The dates, from Blizzard
- The beta closes permanently at 10:00 a.m. PDT on Friday 23 October 2026, which is 20:00 in Greece; it reopens after the Stress Test of 21 October (Blizzard announcement (opens in a new tab)).
- Invite-A-Friend codes are emailed from 20 October (PST), and they are for launch week, 4 to 11 November (pre-purchase article (opens in a new tab)).
- Early Name Reservation runs from 27 October to 3 November for eligible upgrade purchases, first come, first served, up to three characters (name reservation article (opens in a new tab)).
- World of Warcraft: Forever launches on 4 November 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST (launch article (opens in a new tab)).
A simple checklist
- Use the remaining beta days to try the dungeons and classes you plan to play. See leveling dungeons and class deep dives.
- Learn the Cooldown Manager, which supports every class.
- Decide on character names before 27 October if you have an eligible pack, see Early Name Reservation.
- Report bugs on the beta forum while the beta is open.
Not confirmed
Blizzard moved the Stress Test from 19 to 21 October. Blizzard later said the beta closes permanently at 10:00 a.m. PDT on 23 October. Some outlets give 22 October as the end of the beta, but Blizzard’s own post says 23 October, so we use that. Beta features can still change before launch.
More
The full date list is in beta and launch dates, and every build is in our patch notes.