World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4, and WoW Forever addons already work: the beta client loads them, and many of the big leveling addons have shipped Forever versions since the beta opened on September 17. The catch is that Forever is not a Classic client. It runs Blizzard’s modern addon system, so a Classic Era addon only works once its author releases a Forever build, and several things you used to install addons for are now part of the game.
We checked the addons players ask about against their release pages and source code on October 10: which have a Forever version, which don’t, and what the base game already covers. Each status below carries its date and source, because some will change before launch. Our leveling setup and step-by-step install instructions follow the tables.
Does WoW Forever Allow Addons?
Yes. The WoW Forever client (version 1.60.1 in the beta) loads addons whose .toc file declares interface 16001. Blizzard added a separate Forever game type to the addon system, with the file suffixes _Forever and _Camelot (Camelot is the internal name), according to Warcraft Wiki’s TOC format page. Questie’s developers recorded interface 16001 on beta builds 69893 and 69913.
Two details matter more than the number. First, Forever belongs to the same addon family as Retail and includes all of Retail’s addon API changes up to patch 12.1.5. Addons written for the Classic Era API need a Forever update, even though Forever plays in the original world. Second, that includes the Midnight-era combat restrictions, where some combat data reaches addons as “secret values” they can display but not read. Questie’s September 25 release notes list a fix for Lua error spam in Forever instances caused by them. The restrictions target combat information, so damage meters and aura trackers are hit hardest, while quest, bag and auction addons mostly work with data outside combat (our read of the release notes).
We found no Forever-specific addon statement from Blizzard. The usual line still applies: addons change the interface, they don’t play for you. Anything that automates gameplay, and any boost or bot service bundled with an addon, breaks Blizzard’s terms. Nothing in this guide does that.
What WoW Forever Already Does Without Addons
WoW Forever ships several features that used to need addons. Blizzard’s beta development notes confirm most of them; the last row is datamined from the beta client’s interface files.
| Built-in feature | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Quest markers and tracker | Objectives and turn-ins on the map; the tracker shows quest type and required level | Confirmed: October 8 notes add markers to more quests and the new tracker details |
| Cooldown Manager | Shows chosen cooldowns and buffs in a movable display. All classes, racials and trinkets since October 8, consumables later. Off by default: Options, Gameplay Enhancement | Confirmed: beta notes, September 24 and October 8 |
| Edit Mode | Move and resize interface frames; layouts saved per interface type | Confirmed: beta notes |
| Gamepad support | Controller play with its own action bars and map cursor | Confirmed: What’s Next panel recap and beta notes |
| Profession window | Its own window (K) with search, filters and recipe tracking | Beta client |
| Group Finder | Post and find groups, with an in-game voice option since October 8 | Confirmed: October 8 notes |
| Damage meter and swing timer | Both modules are in the client; the swing timer loads only on Forever | Datamined (build 70338); a beta player mentions both in the game |
What the base game doesn’t show is quests you haven’t picked up. A beta player on the official forums reported on October 3 that available quests only appear on the minimap, and only when you’re close. That gap is the main reason to still run Questie. The client also contains Retail’s on-screen pointer to your tracked quest (datamined; Blizzard hasn’t mentioned it).
Which WoW Forever Addons Work (Status on October 10)
“Released” means a public download with a Forever file or Forever interface number exists. “In code” means the Forever version is in the author’s source code on GitHub, but we couldn’t confirm a public Forever download.
| Addon | Use while leveling | Forever status | Source, date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questie | Quest givers, objectives and quest history on the map | Released, tested in the beta; no new Forever quests in its data yet | GitHub releases September 25 and October 6; CurseForge Forever file October 6 |
| RestedXP Guides | Step-by-step leveling route | Released; free Forever routes to level 20 (Alliance) and 22 (Horde), plus Skyborne. Paid Forever guide on sale, its own 35 to 60 routes come after launch | GitHub release 4.11.22, October 10; kami-labs, October 2 |
| Guidelime | Framework for community guides | In code; no Forever guide pack found | GitHub, October 8 |
| Zygor | Paid leveling guide | Unknown; no announcement found | Checked October 10 |
| GatherMate2, GatherLite | Record the herb and ore nodes you find | In code for both | GitHub, October 3 and October 10 |
| Auctionator | Auction house scanning and quick selling | Released | CurseForge Forever file, October 2 |
| Baganator (also Bagnon, BetterBags) | One searchable bag window | Baganator released; Bagnon and BetterBags in code | CurseForge, October 8; GitHub |
| Details! | Damage meter | Released; what it can read in Forever combat isn’t documented | CurseForge Forever file, October 6 |
| WeakAuras | Custom aura and cooldown displays | No Forever version | GitHub: Classic flavors only, October 10 |
| AtlasLoot Classic | Loot tables | No Forever version; last update June 2024 | GitHub |
| SkillUp Forever | Skill-up chances, costs and routes in the profession window | Released, Forever-only | CurseForge 0.9.2, October 9 |
| Forever Quest Tint | Tints the quest text of new Forever quests teal | Released, Forever-only | CurseForge; Icy Veins, September 24 |
Questie in WoW Forever
Questie runs on the Forever client but doesn’t know Forever’s new quests yet. The Forever quest data in QuestieDB (checked October 10) holds 4,244 quests, all with Classic quest IDs. None of the new quests we searched for are in it: Important Heirlooms, Songblade Search, Light’s Justice and Changing Tastes all came up empty. A beta player on the official forums described the effect on October 8: new quests are missing and zone quest counts are wrong. Questie’s own Forever notes say content for new Forever entities is incomplete.
It still earns its place. Forever’s quest list still includes Classic quests next to more than a thousand new ones (the October 8 notes still fix Classic quests such as Lazy Peons and Echeyakee), and Questie shows where those Classic quests start. Since version 12.0.4 (October 6), its tracker reads Blizzard’s quest log, so new quests you accept still appear there.
RestedXP, Guidelime and Zygor
RestedXP is the only guide addon with Forever routes we could verify. The free addon’s October 10 release includes Forever versions of every start zone, Alliance 11 to 20, Horde 12 to 22 through the Barrens, Mage routes and a Skyborne route. The paid Forever guide went on sale on September 14. According to RestedXP’s product page as summarized on October 2 by kami-labs (a site RestedXP sponsors), it costs $30 per faction or $45 for both, and its Forever-specific routes for levels 35 to 60 arrive after launch, with the Classic Era routes covering that range until then. Guidelime loads on Forever but ships no guides of its own, and Zygor hasn’t announced Forever support that we could find. Past level 20, our WoW Forever leveling guide has the full route to 60.
WeakAuras Alternatives
WeakAuras has no Forever version. Its source on GitHub only carries files for the Classic flavors, and its team ended Retail support when the Midnight restrictions arrived (Icy Veins). Forever uses that same restricted API. The Cooldown Manager covers cooldowns and buffs for most leveling characters. If you want more, ForeverAuras is a third-party WeakAuras fork with 116,500 downloads by October 10, and TellMeWhen, a long-running alternative, has Forever support in its code. Both can only use the combat data Blizzard still exposes.
Best WoW Forever Addons for Leveling: Our Setup
This is what we would install for a new character on November 4. Every pick had a Forever version or Forever code on October 10.
- Questie: shows quest givers on the world map, which the base game doesn’t. Treat its quest counts as Classic-only until a launch update adds the new quests.
- Forever Quest Tint: tells you at a glance which quests are new, which are exactly the ones Questie can’t show yet.
- RestedXP Guides for levels 1 to 20: the only route in addon form built for Forever’s start zones. Switch to a written route after that.
- GatherMate2 or GatherLite if you take a gathering profession: there is no public database of Forever node positions, so the nodes you record yourself are the best data you’ll have. Our herbalism and mining guides use Classic spawns until then.
- Baganator: one searchable window for all bags, useful with Forever’s extra reagent bag slot.
- Auctionator: faster posting of herbs, ore and leather, the usual gold source while leveling.
- SkillUp Forever, only if you level a crafting profession: shows which recipe still gives skill and what it costs, taken from Forever’s own recipe data. Our WoW Forever professions guide covers which professions to pick.
Skip WeakAuras and AtlasLoot Classic, which have no Forever versions. Details! is optional while leveling: the client already contains Blizzard’s own meter, and how much Details can show in Forever combat isn’t documented.
How to Install Addons for WoW Forever
- Download the Forever file. On the addon’s CurseForge page, pick the file listed under WoW Forever, not Classic or Classic Era. If you use the CurseForge app, point it at the Forever folder from step 2.
- Find your Forever folder. In the Battle.net app, select the Forever version of the game, click the gear next to Play and choose Show in Explorer. During the beta, addons go into
World of Warcraft\_classic_beta_\Interface\AddOns(Icy Veins, September 24). Blizzard hasn’t said which folder the live game uses, so check again on November 4. - Create the folders if needed. If Interface or AddOns doesn’t exist yet, create it.
- Extract the zip into AddOns. Each addon’s folder must sit directly inside AddOns, for example
AddOns\Questiewith its .toc files in it. A folder nested one level too deep won’t load. - Copy both Questie folders. Since 12.0.1, Questie needs the separate QuestieDB addon. Current downloads bundle both (Questie 12.0.4 with QuestieDB 1.0.5).
- Check the AddOns list. Restart the game, click AddOns at character select and make sure everything is enabled. An addon marked out of date has no Forever version: replace it instead of forcing it to load.
- After launch: if Forever moves to a new folder, copy your AddOns folder and the WTF folder (it holds your addon settings) over.
FAQ
Will WoW Forever have quest markers?
Yes. WoW Forever marks quest objectives and turn-ins on the map without addons, and Blizzard’s October 8 beta notes added markers to more quests. It doesn’t show quests you haven’t accepted beyond nearby ones on the minimap, according to a beta player’s report; Questie fills that gap for Classic quests.
Does Questie work in WoW Forever?
Yes. Questie has supported the Forever client since version 12.0.1 on September 25, and 12.0.4 is the current Forever file (October 6). Its database doesn’t include Forever’s new quests yet.
Why are my WoW Forever addon settings not saving?
Most likely a beta client bug, not your addon. Questie’s developers reproduced it on build 69913 with a bare test addon: settings that were saved on disk didn’t load after a client restart. They didn’t find the cause, and Blizzard’s notes up to October 8 don’t mention a fix.
Is there WeakAuras for WoW Forever?
Not from the WeakAuras team. Forever uses Retail’s restricted addon API, which WeakAuras no longer supports. ForeverAuras is a third-party fork, and Blizzard’s Cooldown Manager is the built-in option.
Sources: Blizzard’s beta development notes (September 24, October 1, October 8) and What’s Next panel recap; beta player reports on the official forums (quest markers, Forever addons); the CurseForge pages for SkillUp Forever and Forever Quest Tint. Addon status comes from each addon’s own GitHub and CurseForge release page, checked October 10. Also used: Warcraft Wiki (TOC format), the wow-ui-source mirror of the Forever client’s interface files (build 70338), Icy Veins, and kami-labs on the RestedXP Forever guide (sponsored by RestedXP). Screenshot: Blizzard Entertainment.