Blizzard’s return to a reimagined Azeroth is just one week away, but players are already battling login queues and disconnections to claim their character names.
The gates of Azeroth are about to open again!
World of Warcraft: Forever launches November 4, 2026, inviting longtime adventurers and newcomers into a reimagined version of the original World of Warcraft. The new experience combines familiar locations and classic gameplay with expanded zones, updated classes, more than 1,000 new quests, and fresh dungeons and raids.
For fans who remember exploring Azeroth in its early days, Forever promises a chance to revisit that experience while discovering plenty of surprises along the way.
How Much Does World of Warcraft: Forever Cost?
Here’s some welcome news: the base game requires no additional purchase once it launches November 4, provided players have an active World of Warcraft subscription or game time.
A standard U.S. subscription costs $14.99 per month, with discounted monthly rates available through longer subscription plans.
However, players who want to reserve their character names before launch must purchase one of Blizzard’s upgrade packages:
- Skyborne Heroic Pack — $29.99: Includes early character creation and name reservations, access to the new Skyborne playable race, its starting area, and cosmetic bonuses.
- Skyborne Epic Pack — $59.99: Includes Heroic benefits, additional rewards, and 30 days of game time.
- Warcraft Forever Collection — $79.99: Includes Epic benefits, Warcraft III: Reforged, and the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign.
These packages are optional for playing the base game after launch, but a qualifying purchase is required to participate in early name reservations.
Name Reservations Begin With Some Turbulence
Early character name reservations opened in North America on October 27 and continue through November 3.
Players who purchased qualifying upgrades can create characters and reserve up to three character names before launch. Names are available on a first-come, first-served basis, making the reservation window particularly appealing to players hoping to reclaim favorite names from their earlier adventures.
Unfortunately, the opening wasn’t entirely smooth.
Players discussing the rollout on social sites reported login queues, repeated disconnections, delayed European servers, and difficulty creating characters on certain player-versus-player servers.
Some players eventually managed to reserve their names after repeated attempts, suggesting that access was improving for at least part of the community.
These are player reports rather than confirmation of a widespread outage. Nevertheless, the rocky opening offers an early reminder of how much demand a major World of Warcraft launch can generate.
A New Beginning for Azeroth
We’re particularly interested in seeing how Forever balances nostalgia with new adventures. Returning to familiar territory is appealing, but new quests, locations, and challenges could give even veteran players reasons to explore.
And with Onyxia’s Lair among the raids scheduled to open in December, dragon enthusiasts have something especially exciting waiting beyond launch day.
World of Warcraft: Forever launches November 4 at 6 p.m. Eastern, on Windows and Mac.
Whether you’re reclaiming an old character name or creating an entirely new hero, Azeroth is almost ready to welcome you back.