap.jpg
What was announced for modern World of Warcraft?
- New Content for WoW: Midnight: The new chapter is titled “Eclipse” and will continue the ongoing story surrounding Xal’atath. The rogue has always been one step ahead of us. Now it’s time to confront her before she achieves her goal and seizes control of the World Soul.
- The Last Titan: The next expansion marks the end of the World Soul saga, which began in 2024. The developers haven’t revealed any details about the story yet, as that would inevitably spoil Eclipse; however, it appears to take us to a revamped version of the Northrend region. More information is set to be revealed next spring; the release is planned for 2027.
We’ll be covering BlizzCon 2026 and keeping you up to date. If you want to know what games, expansions, and updates Blizzard has in store for you in the coming weeks, months, and years, check out the link box above.
Which BlizzCon 2026 announcement excited you the most? What else would you have liked to see? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
