WoW Forever / Release date

WoW Forever Release Date: November 4, 2026

The WoW Forever release date is November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Launch time by region

Blizzard's official announcement says World of Warcraft: Forever launches globally on November 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. PST (official pre-purchase announcement 24301508). The table below converts that single global moment. It uses PST, not PDT: United States daylight saving time had ended before November 4, 2026, so the Pacific reference is standard time.

The date changes for Central Europe, East Asia, and Australia because the launch is one simultaneous event rather than a separate local midnight release. Europe is on winter time in November, while Sydney is on Australian daylight time. If a third-party listing says PDT, check the conversion against the official PST anchor; a one-hour label error changes every downstream local time.

Live access is included with an active World of Warcraft Subscription or Game Time. The digital packs are optional upgrades, so buying a pack and having an active live-game access method are separate decisions (official product page). Epic and Collection also include 30 days of Game Time added to the account starting November 4, 2026 (official product page).

The launch date is also separate from the beta schedule and Early Name Reservation. The beta has its own published end date, while name reservation ends on November 3, 2026. For access costs, the live game uses an active WoW Subscription or Game Time, and the optional upgrade packs should be evaluated separately from the clock time shown here.

Name reservation: October 27–November 3

Direct answer: Early Name Reservation runs from October 27 through November 3, 2026. It is first come, first served, and Blizzard does not guarantee that you will get the name you want (official news 24304161). See the WoW Forever name reservation guide for eligibility and naming details.

WoW Forever uses a two-part name: a First Name plus a Last or Secondary Name. The complete combination must be unique within the region, so two characters can share the same First Name when their full combinations are different (official news 24304161). This gives name planning more flexibility than a single-name system, but it does not make a wanted full combination available.

The name check evaluates the two parts together. A name cannot be used to impersonate Blizzard or the Warcraft team, and splitting a prohibited phrase between the First Name and Secondary Name does not bypass the rule (official news 24304161). If you prefer to show only the First Name above your character, use Game Menu (Esc) → Options → Nameplates and clear My Secondary Name. The Secondary Name still appears in chat (official news 24304161).

You can create and customize up to three characters during this period, with character names reserved on a first-come, first-served basis (official pre-purchase announcement 24301508).

Pack prices and beta access

Heroic is the lowest upgrade and includes name reservation but not beta; Epic and Collection include beta. See the WoW Forever price comparison for the full benefit table.

Invite-A-Friend: October 20 and November 4–11

Invite-A-Friend codes begin arriving by email from October 20, 2026. The recipient-use window is November 4–11, 2026. During that window, an invited friend can play without a Subscription or Game Time, but the code does not provide beta access (official pre-purchase announcement 24301508).

This is the key distinction: name reservation comes with any paid upgrade pack, including Heroic, while beta access starts only with Epic and Collection. The included 30 days of Game Time are added to the account starting November 4, 2026; that Game Time benefit is separate from the IAF guest window (official pre-purchase announcement 24301508).

If you are choosing a pack only to secure a name, Heroic is the lowest-priced paid upgrade in this table. If you are choosing specifically for beta access, Heroic is not the qualifying tier. If you are inviting a friend, check the email timing and use window rather than assuming an IAF code is a beta invitation.

The name window ends on November 3, 2026, one day before the global launch on November 4, 2026. It is therefore a pre-launch reservation period, not an early-play period: reserving a name does not let a character enter the live game before the published launch time. The practical benefit is protecting a preferred full name before the wider launch-day player population arrives.

Other dates to know

The first new raid content unlocks on December 9, 2026 (official What’s Next panel recap 24303862).

Will there be an early launch?

Blizzard’s published launch time is November 4 at 3:00 p.m. PT. There is no general early-play date stated on the official announcement used for this page. Optional bundle benefits and beta access are separate from launch timing.

Blizzard has confirmed a Server Slam during beta, but Blizzard has not announced a date.

FAQ

Last updated: 2026-09-30