Launch checklist
What you can do before and on launch day, in date order. Every step and date is from Blizzard's own posts, and ticks are kept in this browser only.
- Steps
- 8
- Launch
- 4 November 2026
Official sourceLaunch announcement (opens in a new tab on Blizzard’s site)Name reservation (opens in a new tab on Blizzard’s site)
Before launch
Collection on sale until 11 January 2027
Forever is played with a World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time. The upgrades are optional: the Skyborne Heroic Pack, the Epic Pack (adds beta access and 30 days of Game Time from 4 November) and the Warcraft Forever Collection (adds Warcraft III: Reforged and more). The Collection is on sale until 11 January 2027. Blizzard has not published prices.
Pre-purchase post (opens in a new tab)What each edition includes
21 October, 19:00 CEST / 2:00 p.m. PDT
The game opens on its launch hardware for a few hours, for any WoW account and without a subscription. Characters and names made there are wiped afterwards, so do not get attached.
Emails from 20 October
Upgrade buyers get launch codes by email: one with the Heroic Pack, three in all with the Epic Pack and the Collection. Gift purchases are left out. A friend who redeems a code on Battle.net can play without a subscription or Game Time during launch week, and the codes do not include beta access.
27 October to 3 November
Early name reservation comes with any upgrade purchase: up to three characters, first come first served, and Blizzard says the names you want cannot be guaranteed. A name has two parts, and the pair must be unique in your region, not only on your realm.
Before you create a character
Normal, PvP and Roleplaying are there from day one; Hardcore comes sometime after launch. You pick the ruleset when you create a character, and to play another you make a new character. On the PvP ruleset you can create characters of one faction only.
Launch
4 November, 3:00 p.m. PST
The game goes live worldwide at one moment.
4 to 11 November
Invite-A-Friend launch codes can be redeemed on Battle.net during launch week.
After launch
9 December
Hyjal Summit and Barrow Deeps are the two raids Blizzard names, and the first raids unlock on this day.
Not announced yet
Blizzard has not said the following (checked 16 October 2026). It will be added here once Blizzard does.
- The price of any edition.
- When the game can be preloaded or downloaded before launch.
- A date for Hardcore, beyond "sometime after launch".