Blizzard has named all Forever key dates: from the September 12, 2026 announcement to the November 4 launch and the December 9 raid opening. We break down by date what awaits the player at each stage.

At BlizzCon on September 12, 2026, Blizzard announced World of Warcraft: Forever — a Classic+ branch where the familiar Azeroth receives a continuation. Alongside the announcement, the company named the key dates on the road to launch: the beta schedule, the release, and the first raid tier. We break down by date what will happen and when.

Forever Timeline

• September 12, 2026 — Forever announcement at BlizzCon.
• September 17, 2026 — Closed beta testing begins.
• October 20, 2026 — Mass beta invite wave.
• October 21, 2026 — Beta ends.
• October 27, 2026 — Character name reservation opens.
• November 4, 2026, 23:00 UTC — Global launch.
• December 9, 2026 — Raids open.

In practice:

• The closed beta is currently running, and a few weeks remain until it ends — this is the last chance to look around the game in advance and understand what has changed.
• Name reservation opens a week before release: popular names will be taken quickly, so it's best to decide on a name in advance.
• There are five weeks between the November 4 global launch and the December 9 raids: this is the time for dungeons, reputations, and gear before the first raid tier.
• Raids will open on December 9, 2026 — the first major PvE challenge of the new branch.