To reserve a World of Warcraft: Forever character name before launch, pre-purchase any qualifying digital upgrade—the Skyborne Heroic Pack, Skyborne Epic Pack, or Warcraft Forever Collection—then install Forever in the Battle.net desktop app and create up to three complete characters during the Early Name Reservation window. The window runs from 27 October through 3 November 2026. A subscription or Game Time is not required to reserve, but it is required to play from launch on 4 November unless another access entitlement applies.
Forever uses two-part names that are unique across an entire region, not a particular realm. Choose your rulesets, PvP faction, and full names carefully: Customer Support cannot restore a taken or restricted name, and the three-character early limit applies across all rulesets.
When is the World of Warcraft: Forever name-reservation window?
Early Name Reservation is open from 27 October through 3 November 2026. Blizzard has published opening times by region but has not published a closing hour for 3 November, so create your characters before that date rather than waiting for a last-minute cutoff.
| Region | Opening time | UTC equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 27 October, 18:00 CET | 27 October, 17:00 UTC |
| North America | 27 October, 1:00 p.m. PDT | 27 October, 20:00 UTC |
| Korea | 28 October, 07:00 KST | 27 October, 22:00 UTC |
| Taiwan | 28 October, 07:00 CST | 27 October, 23:00 UTC |
Europe opened first. On 27 October, Blizzard temporarily delayed the reservation mode while addressing technical problems; early reports included queues, disconnects, missing rulesets, and greyed-out options. Blizzard Support continued to list some of those issues as known problems, so a temporary error does not by itself mean the event has been cancelled.
Forever launches worldwide on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, at 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 UTC). Reserved characters become your live characters and are playable at launch.
Who is eligible to reserve a character name?
Eligibility comes from a qualifying Forever pre-purchase, not from a normal subscription. Any one of the three digital products below unlocks Early Name Reservation for the specific WoW account to which it is attached.
| Product | Price reported by the shop | Early reservation | Game Time | Other relevant contents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skyborne Heroic Pack | $29.99 / €29.99 / ₩37,500 / NT$900 | Yes | None | Skyborne access and one Invite-a-Friend Launch Code |
| Skyborne Epic Pack | $59.99 / €59.99 / ₩75,000 / NT$1,800 | Yes | 30 days at launch | Additional cosmetics and Invite-a-Friend codes |
| Warcraft Forever Collection | $79.99 / €79.99 / ₩100,000 / NT$2,400 | Yes | 30 days at launch | Additional cosmetics, Warcraft III: Reforged and the Forsaken Kingdom campaign |
The Skyborne Heroic Pack is the least expensive purchase that unlocks the reservation window. The Collection is on sale through 11 January 2027. Buying multiple copies does not increase the three-character limit on one WoW account; each copy is tied to a separate account.
What does not qualify?
- A WoW subscription or Game Time by itself gives play access from launch, but not early reservation.
- A Forever beta code does not grant reservation access.
- An Invite-a-Friend Launch Code grants the invited player play access from 4–11 November, but does not grant Skyborne access or Early Name Reservation.
Blizzard Support states that pre-purchasing is the only way to obtain reservation access. The benefit applies only to the WoW account selected when the purchase is made.
How do I reserve a character name?
You create a complete Forever character, not a name-only placeholder. Have several first-name and second-name combinations ready, decide which rulesets and faction you want, and install the client before the regional opening time.
- Update your graphics drivers. Blizzard lists current drivers as the first preparation step.
- Install the Battle.net desktop app. Download and install the app, then let it update fully when it opens.
- Select World of Warcraft. Choose World of Warcraft from the app’s game list.
- Select the Forever version. Open the Game Version menu above the Play button, choose World of Warcraft: Forever, and select Install.
- Start the client. When installation completes, select Play and choose your ruleset.
- Create up to three characters. Set the faction, race, class, appearance, first name, and second name for each character. The character is reserved only after the full creation process succeeds.
If the Play button is greyed out, check the Battle.net region. Click your BattleTag, log out, then use the cogwheel on the login module to select the region that matches the WoW play region. A region mismatch can prevent the correct game version or Play control from appearing.
What exactly is reserved during Early Name Reservation?
Each reservation is a full character with its chosen faction, race, class, appearance, ruleset, and two-part name. The early allowance is three characters per WoW account across every ruleset, not three characters in each ruleset.
For example, two characters on PvP leave only one early slot for Normal, Roleplay, or Roleplay PvP. The three-character restriction applies during the reservation window; it is not the ordinary long-term character-cap policy.
How do Forever’s two-part names work?
Forever is realmless, so Blizzard replaced realm-specific single names with a first name plus a second or family-style name. Only the complete combination must be unique within a region. “Mira Stonebrook” and “Mira Ashvale” can coexist, while the exact same full combination cannot be used twice in that region, even on different rulesets.
A second name can be shared by several characters when each complete combination is available. Blizzard’s example is Asha Brightvale, Thalen Brightvale, and Mira Brightvale.
Names are first-come, first-served. If a combination is already taken or rejected by the naming system, Customer Support cannot release it or assign it to you. Keep backup combinations ready, especially if you are reserving close to the opening time.
Can I hide the second name in the world?
Yes. Open the Game Menu with Esc, choose Options, open Nameplates, and enable the checkbox labeled My Secondary Name. The second name is then hidden in the world, although it remains visible in chat.
What names can the filter reject?
Forever continues to enforce the in-game code of conduct. The filter can reject words, spellings, repeated-character patterns, names that impersonate Blizzard or the World of Warcraft team, major lore-character names, and combinations that conflict with naming policy. The system evaluates both parts together, so splitting a restricted word between the first and second names is not a reliable workaround.
Blizzard acknowledged a bug in late October 2026 that incorrectly restricted some otherwise acceptable names, including names containing the sequence “c-o-n.” The fix was scheduled for the next realm restarts in each region. If a reasonable name produced “That name is restricted,” retry it after the regional restart.
As of 27 October 2026, Blizzard had not published character-name length limits, the allowed accent or character set for each part, or a player-purchased name-change service. Do not assume those details from another version of World of Warcraft.
How should I use the three early character slots?
Reserve slots around the ruleset and faction decisions that cannot be changed by moving an existing character. To play in another ruleset later, you create a new character rather than transferring the old one.
Normal
Normal is the PvE-focused ruleset. Open-world PvP is optional, and both factions can be created on the ruleset.
PvP
PvP characters are almost always at risk in the open world. Each account can create only one faction on the PvP ruleset: the first Alliance or Horde character locks that account to the chosen faction there. If one faction becomes significantly more populated, Blizzard can temporarily restrict creation for that faction; Customer Support will not bypass the restriction.
Roleplay
Roleplay applies stricter naming and behavior rules. If roleplay is your priority, reserve a slot for it rather than assuming you can move a Normal character later.
Roleplay PvP
Roleplay PvP combines roleplay rules with open-world PvP. If the ruleset is missing from the selection screen, Blizzard’s support workaround is to select a different ruleset first and then click Ruleset in the top navigation bar.
Hardcore
Hardcore is planned for sometime after launch and is not part of this reservation window.
Oceanic and Australian server issue
Blizzard lists a known issue for Oceanic players connecting to Australian-based servers: create Roleplay or Roleplay PvP characters before creating Normal or PvP characters. Creating a Normal or PvP character first can hide the roleplay rulesets for later characters.
Cross-ruleset grouping is not supported, although battlegrounds can mix players in some cases. Hardcore will be excluded from that exception when it arrives.
What do the common reservation errors mean?
“Access to this realm requires an account with valid access license (WOW51900337)”
This usually means the WoW account lacks a qualifying Forever pre-purchase. A subscription, Game Time, beta code, or Invite-a-Friend code does not substitute for the required upgrade.
“This faction is currently unavailable on this realm due to population imbalance.”
This is the PvP faction lock responding to an imbalance. It is an intentional population-control measure, and Support will not override it. Choose the available faction or use another ruleset.
“Creation of that type of character is currently throttled”
Character creation is being rate-limited during a surge. Wait and try again rather than repeatedly submitting the same creation request.
“This ruleset is temporarily unavailable”
Blizzard has described cases where all rulesets appear greyed out as an unintended issue under investigation. Restarting after the relevant regional service restart may help, but the message can require waiting for Blizzard’s fix.
“Character creation timed out”
The server did not complete the creation request in time, often during heavy launch-window traffic. Reconnect, verify that the character was not created before trying again, and submit the creation once more.
“That name is restricted”
Try a different full combination, or retry after Blizzard’s restricted-name-list fix has reached your region. Support cannot manually approve a name that remains blocked.
Does the physical Collector’s Edition include early reservation?
Not by itself. The $150 physical Collector’s Edition contains a Warcraft Forever Collection digital code, but the code must be redeemed before the reservation window ends. A box that arrives after 3 November cannot retroactively provide the early opportunity.
The Gear Store listing showed the edition as sold out when checked in 2026. Orders placed before 24 September were scheduled to ship in October 2026; orders placed on or after that date were scheduled for February 2027. The box includes the Collection code, a 7.5-inch Dwarf and Bear statue, a Zephras Isle mousepad, art prints, pins, a companion journal, and 30 days of Game Time. The listed sales region was the Americas, with other retailers serving the UK, European, Australian, and New Zealand markets.
If you buy a qualifying digital Forever product now and later redeem the Collector’s Edition code by 31 December 2027, Blizzard’s published workaround may return the qualifying digital purchase as Battle.net Balance. Eligibility depends on the product and upgrade path, and some cases require Customer Support. That credit policy does not change the need for a digital entitlement during the reservation window.
What happens after launch?
From 4 November, anyone with a WoW subscription or Game Time can create Forever characters without buying a Skyborne pack; they simply missed the early reservation period and compete for names remaining in the region-wide pool. The Epic Pack and Collection include 30 days of Game Time at launch, while Heroic does not. After included time ends, continued play requires a subscription or additional Game Time.
Invite-a-Friend Launch Codes provide play access from 4 through 11 November without a subscription for the invited player, but they do not add Early Name Reservation or Skyborne access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reserve a Forever name without choosing a ruleset?
No. Early Reservation creates a complete character, and the character must be assigned to a ruleset during creation. A name-only hold that can later be attached to another ruleset is not offered.
Does deleting a reserved character immediately release its name?
Blizzard has not carried forward the immediate-release statement from a 2019 Classic post into Forever Support guidance. Treat a deleted name as unavailable until the game clearly confirms that it has returned to the pool.
Are Forever name-length and accent rules published?
Not as of 27 October 2026. Blizzard had not published a character-name length limit, the accepted accent or character set for each name part, or a paid name-change service, so avoid relying on assumptions from retail or Classic.
Can the same full Forever name be used in another region?
Forever’s published uniqueness rule is regional: the full first-and-second-name combination is checked within a region. A name unavailable in one region is not evidence that the identical combination is blocked everywhere, although region selection and account settings still determine where you can create the character.