World of Warcraft: Forever – Preview
Very unforgiving, very Vanilla!
I think there are few who have never heard of World of Warcraft. Blizzard Entertainment's MMORPG became a global cultural phenomenon after its 2004 launch, and for the past two decades, it has been the benchmark for the genre, for better or worse. In over 20 years of existence, the game has changed radically, and those who fell in love with its original style no longer find themselves as much in the current direction of releases. For such players, Blizzard launched WoW Classic in 2019: a version of the game frozen in time, which allowed us to relive the adventure in 2006's Azeroth as it was then. All this time, however, a part of the community wanted more, and the idea of a so-called “Classic+” began to take shape. The concept was relatively simple: you take the Vanilla world and add new content, created in the original spirit of WoW. Several very popular private servers set the tone, and after Blizzard shut them down, World of Warcraft: Forever, a completely different interpretation of the genre's most influential game, was announced on the BlizzCon 2026 stage. And that's a big deal.
And now I'm sure you're wondering why I'm so excited and why it matters so much that Blizzard is reheating the old soup called WoW Classic. The simple answer is that, this time, we're getting more. The original version of the game was and still is so adored because it balanced the MMO and RPG aspects equally. Your actions weighed more, each piece of loot was more valuable, and in Vanilla, the journey mattered more than the destination. Over time, quality of life features were gradually added which, ultimately, removed many of the essential aspects of the base game. The very things that made Vanilla special disappeared. That's why WoW: Forever seems like a great trick to me. First of all, the maximum level is 60 and will remain 60... practically forever, pun intended.
This means we'll get the first WoW with horizontal progression, a concept entirely alien to the series, where each new raid automatically invalidates all gear from the previous raid, and epic sets are replaced with green quest items as soon as a new expansion appears. Instead of getting better gear, we'll get different gear, which can unlock new playstyles or complete existing sets with additional bonuses and interactions. This means all released content will remain evergreen. At least in theory, because it's not yet clear how Blizzard will manage to do this at endgame.
WoW: Forever has over 1,000 new quests, which increases the total number of missions in the game by approximately 30%. I was afraid that, because of them, the feeling of familiarity would be lost, but Blizzard found a very clever solution. The first quest you receive is the same one you've done for the past 22 years. Only after you finish it and move on to the next ones do you start discovering new missions, slipped in among those you've known for so long. This matters, because WoW: Forever achieves something that very few games built on nostalgia get right: it integrates new content so organically that you almost don't realise what's new and what's old. You get the impression that all the new quests should have been there since Vanilla. So far, no activity has seemed out of place or alien to the spirit of the surrounding world.
I also have good things to say about the new dungeons I was able to play in the first phase of the beta. There are two of them, both very cool and extremely atmospheric. Hall of Thanes transports us directly to Moria, under Ironforge, into a previously inaccessible area. I also liked a small detail: the path to the entrance passes by lava, and if you happen to fall, the only way out is to wait to be resurrected. Very unforgiving, very Vanilla! At the same time, Ruins of Lordaeron lets us explore a small part of the old human kingdom, before Arthas came along and turned everyone into Forsaken. To get there, players have to face the same classic friction: long walks, the risk of being attacked by the opposing faction, and the need to socialise. The latter is now also encouraged by the new Campfire system, which offers useful buffs if you stop at a fire with other adventurers.
I can't help but mention how good the game looks. The new lighting changes the atmosphere of the areas we know by heart, and I think it even looks better than the retail version. The lighting system has been completely redesigned and it's absolutely magical to see it in action in the old areas. Blizzard has also added a much denser and more visible volumetric fog, which transforms places like Duskwood into true horror experiences. What I find clever is that Blizzard hasn't rebuilt the world from scratch. The hand-painted textures and models around you are still those from 2004; the only change is the light that falls on them. And if you want that old feeling, you can choose the Classic preset at first login, with SD character models and fewer interface aids.
However, it's not all rosy. The main cause for concern is the new race in the game, the Skyborne. Blizzard could have chosen many other races that, let's be honest, would have fit better into the Vanilla world, such as High Elves or Ogres. Instead, we got some retextured blood elves, who seem quite forcibly squeezed into the game's lore. Of course, I also played the new Skyborne starting zone and, however sceptical I was, I have to admit that they don't feel as strange as I expected. The architecture of the zone, although clearly inspired by elven aesthetics, has a much more rudimentary, dustier and more “low fantasy” look, which blends surprisingly well with the harsh tone of Vanilla.
The starting quests, although a little more cinematic than those from 2004, justify the Skyborne's presence in the world quite well, as well as how they interact with the classic factions and the fact that they are a desperate force trying to survive. You don't feel like you're playing an expansion released in 2026 and taped over the 2004 game, but rather a faction that has truly found its place on the periphery of the world. What I don't think we'll be able to get used to is the monetisation. As we also learned from the BlizzCon presentation, WoW: Forever is included in the monthly €13 subscription, but if you want the privilege of playing as a Skyborne from launch, you'll have to shell out another €30. It's also the first time Blizzard has locked a playable race behind a paywall, without it being included in a new expansion.
The problem isn't the price. It's the precedent. If the race is sold as a separate product, the next logical step could be other races, other zones, or other packs. Here lies the thin line between a Classic+ that expands the game and one that starts to resemble a shop. The good news is that you're not forced to buy anything. All new zones, quests, and dungeons are included in the subscription, and the pack only gives you the race and its island. But if Blizzard wants to maintain community trust, it will have to show that Skyborne remains an exception, not a proof of concept on which to build even more aggressive monetisation systems. For now, I declare myself optimistic, but I maintain a healthy dose of scepticism. Only time will tell which direction Blizzard will choose to go.
Played on: PC
Release date: 4 November 2026
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
