WoW: Forever Releases With A Warm Welcome
Return to Azeroth... or visit it for the first time.
After over a month of a Beta period, World of Warcraft: Forever was fully released this week. WoW Forever brings a reimagining of Azeroth, specifically the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. As with any MMO and multiplayer release, a great quantity of players means heavy traffic to the company's servers that can lead to issues. However, only after a couple of minutes of some players having some queuing wait times, the game had a smooth launch, with players immediately getting into the leveling and questing adventure.
"At the risk of jinxing things, so far so goodish which is crazy by itself. The team prepared a lot since the wildness of Beta," writes Holly Longdale, Vice President & Executive Producer for World of Warcraft, in a Twitter/X post. "And this launch was crazier than the insanity we imagined but thankfully the team built plans and contingencies. They are incredible imo."
World of Warcraft: Forever is an invitation to take your first steps in a legendary world of untamed frontiers, warring factions, untold perils, and unseen mysteries. Experience an Azeroth that grows from the roots of WoW’s first age, continually evolving through regular content patches and updates that promise never-ending adventure.
I got the opportunity to try Forever on release day with a code provided by the Blizzard team and can confirm that on day one I had no issues either with the game or with connection/servers. I also had the chance to try the new race added, the Skyborne, who bring some of the most fun abilities I've tried in MMOs, such as Walk on Air, which allows you to glide in the air; the perfect ability for jumping from high places while exploring.
If, like me, you've never played any other WoW games before Forever, then I can assure you that this is the perfect place to start. Even without playing WoW Classic before, I felt the passion and care both the community and the Blizzard team have for this world that has expanded for so many years. A rich world in lore, quests, and social elements that I know will keep me playing for years to come.
Here are some of the features that WoW: Forever brings:
- New and Reimagined Zones: WoW: Forever expands the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor with new and reimagined zones and more than 1,000 new quests across the level 1–60 journey. Explore new destinations including Mount Hyjal, Shen’dralas, the Riverglades, and Zephras Isle.
- New Race: The Skyborne—also known as the shen’dorei, or hidden people—are a new playable race in World of Warcraft: Forever. Their journey begins on Zephras Isle, a level 1–12 starting experience that blends classic Warcraft aesthetics with elemental architecture and a story shaped by wind and ancestry. At character creation, you’ll choose whether your Skyborne joins the proud Horde or the noble Alliance.
- New Dungeons & Raids: World of Warcraft: Forever introduces nine new five-player dungeons for adventurers from level 13 through level 60 as well as two new raids. Rooted in the original World of Warcraft, each brings new threats, quests, and adventures to the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor.
- And more! From Campfires and class updates to the Legacy System and over 1000 new quests, WoW: Forever’s reimagined Azeroth is brimming with secrets to be found and discoveries to be made.