World of Warcraft: Forever Roadmap Schedules Beta for September 17 and Raids for December 9
The beta will cap characters at level 30, while the December 9 raid unlock will bring 10-player, 20-player, and 40-player encounters.
World of Warcraft: Forever has a staged schedule for its Classic+ rollout, beginning with a beta on September 17 and leading into the full launch on November 4. The roadmap also sets the first raid unlock for December 9 and outlines further content arriving throughout 2027.
Beta and launch dates for World of Warcraft: Forever
The Warcraft Forever Beta will run from September 17 through October 22, with players able to progress characters up to level 30. Early name reservation and character creation will follow on October 27.
World of Warcraft: Forever will launch on November 4. That gives players less than 5 weeks between the full launch and the first raid unlock, which is scheduled for December 9.
3 raids will unlock on December 9
Raid content will open with 3 encounters designed for different group sizes. Barrow Deeps will support 10 players, Hyjal Summit will support 20 players, and Onyxia’s Lair will support 40 players.
The December schedule is only the first raid milestone on the roadmap. Spring 2027 will bring 2 more raids, one for 10 players and another for 20 players, along with 2 new dungeons, new quests, a playable area, and a new legendary questline. A PvP season refresh is also planned for that period.
Summer 2027 expands the world again
Summer 2027 will add a revamped iconic raid and another new raid. The same update window will expand the world content, introduce 2 more dungeons, refresh the PvP season, and add professions and legacy updates.
Hardcore Mode will arrive on separate realms
Blizzard also announced Hardcore Mode during the first World of Warcraft panel at this year’s BlizzCon. The mode will not be available on launch day. Instead, the roadmap places its release sometime between 2026 and 2027, after the main game launches.
Hardcore players will have dedicated official realms rather than joining the regular launch realms. Blizzard has not announced a precise release date or how many Hardcore realms will be available.
Which part of the schedule interests you most, the December raid lineup or the larger additions planned for 2027? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, Telegram.
