WoW Forever release date and launch time, in your time zone
WoW Forever launches 4 November 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST. A live countdown, the launch time in every region, and the dates that come before and after it.
In this post
WoW Forever launches on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST (6:00 p.m. Eastern, 23:00 UTC, midnight in Central Europe). Name reservation runs from 27 October to 3 November, and the first raids open on 9 December.
Launch: 4 November 2026, 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 UTC).
What time does WoW Forever launch where I live?
Blizzard gives one moment for launch, 3:00 p.m. Pacific on 4 November. The first row of the table below is converted to your own clock automatically.
| Region | Launch time |
|---|---|
| US Pacific | Wed 4 Nov, 3:00 p.m. PST |
| US Eastern | Wed 4 Nov, 6:00 p.m. EST |
| UK | Wed 4 Nov, 11:00 p.m. GMT |
| Central Europe | Thu 5 Nov, 12:00 a.m. CET |
| Australia (Sydney) | Thu 5 Nov, 10:00 a.m. AEDT |
Watch the clocks. US daylight saving ends on 1 November and Europe’s already ended on 25 October. Name reservation is announced in PDT and launch in PST, so if you set a reminder from a screenshot in October, check it again on launch week.
Which dates come before and after launch?
Launch is one date in a run of them. Here they are in order, with the next one highlighted. Everything comes from Blizzard’s announcements, as collected in Wowhead’s Forever roadmap.
- 17 Sep: beta opens
- 21 Oct: open stress test
- 23 Oct: beta closes
- 27 Oct: name reservation opens
- 4 Nov: launch
- 9 Dec: first raids
- Winter 2026: Hardcore
- Spring 2027, Summer 2027: content updates
When does name reservation open?
27 October. If you own the Skyborne Heroic Pack, the Skyborne Epic Pack or the Warcraft Forever Collection, you can create and reserve up to three characters between 27 October and 3 November. The limit is three in total across all rulesets, not three per ruleset. Names are first come, first served.
| Region | Reservation opens |
|---|---|
| North America | 27 Oct, 1:00 p.m. PDT |
| Europe | 27 Oct, 6:00 p.m. CET |
| Korea | 28 Oct, 7:00 a.m. KST |
| Taiwan | 28 Oct, 7:00 a.m. CST |
Opening time in your zone, for North America: 27 Oct, 1:00 p.m. PDT.
Wowhead has the full reservation steps. For what a guild should agree on first, read our name reservation guide for guilds.
What is in WoW Forever on day one?
At launch, per Blizzard and Wowhead’s overview:
- Four new zones: Zephras Isle (a starting zone up to level 12), Riverglades (mid 30s to mid 40s), Shen’Dralas (between Mulgore and Desolace) and Mount Hyjal (endgame levelling).
- Nine new dungeons, from Hall of Thanes at level 13 to Shaper’s Terrace at 60. See Wowhead’s dungeon list.
- The Skyborne, a new race open to both factions, plus new race and class combinations.
- A permanent level cap of 60, with new skills and talents.
There are no raids until 9 December. That gap is the five weeks your guild has to level, gear up in dungeons and settle who is playing what.
What should I do before 4 November?
Tick these off as you go. Your progress saves in this browser, and the button copies the list for your guild’s Discord.
- Update your graphics drivers and the Battle.net app
- Install WoW Forever from the Game Version menu above the Play button
- Agree on a ruleset and a faction with your guild
- Reserve names between 27 October and 3 November (upgrade pack owners)
- Write down who in the guild is playing which class
- Set raid nights, even though raids open on 9 December
- Install your addons the weekend before launch
- Post the launch-night plan in your guild’s Discord
Every item above has its own guide in our WoW Forever guild checklist.
Where do I install WoW Forever?
In the Battle.net app, select World of Warcraft, open the Game Version menu above the Play button and pick World of Warcraft: Forever, then Install. The same menu is how you get back to the other versions of WoW you play.
GuildPro’s free app installs the GuildPro addons into every WoW client it finds, Forever included, and uploads what they record after you play. Install it before launch evening, not during it. Download GuildPro.
FAQ
When does WoW Forever come out?
4 November 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST, which is 6:00 p.m. Eastern and 23:00 UTC. In Central Europe that is already 00:00 on 5 November.
Can I play WoW Forever before launch?
Only by reserving names. Owners of an upgrade pack can create and reserve up to three characters from 27 October to 3 November, but nobody can play them until launch.
When do the first WoW Forever raids open?
9 December 2026, according to Blizzard's roadmap: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and a returning Onyxia's Lair. See our roadmap for raid leaders.
Is Hardcore available at launch?
No. Normal, PvP and Roleplaying open on 4 November. Hardcore is scheduled for winter 2026 as its own ruleset.
Does the launch time change because of daylight saving?
The launch moment does not, but US clocks go back on 1 November, so 3:00 p.m. PST on launch day is an hour different from the PDT times used for name reservation.