World of Warcraft: Forever Launch Guide: November 4 Start Times and Rulesets
GAME MODE Staff·Nov 2, 2026· 4m read
Forever unlocks at 3:00 p.m. PST on Wednesday, November 4, which is already November 5 in Europe and Korea. What to pick at first login and how Rulesets work.
World of Warcraft: Forever goes live globally on Wednesday, November 4, at 3:00 p.m. PST. That’s 23:00 UTC, and it’s already Thursday, November 5, in Europe, Taiwan, Korea and ANZ when it unlocks.
Forever is set after the events of Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core, with an adventure to level 60 across the original continents, more than 1,000 new quests and nine new five-player dungeons. Blizzard calls it a permanent home alongside modern and Classic WoW. Here’s when it unlocks where you are, what to choose at first login and how Rulesets work.
When does WoW: Forever unlock?
| Region | Start time |
|---|---|
| Americas (PST) | 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 4 |
| Brazil (BRT) | 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 4 |
| UK (GMT) | 11:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 4 |
| UTC | 23:00, Wednesday, November 4 |
| Europe (CET) | 12:00 a.m., Thursday, November 5 |
| Taiwan (CST) | 7:00 a.m., Thursday, November 5 |
| Korea (KST) | 8:00 a.m., Thursday, November 5 |
| ANZ (AEDT) | 10:00 a.m., Thursday, November 5 |
NVIDIA says WoW: Forever also arrives on GeForce NOW at 3 p.m. PT on November 4. A GeForce NOW reward gives eligible members access from launch until Wednesday, November 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT. It’s for new WoW users who don’t already have a subscription, while supplies last.
Your first login, step by step
- Make sure you have access. Forever is included with an active World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time. The Skyborne Epic Pack adds 30 days of Game Time to your account starting November 4.
- Install it through Battle.net. In the Battle.net desktop app, select World of Warcraft: Forever from the available game versions. It runs on Windows or Mac with a keyboard and mouse, and controller support is available in a beta state.
- Choose an Experience Preset. Classic starts with Standard Definition character models, with quest points of interest and objective blobs, one-bag and transmog all off. Enhanced starts with High Definition models and all of those on. You can change individual settings later in the Game Menu, under Options.
- Pick a Ruleset. Rulesets replace realm selection: Normal, PvP, Roleplay and Roleplay PvP are available at launch.
- Name your character. Each character has two names, which together form a full name that must be unique within the region.
If you can’t decide on a preset, Blizzard’s starter guide has a simple answer:
If you are not sure which to choose, start with Enhanced.
Upgrade buyers can still use Early Name Reservation until November 3, for up to three characters across all Rulesets. Names are first-come, first-served, and Blizzard says desired names cannot be guaranteed.
How Rulesets work
Your Ruleset decides who you can play with, so it’s worth agreeing on one with friends before you start. Blizzard’s rules:
- Cross-ruleset grouping is not supported. You can group, run dungeons and raid only with players on the same Ruleset.
- Battlegrounds may include players from other Rulesets, except Hardcore.
- Horde and Alliance still can’t group together.
- You can’t freely hop between Rulesets. To play under a different one, you need a new character there.
- On the PvP Ruleset, you can only create characters for one faction.
- Collections and Legacy Points are account-wide across Rulesets, with Hardcore handled differently.
Hardcore isn’t there on day one: Blizzard says it will be available sometime after launch. Your preferred online language is set in the Game Menu under Options, then Languages and Social, and it has a 24-hour cooldown.
What else arrives
- November 4 to 11: Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes let eligible invitees play World of Warcraft: Forever without a subscription or game time. Blizzard began emailing codes on October 20, and gift purchases are excluded. The Skyborne Heroic Pack includes one code and the Skyborne Epic Pack three in total.
- Wednesday, December 9: level 60 players can enter three raids: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia’s Lair.
- Until January 11, 2027: the limited-time Warcraft Forever Collection, which adds Warcraft III: Reforged and the Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom campaign to everything in the Epic Pack.
The new Skyborne race starts on Zephras Isle at levels 1-12 and needs the Heroic Pack or higher. Skyborne can be Druids, Hunters, Rogues and Warriors; Alliance-aligned Skyborne can also be Mages, and Horde-aligned Skyborne can also be Shaman. Other new race and class combinations include Orc Mages, Troll Warlocks, Undead Paladins, Human Hunters, Gnome Priests and Dwarf Shamans.
