Vulpera, Goblins and Haranir are off the table. The only new race at launch is the Skyborne, and Blizzard says Forever will tell its own, smaller-scale stories.
Blizzard says World of Warcraft: Forever will not add races from WoW's expansions, so there are no plans for Vulpera, playable Goblins or Haranir. Forever exists in its own timeline, built on the original Warcraft strategy games, and Blizzard wants to tell new, more grounded stories instead of retelling modern WoW.
There is one brand-new race: the elven Skyborne, who can join either faction. Classic races also get new class options, like the Orc Mage and Dwarf Shaman.
Blizzard says it may visit places from later expansions one day, but only in Forever's own version.
If you were hoping to roll a Vulpera, a Goblin or one of the newer Haranir in World of Warcraft: Forever, Blizzard has an answer, and it is no. The studio says it has no plans to bring races from WoW’s expansions into Forever, because the game lives in its own timeline and wants to tell its own stories.
That matters if you are deciding whether Forever is for you before it launches on November 4. Forever is not a replay of modern WoW with the old graphics. It is a separate branch of Warcraft, with its own story, its own new race and a deliberate decision to keep things closer to the feel of the original game.
In a recent interview, Blizzard said that, for now, it is not planning to bring expansion races into Forever. That rules out races introduced in later expansions such as Battle for Azeroth, Shadowlands and Midnight, so no Vulpera, no playable Goblins and no Haranir.
The key words are “for now.” Blizzard has not ruled it out for good, but it gave no sign that new expansion-era races are in its plans.
Forever runs in what Blizzard calls its own continuity. Its main focus, the team said, is to build off the foundational lore of Warcraft, and that means the real-time strategy games first. Its opening story continues where the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign for Warcraft 3 leaves off.
Blizzard sees that separation as freeing. Because Forever is not tied to the modern storyline, it can tell stories that serve this world first, rather than spending time retelling tales that modern WoW has already explored in depth. The team said it would not be fair to Forever’s players to do otherwise.
The scale will be smaller, too. In modern WoW, the stakes are enormous because characters have come so far. Forever starts somewhere very different. You may get caught up in bigger events, but your role will be more subtle, as it was in the original game. In Blizzard’s words, in Forever you are not THE hero, you are “just A hero.”
Possibly, but not as you remember them. Blizzard said it is not ruling out going to places that first appeared in later expansions. If it does, it plans to build Forever’s own version of those places instead of copying the ones players already know.
Forever does add a new race: the Skyborne, an elven people from Zephras Isle, a new starting zone thrown into crisis after the air spirits that protected it vanished. Unusually, the Skyborne can join either the Alliance or the Horde. Blizzard says that choice is mostly about avoiding a big population swing toward one faction.
Their faction shapes their options. Horde Skyborne can be Shamans and Alliance Skyborne can be Mages, while both can play as Warriors, Hunters, Rogues or Druids, with new druid forms only they get.
Classic races also get new class pairings. You can now create an Orc Mage, a Gnome Priest, a Troll Warlock, a Human Hunter, an Undead Paladin or a Dwarf Shaman. Classes themselves will not be modernized, though Blizzard promises they will get more depth.
Forever keeps the original’s slower pace, with the level 60 cap back and the original character models and spell animations intact. On top of that, it adds:
Blizzard also promises regular updates for years after launch. New zones, dungeons and storylines are planned across every level range, not only for players who reach the cap, which gives you a reason to come back with a second or third character.
Blizzard is also fighting real-money trading, where players buy gold or items for cash. A new Temporary Economy Holds system, tested during the beta, restricts trading for accounts it flags. Blizzard admits it is new and may produce false positives while it is being tuned, but says most players will never see it.
If you love the expansion-era races, you will need to stay in modern WoW to play them. If you want a fresh story that feels like the original WoW, Forever is built for you, and it costs nothing extra: it is included in a regular World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time.
The beta was extended to October 23 at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. BST). Players who pre-purchased certain packs or editions can reserve names from October 27 through November 3, for up to three characters. Forever then launches worldwide on November 4.
Curious but not subscribed? Blizzard opened the beta to everyone for a free stress test on October 21, with no game time or invite needed. Characters made during that test were wiped before name reservations open.
No. Blizzard says it has no plans to add Vulpera or other races from WoW’s expansions to Forever.
No. Forever has its own timeline, built on the original Warcraft strategy games and picking up after the Warcraft 3: Forsaken Kingdom campaign.
The Skyborne, an elven race from Zephras Isle that can join either the Alliance or the Horde.
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