World of Warcraft Forever beta testing started on September 17th, 2026. The testing period continues until October 21st and new content is added on a weekly basis. The initial level cap in the beta was Level 20, but will be increased to Level 30 on 1st October.
Note that all beta characters will be wiped: access to the beta does not give you progress for the full launch (apart from the knowledge you gain) and it also does not reserve the names of your characters for the full launch.
Guide Contents
- WoW Forever Release Schedule
- Preorder Paid Beta Access
- WoW Forever Collector’s Edition
- Opt-in for Free WoW Forever Beta Access
- Other Ways to Access the Beta
- WoW Forever Early Name Reservation
WoW Forever Release Schedule
The release schedule for WoW Forever is as follows:
- Beta: September 17th - October 21st
- Early Name Reservation: October 27th - November 3rd
- Full Release: November 4th, 2026
Preorder Paid Beta Access
The main way to gain access to the beta is to preorder the game. WoW Forever does not have a box price as such: access to the full version is included in the regular World of Warcraft subscription. Access to the new Skyborne race is sold separately, and some of the Skyborne bundles include access to the beta.
You do not need an active World of Warcraft subscription to access the beta: some of the bundles include 30 days of game time, which also only begins on November 4th for the full launch. If you do not have an active subscription, Blizzard will try to upsell a subscription to you when you buy a Skyborne pack: only buy it if you want to play retail before Forever launches, because you do not need it for the beta and you can buy a subscription when the game launches to not waste any sub days.
Skyborne Epic Pack (59.99 EUR in the EU): Beta access and early name reservation. Skyborne race. Some cosmetics.
Warcraft Forever Collection (79.99 EUR in the EU): Beta access and early name reservation. Skyborne race. Some cosmetics. Warcraft 3 Reforged and the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign. If you want to buy the beta access anyway, this is the cheapest way to get the new Warcraft 3 campaign as well. There is no discount even if you already own Warcraft 3 Reforged, but it is still cheaper than the Epic Pack and the campaign separately.
World of Warcraft Forever Collector’s Edition (physical product, 150 EUR + shipping in the EU, when available): Beta access and early name reservation (with a catch, see below). Skyborne race. Some cosmetics. Warcraft 3 Reforged and the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign. Physical goodies.
Note that the Skyborne Heroic Pack (29.99 EUR in the EU) does NOT include access to the beta. It does include early name reservation.
Important Information about the WoW Forever Collector’s Edition
When you buy the Collector’s Edition, you will receive a beta key via email. This key enables beta access, but does not give access to early name reservation.
The physical box will include a key for the Warcraft Forever Collection. This key also enables early name reservation. If you have not received your physical box by the time the early name reservation begins, you can buy any of the digital packs that give access to early name reservation, and receive the cost of that purchase refunded as battle.net credit when you redeem your Warcraft Forever Collection key from the physical box. This refund is automatic and only available as battle.net credit.
Opt-in for Free WoW Forever Beta Access
You can also opt-in to the beta on Warcraft Forever’s official website at https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/forever
Beta access through opt-in is not guaranteed. Blizzard will notify you if you have been chosen. New players are added constantly throughout the beta test.
Other Means to Get into the WoW Forever Beta
There are periodically other means to get into the beta.
For example, in Australia, McDonalds had a campaign where you could redeem a beta key through their app after spending 10 AUD at McDonalds. Those keys were redeemed fairly quickly and the offer ended.
There are also giveaways on social media, most often run by World of Warcraft content creators. Some beta keys were also given away by Microsoft’s own Twitter account. The odds to win a giveaway are low and they can be hard to find.
In conclusion, the only way to get instant, guaranteed access to the WoW Forever beta is to buy a large Skyborne bundle. There are also free ways to get in, but they are not guaranteed.
WoW Forever Early Name Reservation
Access to early name reservation is only available via the paid Skyborne bundles. All three bundles include access to early name reservation, including the smallest one that does not give you access to the beta.
The early name reservation begins on October 27th. You will be able to launch the game and create your character, but you cannot enter the world itself yet.
The two-part names used in WoW Forever should make it easier to get a name you like. If you want a specific spelling of a highly popular name, you will want to quickly create your character without customizing their appearance and then delete and recreate the character with the appearance you want after the game is live.
