At Forever’s 4 November 2026 launch, an active World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time is enough to play. You do not need to buy a Forever edition unless you want the Skyborne race, the Zephras Isle starting experience, Early Name Reservation, cosmetics, or bundled extras.
Modern Retail is different: playing Midnight requires both the Midnight expansion license and active subscription time. A subscription alone covers older Retail content, Forever, and the Classic family, but it does not grant Midnight. Retail’s free trial lets you play only through level 20.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Free plan / price | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Free Trial | Trying modern WoW before paying | Playable through level 20 | Free | Windows, Mac | Oct 2026 |
| Forever launch access | Playing the reimagined original Azeroth | Subscription or Game Time grants access on 4 Nov 2026 | US subscription from $14.99/month; Game Time also works | Windows, Mac | Oct 2026 |
| Skyborne Heroic Pack | Skyborne, Zephras Isle and name reservation | Forever upgrade; subscription or Game Time still required to play | From $29.99, plus active time | Windows, Mac | Oct 2026 |
| Skyborne Epic Pack | Heroic contents plus bundled play time | 30 days of Game Time credited at launch | $59.99; 30 days included at launch | Windows, Mac | Oct 2026 |
| Warcraft Forever Collection | Forever extras and Warcraft III: Reforged | Epic contents plus Forsaken Kingdom campaign | $79.99; 30 days included at launch; available through 11 Jan 2027 | Windows, Mac | Oct 2026 |
| Midnight (Base, Heroic or Epic) plus time | Current Retail and Worldsoul Saga content | Midnight license and active subscription or Game Time | Midnight US list price not stated; subscription from $14.99/month | Windows, Mac | Oct 2026 |
The prices and availability above are the Battle.net Americas figures or dated shop observations available in October 2026. Regional prices can differ.
What are the three separate access checks?
Check your Battle.net login, the specific WoW license selected in the launcher, and the version you intend to play. Having the files installed does not supply a missing expansion or missing Game Time.
- Trying Retail: the free trial on that WoW account is sufficient until level 20.
- Playing beyond the trial, Forever or Classic: add an active subscription or non-recurring Game Time.
- Playing Midnight: the account must own Midnight as well as having active time.
A subscription is account time, not an expansion purchase. Blizzard’s shop describes the relationship plainly: “Midnight expansion sold separately. Future expansions not included in Midnight purchase.”
Do I need to buy an edition to play World of Warcraft: Forever at launch?
No. Blizzard states, “Your WoW subscription or game time grants you access to WoW: Forever starting November 4.” Forever launches globally on 4 November 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST, one simultaneous launch moment. A subscription or Game Time on the correct WoW license is the only paid access requirement.
What you need
- A Battle.net account and the Battle.net desktop app.
- World of Warcraft installed, with Forever selected in the launcher.
- Active subscription time or Game Time on that WoW license when you play.
- A Windows or Mac computer, broadband internet, keyboard and mouse. Blizzard describes controller support as beta in the Forever starter information.
You do not need Midnight, a Skyborne pack, a physical Collector’s Edition, or any Forever upgrade to enter the game. Housing decorations in Forever packs are for modern WoW Housing, which itself requires Midnight.
How do I start Forever?
- Create or sign in to Battle.net, verify the email address, and enable two-factor authentication if possible.
- Subscribe or add Game Time to the WoW license you will use.
- Install or update through the Battle.net app and choose the Forever version rather than Retail.
- Launch at or after 3:00 p.m. PST on 4 November 2026 and create a character on the ruleset you want.
Forever launches with Normal, PvP, Roleplay and Roleplay-PvP rulesets. Characters can group, join guilds, and enter dungeons or raids only with players on the same ruleset and faction. Hardcore is planned for later, not launch day.
Which Forever upgrade adds gameplay features?
The upgrade packs are optional additions to subscription access. The only Forever gameplay features locked behind a pack are the Skyborne race and its Zephras Isle starting experience; both require the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher edition.
| Edition | Gameplay and access features | Other contents | Game Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skyborne Heroic Pack | Skyborne race, Zephras Isle starting experience, Early Name Reservation | Cerulean Prideclaw mount (riding skill purchased separately), Shen’dorei Skyseer’s Garb, Veteran Adventurer’s Rucksack, Shen’dorei Windwell toy, Skyborne Housing decor, one Invite-A-Friend launch code | None |
| Skyborne Epic Pack | Everything in Heroic | Forever beta access (the 17 September–21 October 2026 beta has ended), additional Veteran Adventurer cosmetics, tabards and pets, three Invite-A-Friend codes total | 30 days credited from 4 November 2026 |
| Warcraft Forever Collection | Everything in Epic | Warcraft III: Reforged, the Forsaken Kingdom campaign and Forsaken and Human Figurine Housing decor | 30 days credited from 4 November 2026 |
| Physical Collector’s Edition | Physical edition with a digital license after key redemption | Sold through the Blizzard Gear Store while supplies last; contents and price depend on the physical product listing | Included time is added when the key is applied |
The Heroic pack’s dated Battle.net shop floor price was from $29.99; the Epic Pack was listed at $59.99 (€59.99), and the Collection at $79.99 (€79.99) in October 2026 shop observations. The Collection is scheduled to remain available through 11 January 2027. Blizzard’s official Collector’s Edition news page did not publish a dollar price.
Pack cosmetics marked for modern WoW or Forever do not work in WoW Classic. Housing items also require Midnight. Buying Epic or Collection does not make the 30 days usable immediately: that time is credited at Forever launch. After the included period, add another subscription or Game Time.
Do I need an active subscription to reserve a Forever name?
No. Early Name Reservation runs from 27 October through 3 November 2026 and requires a qualifying Forever pack, not active Game Time. Blizzard Customer Support says the time requirement starts when the game launches; any included bundle time activates automatically then.
Eligible purchases are Skyborne Heroic, Skyborne Epic, Warcraft Forever Collection, or a physical Collector’s Edition whose key has been added to Battle.net. The reservation is first-come, first-served on the WoW account that owns the pack, so purchasing a pack does not guarantee a particular name.
Regional opening times are Europe 27 October at 18:00 CET, North America 27 October at 1:00 p.m. PDT, Korea 28 October at 07:00 KST, and Taiwan 28 October at 07:00 CST. For a physical edition, Customer Support says the key must be redeemed before the Name Reservation option appears.
Forever characters use two names that are unique within a region. You can hide the secondary name at Options > Nameplates > My Secondary Name; it remains visible in chat.
Can a friend play Forever without buying a subscription?
For launch week only, yes, if you have an eligible non-gift pack with an Invite-A-Friend code. The invitation window is 4–11 November 2026, and email delivery began 20 October 2026 PST.
Heroic includes one code; Epic and Collection include three total. An invited player can enter Forever without subscription or Game Time during that window, but the code does not provide beta access and does not turn into permanent play time.
What do I need to play Midnight modern Retail?
Midnight requires two purchases or entitlements: the Midnight expansion license and active subscription time or Game Time. The subscription covers older expansions and the Classic family, but Midnight remains a separate product. All three Midnight editions grant the expansion itself.
What is included in each Midnight edition?
| Feature | Base | Heroic | Epic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight and The War Within | Included | Included | Included |
| Enhanced Level 80 Character Boost | Included | Included | Included |
| Housing and Housing Early Access | Included | Included | Included |
| Trader’s Tender | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
| Lightwing Dragonhawk and Lightstrider Raiment | — | Included | Included |
| Hopeflutter, Doomfeathers, Voidstrider Raiment, Voidwing Dragonhawk, Voidlight Surger and Housing decor pack | — | — | Included |
| Midnight beta, three-day early access and 30 days of Game Time | — | — | Included historically or at launch as listed |
Base, Heroic and Epic all unlock the same Midnight gameplay. The differences are cosmetics, Housing decor, Trader’s Tender, and Epic-tier extras. Trader’s Tender is granted once per Battle.net account and region for each edition, up to 2,000 from Epic. Character boosts and in-game items are bound to the purchasing WoW account and do not work in Classic; upgrading does not grant a second boost or duplicate items already unlocked.
The official comparison table did not render current US dollar list prices for the three Midnight editions. Do not treat an older regional forum figure as a current US price. Midnight does not include future expansions, and handheld compatibility is listed as unsupported.
What is the modern Retail leveling path?
New characters begin at Exile’s Reach, move through the Dragonflight story and Story Mode raids toward level 70, then The War Within. Midnight continues the Worldsoul Saga through Eversong Woods, Zul’Aman, Harandar and Voidstorm, with progression toward level 90. Midnight launched worldwide on 2 March 2026 at 23:00 GMT.
Can I try Retail without paying?
Yes. New accounts and lapsed subscribers can use the Retail Free Trial through level 20, including eligible level-20 dungeons and quests. The official starter guide says the trial does not require a subscription or Game Time; after Exile’s Reach, continuing the Dragonflight path beyond level 20 requires paid time.
Trial accounts have social limits, including restricted chat, guild and Auction House access. A lapsed account’s higher-level characters are not deleted; the account simply returns to trial status until time is added. The trial applies to Retail only and is not available for WoW Classic games. Blizzard’s starter information is collected at worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/start.
Does one subscription cover Classic, Forever and Retail?
Yes, the same subscription or Game Time can be used for Retail, Forever and the Classic family on the account. The shop lists access through level 80 in modern WoW, level 60 in WoW Classic and level 90 in Mists of Pandaria Classic. Classic Anniversary content, Season of Discovery copy and Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary are also covered by the subscription.
Classic has no free trial. Midnight ownership is not needed for Classic or Forever, and Midnight or Forever pack cosmetics do not unlock Classic gameplay or items.
Which subscription term is the best fit?
Longer US Battle.net terms reduce the monthly rate but auto-renew. Game Time is the non-recurring alternative.
| Term | US price checked Oct 2026 | Billing behavior | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | $14.99/month | Auto-renews | Standard subscription benefits |
| 3 months | $13.99/month | Auto-renews every three months | Longer-term promotional cosmetics when offered |
| 6-month special offer | $12.99/month | Auto-renews | Special-offer cosmetics and bonuses |
| 12-month special offer | $12.99/month | Auto-renews | Special-offer cosmetics and bonuses; Blizzard labels it best value based on the monthly rate and bonuses |
Prices vary by region. The longer-term bonuses come from purchasing the matching subscription offer, not from adding Game Time through another method. A Lunar New Year six-month special was scheduled to be revealed on or before 31 January 2027. Epic Midnight, Epic Forever and the Forever Collection each include 30 days, after which more time is required.
What computer and setup does WoW require?
Blizzard’s current subscription-shop requirements call for Windows 10 64-bit (May 2019 Update or newer) or macOS 10.15, broadband internet and an SSD with 128 GB free space. The minimum Windows specification is a four-core 3.0 GHz processor, DirectX 12 graphics with 3 GB memory and 8 GB RAM at 1280×720. The recommended specification is a six-core 3.5 GHz processor, 8 GB graphics memory and 16 GB RAM; Apple M1 is listed as a Mac option.
- Install the Battle.net desktop app and sign in.
- Select the intended WoW license if the account has more than one.
- Choose Retail for Midnight, Forever for the reimagined Azeroth, or a Classic client.
- Confirm that subscription or Game Time is attached to that license before entering paid content.
Which purchase matches your goal?
- Only testing combat: use the Retail trial and stop at level 20 until you decide.
- Playing Forever with no extras: buy only a subscription or Game Time.
- Skyborne or an early name: buy Heroic or higher on the correct WoW license, then ensure paid time is available for 4 November.
- A bundled first month and cosmetics: choose Epic; its 30 days arrive at launch.
- Warcraft III and Forsaken Kingdom: choose the Collection while it is sold through 11 January 2027.
- Modern endgame and friends in Midnight: buy any Midnight edition plus subscription or Game Time; Base is sufficient for gameplay.
- Classic only: use subscription or Game Time and skip Midnight and Forever packs.
- A physical box: obtain the Collector’s Edition while supplies last and redeem its key before reserving a name.
How the access rules were determined
The deciding criteria are the entitlement Blizzard assigns to each client, whether paid time is active at the moment you play, and which gameplay features are edition-gated. Cosmetic rewards, historical beta access and promotional extras do not change the basic access rule: Forever needs subscription time, while Midnight needs both subscription time and a Midnight license.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Forever names can I reserve during Early Name Reservation?
Blizzard’s launch information allows up to three characters during the reservation period. Reservations are first-come, first-served within your region, and the chosen names are not guaranteed until accepted by the service.
Where do I switch between Retail, Forever and Classic in Battle.net?
Use the World of Warcraft game tile in the Battle.net desktop app, then open the version selector beside the Play button. Selecting a different client changes the game version you launch; it does not add an expansion or Game Time that the account lacks.
Can I buy a Forever pack for someone else and still reserve a name?
No. Early Name Reservation is tied to the WoW license that owns the qualifying pack. Gift purchases do not provide the Invite-A-Friend launch-code benefits described for eligible personal purchases.
What happens if my subscription expires while I still have Forever characters?
Your characters and progress remain on the account, but paid gameplay access stops until you add Game Time or renew. You can still use the Retail Free Trial rules on the account where applicable.