WoW Forever release date and time

Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 3 PM Pacific. Set three alarms, friend: one to wake up, one to log in, one to remember you have a job.

Launch on 4 Nov 2026

Announced by BlizzardLast verified: 24 Oct 2026
Launch
Nov 4, 2026
Time
3:00 PM PST · 23:00 UTC
Level cap
60
Raids open
Dec 9, 2026

When it opens

WoW Forever opens at the same moment worldwide: 23:00 UTC on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. That is 3:00 PM on the US West Coast and midnight in Central Europe, already Thursday the 5th.

Launch time in your region

  • US Pacific (PST)3:00 PM Wed, Nov 4
  • US Mountain (MST)4:00 PM Wed, Nov 4
  • US Central (CST)5:00 PM Wed, Nov 4
  • US Eastern (EST)6:00 PM Wed, Nov 4
  • Brazil (BRT)8:00 PM Wed, Nov 4
  • UK & Ireland (GMT)11:00 PM Wed, Nov 4
  • Central Europe (CET)12:00 AM Thu, Nov 5
  • Eastern Europe (EET)1:00 AM Thu, Nov 5
  • Moscow (MSK)2:00 AM Thu, Nov 5
  • India (IST)4:30 AM Thu, Nov 5
  • Singapore (SGT)7:00 AM Thu, Nov 5
  • Japan & Korea (JST/KST)8:00 AM Thu, Nov 5
  • Australia East (AEDT)10:00 AM Thu, Nov 5
  • New Zealand (NZDT)12:00 PM Thu, Nov 5

Same moment everywhere: 23:00 UTC on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.

Key dates

  1. 21 Oct 2026Last full day of the beta. Beta characters do not carry over.Announced by Blizzard
  2. 21 Oct 2026Stress Test: open to anyone with a WoW account, for a limited time. Moved from October 19.Local start, a different moment in each region: Europe 19:00 CEST (17:00 UTC), North America 2:00 PM PDT (21:00 UTC), Korea 06:00 KST and Taiwan 05:00 CST on Oct 22 (21:00 UTC). Characters, names and guilds are wiped at the end; the beta goes offline during the test.Announced by Blizzard
  3. 27 Oct 2026Early Name Reservation opens (until Nov 3, PST): up to 3 characters, with any upgrade packLocal start, a different moment in each region: Europe 18:00 CET (17:00 UTC), North America 1:00 PM PDT (20:00 UTC), Korea and Taiwan 07:00 local time on Oct 28 (22:00 and 23:00 UTC on Oct 27).Announced by Blizzard
  4. 4 Nov 2026Launch, level cap 60. Normal, PvP, Roleplaying and Roleplay-PvP rulesetsAnnounced by Blizzard
  5. 11 Nov 2026Invite-A-Friend launch codes stop working (valid Nov 4-11)Beta data
  6. 9 Dec 2026Raids open: The Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit, Onyxia's LairAnnounced by Blizzard
  7. after launchHardcore ruleset (no date yet)Announced by Blizzard

Before launch

  • October 21: the beta ends, then the Stress Test. The beta goes offline and the open Stress Test starts at a different time in each region: 19:00 CEST in Europe, 2:00 PM PDT in North America, 06:00 KST in Korea and 05:00 CST in Taiwan on the 22nd. It runs for a limited time. Each region's start is on our WoW Forever server status page. Anyone with a WoW account can join, no pack needed. Beta and Stress Test characters are wiped. Nothing carries over.
  • October 27 to November 3: Early Name Reservation. With any upgrade pack, you can create up to 3 characters and keep their names. First name plus second name, unique across your region. First come, first served. Start time in your region and step by step: reserve your name in WoW Forever.
  • Pre-download: no date yet. It will come through the Battle.net app, and it will show up in our WoW Forever news as soon as Blizzard announces it.

After launch

  • Level cap 60 from day one.
  • December 9: raids open. The Barrow Deeps (10 players), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia's Lair (40). Onyxia needs a long quest chain first: start your Onyxia attunement.
  • Hardcore ruleset: later, no date yet.

Get ready now

  1. Pick your ruleset: Normal, PvP, Roleplaying or Roleplay-PvP. → Pick your ruleset
  2. Choose your race and class. → Races & class combos
  3. Plan your talents. → Talent calculator
  4. Check what each pack gives. → Editions
  5. With a pack, claim up to 3 names from October 27. → Reserve your name
  6. Know what to do once you're in. → Your first hour in WoW Forever
  7. Bring a friend in for free from November 4 to 11. → Invite-A-Friend

"Doors open at 23:00 UTC. Queue opens at 23:00:01. Be early, friend."

Questions players ask

When does WoW Forever release?
WoW Forever launches on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 3:00 PM PST (23:00 UTC). In Europe that is midnight CET, so Thursday, November 5.
What time does WoW Forever launch in Europe?
11:00 PM on November 4 in the UK and Ireland, midnight (00:00) on November 5 in Central Europe, 1:00 AM in Eastern Europe.
Can I pre-download WoW Forever?
Blizzard has not announced a pre-download date yet. The game installs through the Battle.net app; we will add the date here as soon as it is published.
When can I reserve my character name?
From October 27 to November 3, 2026 (PST), if you own any upgrade pack. You can create up to 3 characters, first come, first served.
Is there a stress test before launch?
Yes, on October 21, 2026 (moved from October 19). Each region starts at its own local time, so not at the same moment: 19:00 CEST in Europe (17:00 UTC), 2:00 PM PDT in North America (21:00 UTC), 06:00 KST in Korea and 05:00 CST in Taiwan on October 22 (21:00 UTC). It runs for a limited time. Anyone with a WoW account can join, no pack or subscription needed. Everything is wiped at the end.
When do raids open in WoW Forever?
December 9, 2026: The Barrow Deeps (10 players), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia's Lair (40).

Official links

Last updated: 24 Oct 2026