From that magical moment the images from the World of Warcraft: Forever trailer above danced across the screen at BlizzCon 2026, I could feel the excitement rising. Easily my top moment from an already impressive BlizzCon, spending the past several days with the beta has confirmed what I already suspected: lighting can indeed strike twice. Or in this case, maybe it’s lightning can strike three, four, five or however many times I have become totally enamored with WoW, dropped it and then picked it right back up again.
Diving into the crowded yet absolutely engrossing beta over the past several days has cemented that which I had already known: World of Warcraft is one of my favorite if not my favorite game of all time.
From that opening cinematic and seeing hundreds of newbies in Elwynn Forest, that familiar feeling of “Welcome Back” hit ever so hard. I can’t even begin to calculate how many times I’ve leveled characters and the total amount of hours spent in this starting area alone. Either way, I was immediately floored with the subtle yet impressive lighting and graphical improvements. Also, I choose the modern UI and all the goodies that come with that and while some may scream “RETAIL!”, I think it’s the near-perfect mix of both old and new.
While the starting area was beyond crowded with new beta recruits and shared mob tagging not a thing like in retail, it was a bit difficult to level up at first. Luckily a few random groups formed and we were smashing kobold faces quicker than ever. As I did these tasks I’ve done dozens of times before, that familiar addiction started to creep in. There’s just no denying for those of us where WoW Classic just clicks, it seems to click over and over regardless of whether it was the original days, Classic, hardcore or in this case, Forever. It’s Classic but plus, with new skills, quests, areas, and dungeons layered upon the original content all with a shiny new coat of paint while respecting the original vision of those incredible artists.
After confirming 100% that I am all in for the November 4th launch, I had to close the beta. Despite some layering and megaserver issues, this game is already something special, and like a siren’s call out to old and new players alike, I will be answering that call in full force. In an already crowded gaming season, WoW Forever proves that sometimes the classics are all we need.
More WoW: Forever Goodies
https://gametyrant.com/news/7-world-of-warcraft-forever-beta-screenshots-in-4k
https://gametyrant.com/news/how-to-join-the-world-of-warcraft-forever-beta
https://gametyrant.com/news/how-to-toggle-volumetric-fog-in-the-world-of-warcraft-forever-beta
