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Blizzard closed out its BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony with the long-rumored reveal of World of Warcraft: Forever, the franchise's new "Classic Plus" experience, alongside a lavish physical Collector's Edition that sold out almost immediately.
The Forever Collector's Edition, priced at $150, is now available for pre-order on the Blizzard Gear Store ahead of the game's November 4, 2026 launch. The physical package bundles a 13-inch Dwarf and Bear statue, a Zephras Isle mousepad, art prints, collectible pins, and a companion journal. It also includes a digital code granting the Warcraft Forever Collection, which unlocks the Skyborne Epic Pack alongside Warcraft III: Reforged and its new Forsaken Kingdom campaign.
Blizzard Watch noted that as of September 13, the Collector's Edition was already listed as sold out on the store page, suggesting demand has outpaced initial supply.
Pricing Tiers: What You Actually Get
The Forever experience itself is included with an active World of Warcraft subscription, but the new playable Skyborne race sits behind a paywall. To unlock it, players need at minimum the Skyborne Heroic Pack at $29.99.
The tiered structure breaks down as follows:
· Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99): Skyborne race access, Zephras Isle starting experience, Cerulean Prideclaw mount, transmog set, and one Invite-A-Friend code.
· Skyborne Epic Pack ($59.99): Everything above, plus beta access, 30 days of game time, additional cosmetics, and Collector's Edition pets.
· Warcraft Forever Collection ($79.99): All of the above, plus Warcraft III: Reforged and the Forsaken Kingdom campaign, along with three Invite-A-Friend codes.
The Paywall Problem
The decision to lock the Skyborne race behind a purchase has sparked significant backlash across community forums. This marks the first time in World of Warcraft's history that a playable race has been gated behind a microtransaction outside of a traditional expansion release.
Forum threads on Blizzard's official discussion boards reflect frustration that Forever feels less like a faithful "Classic Plus" and more like an experimental sandbox borrowing retail assets. One widely echoed criticism: "WoW Forever looks mostly just adding new garbage from retail and zones that were NEVER ACTUALLY INTENDED IN ORIGINAL VANILLA". Others questioned the value proposition, with one player noting the $29.99 unlock cost effectively makes the "free with subscription" pitch ring hollow.
Forsaken Kingdom Drops Surprise
Amid the Forever fanfare, Blizzard also surprise-launched Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom — the first new campaign for the RTS in over 23 years. The expansion explores the fall of Lordaeron and the creation of the Undercity, featuring over 30 hours of content, a new Forsaken Paladin hero unit, and a prologue plus three campaign chapters. It is included in the higher-tier Forever bundles.
Beta Access Starts September 17
Players who purchase the Epic Pack or Collection gain access to the Forever beta beginning September 17, running through October 21. The beta includes three new zones, nine dungeons, two raids, and over 1,000 new quests.
The Bottom Line
World of Warcraft: Forever represents Blizzard's most ambitious attempt yet to recapture the vanilla magic while carving new territory. But the paywalled Skyborne race and sold-out Collector's Edition have left some fans wondering whether "Forever" comes with a price tag that's a little too steep.
The game launches globally on November 4 at 3:00 p.m. PST.
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