Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft (WoW) has been running for 22 years, with 12 expansions released to boot. However, it's evolved over the years with World of Warcraft: Classic, as well as Classic Hardcore mode and Remix—a mode that allows players to speed through and overlevel in adjusted experiences of old expansions. Now, thanks to BlizzCon, the next evolution of the franchise was revealed: World of Warcraft: Forever.
Launching globally on November 4, this version of the game is different and is one of Blizzard's most ambitious projects to date. Consider World of Warcraft: Forever an alternate World of Warcraft. What if the game was originally launched in 2026? If Blizzard Entertainment (which was brought under Microsoft in the early 2020s) got a chance to redo the start of the game, that's what this is.
Not only is it the original Classic World of Warcraft experience, but Forever also includes brand-new content that fills in spaces previously inaccessible in the original game, alongside what-if-type tweaks to the game's story.
So, what makes this version of World of Warcraft so ambitious and unique? Well, it's not just rehashed content. It will be a living, breathing, alternate version of WoW that will co-exist with the retail experience and get constant updates and expansions going forward.
New Zones, Dungeons, & Raids in World of Warcraft: Forever
An Alternate Timeline for WoW
While World of Warcraft: Forever contains all the fantasy content and experiences of the original game, there's also an insane amount of new content that not even the retail version will have access to.
One of the key areas that players in 2004 desperately wanted to visit was Mount Hyjal, an iconic location in the game's story that had always been inaccessible. Eventually, the area became the center of a raid and opened up as a zone in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.
Now, players get to see Mount Hyjal as if it were there from the start, at an earlier time in its history. It will be a new end-game leveling zone that will also be home to a brand new raid: Hyjal Summit. The zone will also include one of three entrances to another new raid with the Barren Deeps.
Then there's Shen'Dralas, the land between Mulgore and Desolace, centered around the Shen'dralar Night Elves and featuring more stories about the war between Centaur Tribes.
Another new zone is the Riverglades, which is east of the Badlands and the Burning Steppes. This zone is for players between levels 25 and 45 and is a low-key area focused on exploration and Azeroth's expanding trading routes.
Finally, there's Zephras Isle, the new starting zone for World of Warcraft: Forever's new playable Skyborne Race (boiled down to being new blue elves), which will take those players from level 1 to 12.
One of the fan-favorite additions the game will bring to the table is undead paladins, part of a handful of new races and class combinations, including human hunters, dwarf shamans, night elf paladins, gnome priests, orc mages, troll warlocks, and troll paladins.
Overall, World of Warcraft: Forever adds over 1,000 new quests for players to experience and work their way through. And, you'll even be able to play with a controller, thanks to Blizzard adding gamepad support.
While the art style of World of Warcraft is timeless, Forever will bring modern graphics through its new water and lighting effects. Many of these new HD updates, including previous HD updates throughout the year, will be optional for players seeking a truly authentic experience.
The best part is that all players need to experience World of Warcraft: Forever is a standard monthly subscription, which adds Forever to everything you get access to, on top of the usual retail WoW, Classic, and occasional Remix experiences.
