WoW: Forever uses the Modern client API for addons — the same addon interface as retail, not the frozen Classic-era one. Blizzard said this at the September 17 live Q&A (per Wowhead's recap) and added two more details: a built-in damage meter at launch and a Cooldown Manager later. Ports of WeakAuras, DBM or any other specific addon have not been announced; that is up to their authors.
Quick facts
- Addon API: Modern client API (retail-style), confirmed at the September 17 Q&A.
- Built-in damage meter: yes, at launch — you do not need a third-party meter just to see numbers.
- Cooldown Manager: planned, arriving after launch. No date given.
- WeakAuras / DBM / BigWigs: not confirmed either way. Authors will have to publish Forever builds; nothing official yet.
- Client: Forever is a third game version under "World of Warcraft" in the Battle.net app, alongside Modern and Classic. The beta (September 17 – October 21) installs as "World of Warcraft: Forever Beta".
- Launch: November 4, 2026, 3 p.m. Pacific, included with a normal subscription.
Will WeakAuras work in WoW: Forever?
Nobody can say yes yet. Because Forever exposes the Modern client API, an addon that already runs on retail is the closer starting point than its Classic-era branch — but Forever also has new systems (Legacy, camping, two-part names, a reworked Honor track) that no existing addon knows about. Expect authors to need at least a compatibility pass, and expect the beta to be where that work happens.
The practical advice: do not plan your Forever raid setup around a specific addon until its author posts a Forever-compatible release. The built-in damage meter covers the most common reason people install one.
Will DBM or BigWigs have boss modules for Forever?
Unknown. Boss lists and loot for the nine new dungeons and the two launch raids (Barrow Deeps, 10-player; Hyjal Summit, 20-player) are not published, and raids only unlock on December 9 per Blizzard's roadmap. Boss-mod authors can only write timers for fights they can see, so the earliest realistic window is beta testing of the new dungeons (Hall of Thanes and Ruins of Lordaeron open in beta week 1) and then the live raid tier in December.
What does the built-in damage meter change?
Damage and healing numbers become part of the default UI, so groups can check performance without asking everyone to install the same addon. It also fits Blizzard's stated direction: single-difficulty dungeons and raids, no Flex, no scaling, where you can out-gear content — a meter helps you see when you have. How detailed the built-in meter is (per-target breakdowns, logging, history) was not described; treat any specifics you read elsewhere as guesses.
What is the Cooldown Manager and when does it arrive?
Blizzard only said it comes "later" — after launch. In practical terms it is expected to be a native way to track your own cooldowns on screen, which is the job many players currently hand to WeakAuras. No timeline, feature list or screenshot exists for the Forever version, so keep expectations at "announced, not dated".
Do Classic-era addons install into Forever?
Not as-is. Classic-era addons target the old API; Forever is on the Modern API. A Forever addon folder will be separate from your Classic and retail folders, the same way each game version keeps its own Interface directory today. Notably, Paladins get Twist of Light — Seal twisting without a swing-timer addon — one small sign that Blizzard is folding some classic addon jobs into the base game.
If you would rather spend the first weeks of Forever playing instead of babysitting your UI, PewPewShop's vetted human players can help — coaching on the new dungeons, play-together leveling (Forever Leveling 1–30 from EUR 13) or a full Launch-Ready Pack (1–60, pre-raid gear and 500g, from EUR 219), all pre-orders until November 4.