The WoW: Forever beta opens on September 17, 2026 with a level cap of 30. The guaranteed way in is buying the Skyborne Epic Pack for $60; the free opt-in through Battle.net is a lottery with no slot guaranteed.

The World of Warcraft: Forever beta launches on September 17, 2026 and runs until the last week of October with a level cap of 30. The guaranteed way in is buying the Skyborne Epic Pack for $60; the free opt-in through Battle.net is a lottery — a chance with no slot guaranteed.

Paid route

Only the Epic pack gives you a guaranteed spot on September 17. It includes:

• beta access from September 17, 2026;
• 30 days of game time, counted from November 4, 2026 (the global launch date);
• the expanded Veteran Adventurer cosmetic set, heraldic cloaks, pets;
• three Invite-A-Friend codes in total.

The Epic pack is also included in the Warcraft Forever Collection — buying the collection grants the same rights.

The cheaper Heroic Pack at $29.99, on the other hand, does not get you into the beta. Early breakdowns of the pack mistakenly counted Heroic toward the beta — Blizzard's preview places it only in the Epic tier. The Heroic Pack gives something else: the Skyborne race, the Zephras Isle starting experience, early name reservation from October 27, the Cerulean Prideclaw mount (riding skill required), the Shen'dorei Skyseer's Garb set, the Veteran Adventurer's Rucksack, the Shen'dorei Windwell toy, Skyborne housing decor for modern WoW, and one Invite-A-Friend code at launch.

Free route — lottery

On the World of Warcraft: Forever page in Battle.net there is a Beta Opt-In button. Blizzard's wording: "a chance to receive beta access". This is not a slot or a date — it's a raffle. Based on the experience of Season of Discovery and Cataclysm Classic: a minority gets in early, the majority late or never. It's worth clicking — it's free — but you can't plan your first day around the application.

What you can actually do in the beta

The level cap of 30 means the full Skyborne starting island, the Hall of Thanes dungeon (13–18), the Ruins of Lordaeron (15–20), and Dalaran (28–33). The four 40–60 dungeons and capstone talents remain behind the cap, and you won't be able to test them in the beta.

In practice

• Want to be in the beta on September 17 — buy the Skyborne Epic Pack for $60; the Heroic Pack doesn't qualify.
• Not ready to pay — submit your opt-in in Battle.net and hope for the lottery, but don't build plans around it.
• Aim for content up to level 30: starting island, Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron, Dalaran. Forget the 40–60 dungeons in the beta.
• Beta client data isn't final yet: Blizzard has already said talent details will change before November 4.