World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4, 2026, at 3:00 PM PST, with every region unlocking at the same moment. That means 6:00 PM in New York, 11:00 PM in London, and a November 5 start across much of Europe and Asia-Pacific.
An active subscription or Game Time includes the core game. Paid upgrades add benefits such as Skyborne access and early name reservation, which runs through November 3. Find your local unlock below, then sort out your account and character choices before launch night.
What is the launch time in your region?
Forever's worldwide unlock is 23:00 UTC on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. The table converts that single launch moment into local times, including the date change for players east of the UK.
| Location | Time zone at launch | Local launch time | Local date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, Seattle | PST, UTC−8 | 3:00 PM | November 4 |
| Denver, Phoenix | MST, UTC−7 | 4:00 PM | November 4 |
| Chicago, Dallas, Mexico City | CST, UTC−6 | 5:00 PM | November 4 |
| New York, Toronto, Miami | EST, UTC−5 | 6:00 PM | November 4 |
| São Paulo, Buenos Aires | UTC−3 | 8:00 PM | November 4 |
| London, Dublin, Lisbon | GMT/WET, UTC+0 | 11:00 PM | November 4 |
| Berlin, Paris, Madrid | CET, UTC+1 | 12:00 AM, midnight | November 5 |
| Helsinki, Athens, Kyiv | EET, UTC+2 | 1:00 AM | November 5 |
| Moscow, Istanbul | UTC+3 | 2:00 AM | November 5 |
| Dubai | UTC+4 | 3:00 AM | November 5 |
| India | IST, UTC+5:30 | 4:30 AM | November 5 |
| Beijing, Singapore, Taipei | UTC+8 | 7:00 AM | November 5 |
| Tokyo, Seoul | UTC+9 | 8:00 AM | November 5 |
| Brisbane | AEST, UTC+10 | 9:00 AM | November 5 |
| Sydney, Melbourne | AEDT, UTC+11 | 10:00 AM | November 5 |
| Auckland | NZDT, UTC+13 | 12:00 PM, noon | November 5 |
Is the launch time PST or PDT?
Use PST. Blizzard's launch countdown targets 23:00 UTC on November 4, which matches 3:00 PM Pacific Standard Time. US daylight saving time ends on November 1, before release, so converting 3:00 PM as PDT would put your alarm an hour early.
Sydney and Auckland are already observing daylight saving time at launch. Their correct local unlocks are 10:00 AM AEDT and noon NZDT on November 5, respectively.
What access do you need for launch?
An active World of Warcraft Subscription or Game Time includes Forever. You do not need a separate base-game purchase. The paid Skyborne upgrades are optional, so an existing subscriber can play at the global unlock without buying a pack.
Forever supports Windows PC and Mac through the Battle.net desktop app. You need a Battle.net account and an internet connection. Blizzard has not announced a console version.
Which upgrade benefits matter before release?
All three digital upgrades include Skyborne access, the Zephras starting experience, cosmetics, and early name reservation. The useful launch-week differences are the number of friend codes, included Game Time, and the additional games in the Collection.
| Digital upgrade | US price | Launch-relevant benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Skyborne Heroic | $29.99 | Skyborne access, early name reservation, and 1 Invite-A-Friend code |
| Skyborne Epic | $59.99 | Heroic benefits, additional cosmetics, 30 days of Game Time, and 3 friend codes total |
| Warcraft Forever Collection | $79.99 | Epic benefits, Warcraft III: Reforged, and the Forsaken Kingdom campaign |
The Epic and Collection packs add their 30 days of Game Time on November 4, rather than on the purchase date. Skyborne requires Heroic or higher; its dedicated Zephras experience covers levels 1–12.
Invite-A-Friend codes give eligible friends access from November 4 through November 11 without an active subscription. They do not include Skyborne access or access to other World of Warcraft versions. Accounts that have already purchased a Forever upgrade cannot redeem one.
Forever is a separate, permanent version alongside Modern World of Warcraft and Classic, built around a level 60 cap. For the wider explanation of its zones and progression systems, read the Forever features and progression guide.
How can you prepare before November 4?
Reserve your name by November 3
Early name reservation is open as of October 30 and runs through November 3. Eligibility belongs to the specific WoW account that owns a paid Forever upgrade. A subscription alone does not grant early reservation.
You can create up to 3 characters total across all rulesets during this window. Creating 2 on PvP leaves 1 slot for another ruleset. Names are first come, first served, so have alternatives ready if your preferred choice is taken.
Reserve a Skyborne character
The beta ended on October 23 after an extension beyond its original October 21 finish. Beta progress does not carry into launch, and reserved characters begin at level 1 when gameplay opens.
Forever launches with nine classes, with revised abilities and talents across the roster. Check the class ability and talent changes guide before spending your reservation slots on a familiar class that now works differently.
Agree on a ruleset and faction with friends
Forever organizes players into regional, realmless ruleset ecosystems rather than a traditional realm list. Launch options include Normal, PvP, Roleplaying, and Roleplay-PvP. Your group needs to choose the same ruleset because cross-ruleset grouping is not supported.
Horde and Alliance characters also cannot group together. On the PvP ruleset, your account chooses one faction for that ruleset. Settle the faction decision before character creation, especially if your friends are already reserving names.
Hardcore is planned for after launch. If that is your preferred ruleset, its release comes later than the November 4 opening.
Check Battle.net and your client
Use the days before November 4 to handle the account and launcher jobs that could otherwise eat into your first session:
- Confirm that your subscription or Game Time will be active at launch.
- Open Battle.net and locate Forever in the game-version dropdown.
- Install the Forever client and let available updates finish.
- If you own Epic or Collection, remember that the included Game Time begins November 4.
Choose your visual and control settings
Forever supports HD and SD character models, Classic-style animations, optional transmog visibility, and official gamepad support. Decide which presentation you want before settling into the level 1–60 journey, rather than repeatedly interrupting your opening quests to change settings.
Choose HD or SD character models
What opens at launch, and when do raids arrive?
The November 4 launch starts everyone at level 1, with a level cap of 60. Forever adds more than 1,000 quests and nine new dungeons across its rebuilt and expanded Azeroth. The opening weeks give you time for leveling, dungeon runs, and professions before the first raid unlock.
Which raids open on December 9?
The first raid opening is scheduled for December 9, 2026, five weeks after launch:
| Raid | Group size | Opening date |
|---|---|---|
| Barrow Deeps | 10 players | December 9 |
| Hyjal Summit | 20 players | December 9 |
| Onyxia's Lair | 40 players | December 9 |
Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit are the new raids in that opening lineup. Your November 4 plans should therefore focus on starting your character and progressing toward level 60, with the December 9 raid date as the next major milestone. Launch plans and class tuning can still change before release.
Plan your leveling stops with the dungeon locations, level requirements, and loot guide so you know which of Forever's nine new dungeons fit your journey before the December 9 raids open.
