WoW: Forever launches November 4, 2026 with three new zones: Zephras Isle, a floating island and the 1–12 start for the new Skyborne race; the Riverglades, a 30–45 leveling zone in the Eastern Kingdoms with 150+ quests and a neutral goblin port; and Mount Hyjal, the level-60 endgame zone holding the Hyjal Summit raid and one Barrow Deeps entrance. On top of those three, Blizzard is expanding Shen'dralar content around Dire Maul, Maraudon and Razorfen Downs.
The three new zones at a glance
| Zone | Level range | Where / what | Who goes there |
| Zephras Isle | 1–12 | Floating island, the Skyborne starting area | Skyborne characters only (race needs the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher) |
| The Riverglades | 30–45 | Eastern Kingdoms; 150+ quests, new reputations, neutral goblin port | Both factions, any race |
| Mount Hyjal | Endgame (60) | Hosts the Hyjal Summit 20-player raid and one of three Barrow Deeps entrances | Level-60 characters, raid groups |
- Level cap stays at 60 — Forever adds content in patches, never expansions, so none of these zones raise the cap.
- No flying, no level scaling. A 30–45 zone is a 30–45 zone; you outlevel it the old-fashioned way.
- Launch bundle: three zones, 1,000+ new quests, nine new dungeons, two new raids and the Skyborne race, all included with a normal WoW subscription or Game Time.
- Beta: September 17 – October 21, 2026, capped at level 30 — so testers see Zephras Isle and the first stretch of the Riverglades, but not Hyjal.
What is Zephras Isle?
Zephras Isle is the new 1–12 starting zone for the Skyborne, the elven race introduced with Forever. It is a floating island, and it is race-locked: a Human, Orc or Tauren still begins in their original starting area. The Skyborne themselves are not neutral — they split into the Windshaper (Horde) and High Order (Alliance) branches, and every Skyborne can roll Warrior, Hunter, Rogue or Druid, with the Horde side adding Shaman and the Alliance side adding Mage. Their druid forms are a unique sky-blue.
Because the race is tied to the Skyborne Heroic Pack (€29.99 on the EU Battle.net shop as of September 12) or a higher edition, Zephras Isle is effectively pack-gated content. If you play a free-to-roll race, you will never quest there.
Where are the Riverglades and what level should I be?
The Riverglades sit in the Eastern Kingdoms and cover levels 30–45, the same band where original-era players used to bounce between Stranglethorn, Arathi, Desolace and the Badlands. Blizzard lists 150+ quests, new reputations to grind and a neutral goblin port, so both factions share the space. Plan to arrive around level 30 and leave near 45; with no level scaling, showing up early just means dying to yellow-named mobs.
The zone also neighbours part of the new dungeon spread: the Excavation Site in the Wetlands and The Drowned City, a troll ruin off Stranglethorn Vale, bracket the same leveling window. Exact dungeon boss lists and loot have not been published yet.
What is on Mount Hyjal in WoW: Forever?
Mount Hyjal is the endgame zone. It houses the Hyjal Summit raid (20-player) and one of the three entrances to Barrow Deeps (10-player). Per Blizzard's roadmap, both raids open on December 9, 2026 — five weeks after launch — together with the 40-player Onyxia's Lair. Until then Hyjal is a level-60 questing and world-content zone; whether Molten Core or Blackwing Lair exist at launch has not been confirmed, so treat any claim either way with suspicion.
Are more zones coming after launch?
Yes. The published roadmap lists a new playable area, two raids (10 and 20-player), two dungeons, a new legendary questline and a PvP season refresh for spring 2027, then a revamped iconic raid, another new raid, expanded world content and two more dungeons for summer 2027. Blizzard has not named the spring zone. All of this stays at level 60.
Quick answers on the new zones
- Can Horde and Alliance both use the Riverglades? Yes, it is a shared zone with a neutral goblin port.
- Is Mount Hyjal reachable at launch? Yes as a zone; its raids unlock December 9, 2026.
- Do I need a pack for the Riverglades or Hyjal? No, only Zephras Isle and the Skyborne race require the Heroic Pack or higher.
- Can I reserve a name early? Yes, October 27 – November 3, 2026, up to three characters, with any upgrade pack.
If you would rather have a vetted human pro run the leveling curve with you and reach Hyjal in time for the December raid unlock, PewPewShop takes Forever pre-orders now: Skyborne Start on Zephras Isle 1–12 from EUR 15, the Riverglades stretch 30–45 from EUR 40.5, full 1–60 progression from EUR 137.2, and Barrow Deeps raid help from EUR 35 once raids go live — no bots, no shortcuts, just play-together and coaching.