The WoW: Forever beta level cap is 20 in week one and rises to 30 later in the test, which runs September 17 to October 21, 2026. At launch on November 4 the cap is the permanent 60. Week one opens the Skyborne race with Zephras Isle, every zone up to level 20, and two new dungeons: Hall of Thanes and Ruins of Lordaeron.
Forever beta at a glance
| Beta window | September 17 – October 21, 2026 |
| Level cap, week 1 | 20 |
| Level cap, later in beta | 30 (date not announced) |
| Level cap at launch (Nov 4) | 60, permanent |
| Open zones now | Zephras Isle (1–12) plus all zones up to level 20 |
| New dungeons now | Hall of Thanes (13–18, beneath Ironforge), Ruins of Lordaeron (15–20) |
| Coming later in beta | More zones, more dungeons, the Darkspear Islands battleground, a "Server Slam" open to everyone |
| Access | Instant with the Skyborne Epic Pack or Warcraft Forever Collection; otherwise opt-in invitation waves |
| Install | Battle.net app → World of Warcraft → Game Version "World of Warcraft: Forever Beta" |
Blizzard has not given a date for the jump from 20 to 30, only that it comes "later" in the test. Treat any specific date you see elsewhere as a guess.
Forever Leveling 1–30The early game done — starting zones, first dungeons, level 30.from 13 EURGet it doneWhat can you actually do in week 1 of the Forever beta?
Roll a Skyborne — Windshaper for Horde or High Order for Alliance — and play the new floating start island, Zephras Isle, from 1 to 12. Then head to the mainland: every classic zone that fits under level 20 is playable, alongside the new racial kits (Dwarf Shaman and Undead Paladin included) and the reworked Paladin toolkit with Holy Strike at level 6.
The systems worth poking at early: campfires (your Cooking Fire is now a Basic Campfire that gives rest and buffs), the new bag quests in starting zones, and the Legacy panel. Note the known issues list from September 17: friends list is disabled, a barber-chair LUA error, an off-screen minimap and a Waylaid Crate stacking bug are all on Blizzard's radar.
Which dungeons are in the Forever beta right now?
Two of the nine new dungeons are live in week one. Hall of Thanes sits beneath Ironforge and is tuned for 13–18; it is Alliance-side but Horde can enter. Ruins of Lordaeron is the Horde equivalent at 15–20, and Alliance can go in. Classic dungeons that fit the cap, such as Ragefire Chasm, Deadmines, Wailing Caverns and Shadowfang Keep, all still exist in Forever.
Once the cap moves to 30, expect the next band to open: City of Dalaran (20–35) and the Wetlands Excavation site are the obvious candidates, though Blizzard has only said "more dungeons" without naming them. Boss lists and loot tables for the new dungeons have not been published.
How do I get into the WoW: Forever beta?
Two routes. Buy the Skyborne Epic Pack or the Warcraft Forever Collection on the Battle.net shop and the beta unlocks immediately. Or opt in through your Battle.net account and wait for an invitation wave — Blizzard says waves continue throughout the test. A later "Server Slam" will open the beta to everyone for several hours; details are still pending.
Check your GPU before you queue. The beta needs RGBA16F UAV support in compute shaders: AMD GCN 1 (2012), NVIDIA Maxwell (2014), Intel Skylake (2015) or newer. A GTX 750 Ti or Radeon HD 7850 runs it; a GTX 760–780 or Radeon HD 6950 does not.
Does beta progress carry over to launch?
Blizzard has not said anything about beta characters carrying into the November 4 launch, and Classic-team betas have historically been test environments rather than head starts. Plan on the beta being for learning, not for progress. Name reservation is separate: October 27 – November 3, up to three characters, with any upgrade pack.
If you would rather skip the launch-day 1–60 grind or learn the new dungeons with someone who has already run them in beta, PewPewShop takes Forever pre-orders now: Forever Leveling 1–30 from EUR 13, and a Drowned City Dungeon Run from EUR 16, all played by vetted human players, no bots.