There are three WoW Forever editions on the Battle.net Shop, priced at $29.99, $59.99 and $79.99, and none of them is required to play. World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4 and is included with a normal WoW subscription or Game Time, the same one that covers retail and Classic. The packs are upgrades on top of that.
Strip away the cosmetics and the decision is simpler than the store page makes it look. Exactly one thing in these packs changes what you can do in the game: the Skyborne race and its Zephras Isle starting zone, which unlock with the cheapest pack. Everything above that tier is beta access, 30 days of Game Time, cosmetics, and in the top bundle, Warcraft III.
Below: what each edition contains, which items also work in modern WoW, the real price gaps once you subtract Game Time, and who should buy what.
Do You Need to Buy Anything to Play WoW Forever?
No. Blizzard’s pre-purchase announcement is explicit: at launch, access “will be included with your World of Warcraft Subscription or Game Time.” There is no box price. A single month of WoW costs $14.99 in the US, a bit less per month on longer plans. With an active sub you get every zone, dungeon, raid, class and the eight original races.
Two limits to be aware of. There is no free trial or starter edition for Forever, according to Icy Veins, so you need paid time to play at all. And one WoW account can only be logged into one version at a time, so you can’t run retail and Forever side by side on the same account.
The only content a subscription alone does not cover is the Skyborne. The shop’s product requirements state that access to the Skyborne race or the Zephras Isle starting questline “requires purchase of Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher edition.”
WoW Forever Editions at a Glance
| Option | Price (US) | What you get | Gameplay-relevant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription only | $14.99 per month | The full game with the eight original races | Everything except Skyborne |
| Skyborne Heroic Pack | $29.99 | Skyborne race and Zephras Isle, Early Name Reservation, Cerulean Prideclaw mount, Shen’dorei Skyseer’s Garb transmog, Veteran Adventurer’s Rucksack, Shen’dorei Windwell toy, Skyborne housing decor, 1 Invite-A-Friend code | Skyborne race, name reservation |
| Skyborne Epic Pack | $59.99 | Everything in Heroic, plus beta access (through October 21), 30 days of Game Time, Veteran Adventurer’s Loyal Companion bear mount, Veteran Adventurer’s Outdoor Wear transmog, two tabards, four pets, 2 more Invite-A-Friend codes | Beta access (ends October 21), Game Time |
| Warcraft Forever Collection | $79.99 (sold until January 11, 2027) | Everything in Epic, plus Warcraft III: Reforged, the Forsaken Kingdom campaign, Forsaken and Human figurine housing decor | Nothing beyond Epic inside WoW |
| Collector’s Edition (physical) | $150 | Warcraft Forever Collection code, 13-inch Dwarf and Bear statue, mousepad, art prints, pins, journal | Nothing beyond Epic inside WoW |
The four pets are the Zergling, Panda, Diablo and Pachimari, the first three being the original 2004 Collector’s Edition companions. The tabards are the Lordaeron Forever and Shen’dorei tabards. The physical Collector’s Edition was listed as sold out on the Blizzard Gear Store in September.
What Actually Matters in Game
The Skyborne race
This is the one real gameplay unlock. Skyborne can be Druids, Hunters, Rogues and Warriors on both factions, plus Mages on the Alliance and Shamans on the Horde. Their racials are Wind Blessed (1% haste), Elemental Insight (5% more damage to elementals) and the Walk on Air glide, plus Read Ley Line for the Alliance and Skysight for the Horde. They start on Zephras Isle, a separate starting zone that runs to about level 12 according to wow.gg.
How much the race matters depends on your class. In our best race for every class guide, Skyborne is the top pick for Balance and Restoration Druids on both factions, and a reasonable alternative for Horde Shamans. For most other classes, a free race is as good or better. So for a caster Druid, the Heroic Pack buys a small but permanent edge. For everyone else it buys a look and a new starting zone. Our Skyborne race guide covers the race in detail.
Early Name Reservation
Every paid tier includes it. From October 27 through November 3 you can create and customize up to three characters and claim their names, first come, first served. If you have a name you’ve used since 2005, this is the only way to get a head start on it. Blizzard notes that desired names aren’t guaranteed.
Beta access
Epic Pack and above. The beta ends on October 21, so anyone buying on September 29 gets a little over three weeks. The test started with a level cap of 20, with a raise to 30 planned later. Nothing from the beta carries over to live servers. You can also opt in for free on Blizzard’s sign-up page and hope for an invite, and Blizzard’s beta announcement promises a “Server Slam” at some point during the test, a few hours in which anyone can log in.
Mounts, Game Time and the rest
The 30 days of Game Time are added to your account on November 4. If you plan to play Forever in November anyway, that’s worth about $15 in cash. The mounts have one catch: Blizzard says you still need to buy the riding skill in-game before you can use the Cerulean Prideclaw, so a pack mount doesn’t let you skip the riding trainer. The transmog sets, pets, tabards, toy and decor are purely cosmetic.
What Carries Over to Retail WoW
Several items work in both games. The shop marks the Cerulean Prideclaw, Shen’dorei Skyseer’s Garb, Veteran Adventurer’s Rucksack and Shen’dorei Windwell as usable in both modern WoW and Forever. Blizzard’s official contents image, shown below, groups the Epic Pack’s bear mount and Outdoor Wear set with those items, and the Warcraft Wiki lists them the same way.
- Both modern WoW and Forever: Cerulean Prideclaw, Loyal Companion bear, Skyseer’s Garb, Outdoor Wear, Rucksack, Windwell toy.
- Forever only: the Skyborne race, the four pets, the two tabards, Early Name Reservation, beta access.
- Modern WoW only: the housing decor. Housing needs World of Warcraft: Midnight, which is sold separately and not part of any pack.
- Not included anywhere: Midnight itself, character boosts, or anything for Classic Era and the other Classic versions. The shop states that included items “are not available in WoW Classic.”
For a retail collector who never plans to touch Forever, the Heroic Pack costs about what one mount from the in-game shop does and comes with a mount, a transmog set, a back item, a toy and decor. That’s a fair deal if you like the look. The Epic Pack adds just one more mount and set for retail, which doesn’t justify the extra $30 on its own.
The Real Price Gaps
The sticker prices hide how the tiers relate to each other. Here is what each step up buys, assuming you’ll subscribe for November either way:
- Heroic to Epic (+$30): subtract the $14.99 of Game Time and you pay about $15 for three weeks of beta, a second mount, a second transmog set, four pets, two tabards and two extra friend codes. On a six-month plan a month costs less, so the effective gap is closer to $17.
- Epic to Collection (+$20): you get Warcraft III: Reforged and Forsaken Kingdom. Blizzard sells those two as a combo for $49.99, or the campaign alone for $29.99 if you already own Reforged, per Wccftech. If you want the campaign, the Collection saves you $30 (or $10 if you own Reforged). If you don’t, you’re paying $20 for two housing figurines.
- Heroic plus the Warcraft III combo: $29.99 plus $49.99 is $79.98, one cent less than the Collection, which also includes the Epic tier. If you want both Skyborne and Forsaken Kingdom, the Collection is the obvious buy.
Which WoW Forever Edition Should You Buy?
Subscription only: the right answer for most players. If you plan to play a Human, Orc, Troll or any other original race, no pack adds anything you’ll notice past the first week. This is the default, not a compromise.
Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99): buy it if you want to play a Skyborne, if you’re rolling a Balance or Restoration Druid and want the best racial, or if claiming a specific name before launch matters to you. It’s the only pack with lasting in-game value.
Skyborne Epic Pack ($59.99): worth it only if you want guaranteed beta time before October 21. Everything else in the step up is about $15 of cosmetics once Game Time is counted. If you’d be happy with the free opt-in or the Server Slam, stay on Heroic.
Warcraft Forever Collection ($79.99): buy it if you want to play Forsaken Kingdom. Otherwise it’s Epic plus $20 of things you won’t use. It stays on sale until January 11, 2027, so there’s no rush unless you also want the beta.
Our verdict for someone who only wants Forever: a subscription is enough. If the Skyborne appeal to you, the Heroic Pack is the ceiling. The Epic Pack’s extra money mostly buys a beta that ends two weeks before launch and wipes everything you did in it.
One open question: Blizzard sells all three as pre-purchase upgrades and hasn’t said whether the Heroic Pack will stay on sale after November 4, or whether Skyborne will ever become available without a purchase. Only the Collection has a published end date.
FAQ
Is WoW Forever free?
Not free, but there is no separate purchase. It’s included with a WoW subscription or Game Time, the same one that covers retail and Classic.
Can I play Skyborne without buying a pack?
No. The shop states that the Skyborne race and Zephras Isle require the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher edition.
Do the Invite-A-Friend codes give beta access?
No. They let an eligible friend play WoW Forever without a subscription from November 4 through November 11. Codes arrive by email starting October 20, and gift purchases don’t include them.
Which WoW Forever edition includes beta access?
The Skyborne Epic Pack and the Warcraft Forever Collection (and the Collector’s Edition, which contains the Collection). The Heroic Pack does not.
Sources: Blizzard’s pre-purchase announcement, Blizzard’s beta announcement, Blizzard’s Collector’s Edition announcement, the Battle.net Shop product page as reproduced by Warcraft Tavern, pack prices and item lists from the Warcraft Wiki and Blizzard Watch, subscription and beta details from Icy Veins, Forsaken Kingdom pricing from Wccftech. Images: Blizzard Entertainment.