World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4 with all 40 Classic leveling zones plus four new ones. This WoW Forever zones by level guide lists every zone with its level range, faction and dungeons, marks what Forever adds to it, and ends with our pick of the best zones for each level bracket.
The short answer for the new zones: Zephras Isle is the Skyborne starting zone for levels 1 to 12, the Riverglades covers the mid-30s to mid-40s, Mount Hyjal is level 60 content, and Shen’dralas has no announced range. For the 40 Classic zones, Blizzard has not published new level ranges. Its beta development notes change respawns and quests in old zones but never their levels, and we found no data site or beta report with a Forever-specific list. The Classic ranges below therefore come from Warcraft Wiki’s Classic zones by level page, the same numbers our WoW Forever leveling guide 1-60 uses.
How solid this is: the beta runs until October 21 and stops at level 30, so nobody outside Blizzard has leveled above 30 in Forever. Zones below 30 have been played in the beta, and we found no report of shifted levels there; above 30 the ranges are untested Classic data. We will check every range against the live game in launch week.
New Zones in WoW Forever and Their Level Ranges
WoW Forever adds four zones: Zephras Isle (1-12), the Riverglades (mid-30s to mid-40s), Shen’dralas (range not announced) and Mount Hyjal (level 60). Only the first two have numbers from Blizzard.
| Zone | Level | Source | Where | Faction | What’s inside |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zephras Isle | 1-12 | Blizzard | Floating island in Skywall, off both continents | Skyborne of both factions | Skyborne starting quests |
| Riverglades | 35-45 | Blizzard: “mid-30s to mid-40s”; 35-45 per Warcraft Wiki and Icy Veins | East coast of the Eastern Kingdoms, east of the Badlands and Burning Steppes | Contested | 150+ quests, Krol’dok Stronghold (40-45), Powderfuse Port |
| Shen’dralas | Not announced | Unknown (our estimate: mid-30s to mid-40s) | Kalimdor, south-east of Desolace between Feralas and Mulgore | Contested | Quests for Razorfen Downs and Maraudon |
| Mount Hyjal | 60 | Icy Veins; Blizzard gave no number | Kalimdor, through Darkwhisper Gorge in Winterspring | Both, shared flight points | Raids Hyjal Summit (20) and Barrow Deeps (10) from December 9 |
Riverglades level range
The Riverglades is the new mid-level zone of WoW Forever. Blizzard’s What’s Next panel recap promises “more than 150 new quests across much of the mid-30s to mid-40s experience”, and Warcraft Wiki and Icy Veins list it as 35 to 45. Its dungeon, Krol’dok Stronghold, is 40 to 45. You walk in from Redridge through Blackrock Pass or Redridge Pass (Warcraft Wiki), or take the goblin boat from Steamwheedle Port in Tanaris to Powderfuse Port. According to the beta files, as published by wowforever.be, Alliance players get a flight point at Farholde Keep (to Lakeshire, Thelsamar and Morgan’s Vigil) and the Horde one at Rog’mar (to Stonard, Hammerfall, Kargath and Flame Crest).
Shen’dralas level range
Blizzard hasn’t given Shen’dralas a level range, and Warcraft Wiki’s zone page lists it as unknown. Icy Veins reports quests there for Razorfen Downs (25+ per Blizzard, recommended 34 in Zockify’s beta data) and Maraudon (recommended 42), and the only land route on Warcraft Wiki is the Valley of Bones from Desolace (30-40). That points to the mid-30s to mid-40s, which is our estimate, not a published number. Warcraft Tavern guesses 30 to 50.
Mount Hyjal level
Mount Hyjal is endgame content for level 60 characters, according to Icy Veins. Blizzard describes the trip through Darkwhisper Gorge in Winterspring and calls the Barrow Deeps a maximum-level raid, but gives no level for the zone itself. Warcraft Tavern calls it an endgame leveling zone, so some quests may start a little below 60; that part is unknown. Both of its flight points, Tainted Foothills and Summit of Eternity, serve both factions in the beta files, and Tainted Foothills connects to Everlook.
Zephras Isle
Zephras Isle covers levels 1 to 12 for the Skyborne only, and you need a Skyborne pack to play there. At 12, the airship from Valanaar takes Alliance Skyborne to Dalaran in the Alterac Mountains and Horde Skyborne to the Skywatcher Plateau in Mulgore, per Warcraft Wiki.
Eastern Kingdoms Zones by Level
The Eastern Kingdoms have 23 leveling zones in WoW Forever, from Dun Morogh, Elwynn Forest and Tirisfal Glades at 1 to 10 to the Eastern Plaguelands and Deadwind Pass at the top end. Six of the nine new dungeons are here.
| Zone | Level | Faction | Dungeons (level) | New in Forever |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dun Morogh | 1-10 | Alliance | Hall of Thanes (13-18, new, in Ironforge), Gnomeregan (rec. 25) | Hall of Thanes and its lead-in quest |
| Elwynn Forest | 1-10 | Alliance | The Stockade (rec. 23, in Stormwind) | Stormwind map redrawn |
| Tirisfal Glades | 1-10 | Horde | Ruins of Lordaeron (15-20, new), Scarlet Monastery (rec. 30+) | New dungeon, map redrawn |
| Loch Modan | 10-20 | Alliance | – | – |
| Silverpine Forest | 10-20 | Horde | Shadowfang Keep (rec. 18) | – |
| Westfall | 10-20 | Alliance | The Deadmines (rec. 16) | – |
| Redridge Mountains | 15-25 | Contested | – | Map redrawn for the Riverglades border; tuned in an earlier beta build so quests are easier to finish |
| Duskwood | 18-30 | Contested | – | Faster respawns since October 1 |
| Wetlands | 20-30 | Contested | Excavation Site: Wetlands (26-31 in the beta, new) | New dungeon, faster respawns since October 1 |
| Hillsbrad Foothills | 20-35 | Contested | – | Faster respawns since October 1 |
| Alterac Mountains | 30-40 | Contested | City of Dalaran (28-33, new) | Dalaran is back as a city, Alliance Skyborne arrive here, map redrawn |
| Arathi Highlands | 30-40 | Contested | – | – |
| Stranglethorn Vale | 30-45 | Contested | The Drowned City (35-40, new) | New dungeon on the coast |
| Riverglades | 35-45 | Contested | Krol’dok Stronghold (40-45, new) | New zone |
| Badlands | 35-45 | Contested | Uldaman (30+ per Blizzard, rec. 35) | Borders the Riverglades |
| Swamp of Sorrows | 35-45 | Contested | Temple of Atal’Hakkar (rec. 45) | Borders the Riverglades |
| The Hinterlands | 40-50 | Contested | – | – |
| Searing Gorge | 45-50 | Contested | Blackrock Depths (rec. 48), Blackrock Spire (rec. 53) | – |
| Blasted Lands | 45-55 | Contested | – | – |
| Burning Steppes | 50-58 | Contested | Blackrock Mountain, shared with Searing Gorge | – |
| Western Plaguelands | 51-58 | Contested | Scholomance (rec. 57) | – |
| Eastern Plaguelands | 53-60 | Contested | Stratholme (rec. 55) | Map redrawn |
| Deadwind Pass | 55-60 | Contested | – | – |
Kalimdor Zones by Level
Kalimdor has 20 zones in WoW Forever, including two of the new ones: Shen’dralas in the middle of the continent and Mount Hyjal between Felwood, Winterspring and Azshara. Kalimdor also holds three new dungeons, all from level 48 up.
| Zone | Level | Faction | Dungeons (level) | New in Forever |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durotar | 1-10 | Horde | Ragefire Chasm (rec. 13, in Orgrimmar) | – |
| Mulgore | 1-10 | Horde | – | Skywatcher Plateau, where Horde Skyborne arrive; map redrawn |
| Teldrassil | 1-10 | Alliance | – | – |
| Darkshore | 10-20 | Alliance | – | – |
| The Barrens | 10-25 | Horde | Wailing Caverns (rec. 17), Razorfen Kraul (rec. 24), Razorfen Downs (25+ per Blizzard, rec. 34) | – |
| Stonetalon Mountains | 15-27 | Contested | – | Tuned in an earlier beta build so quests are easier to finish |
| Ashenvale | 18-30 | Contested | Blackfathom Deeps (rec. 22) | Faster respawns since October 1 |
| Thousand Needles | 25-35 | Contested | – | Faster respawns since October 1 |
| Desolace | 30-40 | Contested | Maraudon (rec. 42) | Valley of Bones route to Shen’dralas, map redrawn |
| Shen’dralas | Not announced | Contested | – | New zone |
| Dustwallow Marsh | 35-45 | Contested | Alcaz Prison (48-53, new) | New dungeon on Alcaz Island |
| Feralas | 40-50 | Contested | Dire Maul (rec. 54) | Borders Shen’dralas |
| Tanaris | 40-50 | Contested | Zul’Farrak (rec. 42) | Boat to the Riverglades |
| Azshara | 45-55 | Contested | Blackmaw Hold (55-60, new) | New dungeon in the north |
| Un’Goro Crater | 48-55 | Contested | Shaper’s Terrace (58-60, new) | New dungeon |
| Felwood | 48-55 | Contested | – | – |
| Winterspring | 53-60 | Contested | – | Darkwhisper Gorge leads to Mount Hyjal |
| Moonglade | 55-60 | Contested | – | – |
| Silithus | 55-60 | Contested | – | – |
| Mount Hyjal | 60 | Both | Raids: Hyjal Summit, Barrow Deeps (from December 9) | New zone |
Reading the tables: level ranges and factions follow Warcraft Wiki’s Classic classification. “Contested” doesn’t always mean both factions have a town: in Classic, Redridge, Duskwood and the Wetlands only have Alliance towns. New dungeon ranges are Blizzard’s. Classic dungeon levels are the recommended levels from Zockify’s beta data, the same values as in our WoW Forever dungeons by level guide. “Map redrawn” means Warcraft Wiki’s Forever map comparison marks the zone’s map as substantially changed; for Stormwind and the Eastern Plaguelands nobody has published what changed. Respawn changes are from Blizzard’s beta development notes. Where the new dungeon entrances are is in our WoW Forever new dungeon locations guide.
Blizzard also says WoW Forever has more than a thousand new quests across levels 1 to 60, so most old zones will have new quests even where the table shows no change. Which zones get how many isn’t public.
Best Leveling Zones per Level Bracket
Our picks for the best WoW Forever leveling zones: your start zone to 10, the zones around the two new low-level dungeons to 20, the zones Blizzard sped up during the beta for the 20s, Stranglethorn and then the Riverglades from the mid-30s, and the Classic route from there to 60.
| Level | Alliance | Horde | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | Your race’s start zone (Skyborne: Zephras Isle to 12) | Your race’s start zone (Skyborne: Zephras Isle to 12) | Nothing else is in range |
| 10-20 | Loch Modan and Westfall, Hall of Thanes at 13-18; Night Elves: Darkshore | The Barrens and Silverpine, Ruins of Lordaeron at 15-20 | Both new low-level dungeons sit next to these zones |
| 20-30 | Redridge, Duskwood, Wetlands with the Excavation Site | Stonetalon, Ashenvale, Thousand Needles | All six were tuned during the beta after players struggled to finish quests |
| 28-35 | Hillsbrad, Alterac, Arathi | Hillsbrad, Alterac, Arathi | City of Dalaran (28-33) is the only new dungeon here |
| 33-40 | Stranglethorn, Desolace | Stranglethorn, Desolace | The Drowned City (35-40), Maraudon quests |
| 37-45 | Riverglades, then Badlands and Swamp of Sorrows | Riverglades, then Badlands and Swamp of Sorrows | 150+ new quests aimed at exactly this band, Krol’dok at 40-45 |
| 44-50 | Tanaris, Feralas, Hinterlands, Dustwallow | Tanaris, Feralas, Hinterlands, Dustwallow | Classic route with Zul’Farrak and Maraudon |
| 48-55 | Un’Goro, Azshara, Felwood, Searing Gorge | Un’Goro, Azshara, Felwood, Searing Gorge | Alcaz Prison (48-53) in Dustwallow fits this band |
| 54-60 | Plaguelands, Burning Steppes, Winterspring, Silithus | Plaguelands, Burning Steppes, Winterspring, Silithus | Blackmaw Hold (55-60) and Shaper’s Terrace (58-60); Mount Hyjal at 60 |
How we picked: each zone’s Warcraft Wiki range has to match the bracket. Among those, we favor zones next to Forever’s new dungeons, because Forever moved dungeon experience into dungeon quests, and zones Blizzard already tuned so quests are easier to finish. On October 1 Blizzard “increased the respawn rate across many different creatures and objects” in Hillsbrad Foothills, Ashenvale, Wetlands, Duskwood and Thousand Needles, and said Redridge and Stonetalon had been adjusted in an earlier build, after players reported quests that were hard to finish. Our read is that those zones should hold up better at launch than they did early in the beta.
The Riverglades gets its own row because Blizzard built it for the mid-30s to mid-40s, a stretch where Classic players often ran short of quests and had to cross between continents. Expect it to be crowded in launch week. If it is, Stranglethorn and Desolace cover the same levels, and Shen’dralas may too once its range is known.
Two tips for crowded zones. Every bracket above 10 has a twin on the other continent with the same range, for example Darkshore for Westfall or Ashenvale for Duskwood, so switch zones instead of waiting for respawns. And from level 40 the spread-out 40s zones get much faster with a mount: our WoW Forever mount guide has the datamined level and cost. The full route with quest hubs per faction is in the leveling guide.
What Could Still Change Before Launch
- Classic zone ranges. None have been announced for Forever. With more than a thousand new quests, some zones could end up a few levels off their Classic range.
- New zone numbers. Blizzard’s Riverglades range is approximate, Shen’dralas has none, and nobody has published at which level Mount Hyjal’s quests start.
- Dungeon ranges. Excavation Site: Wetlands already moved from 24-29 to 26-31 during the beta.
- Respawn tuning. Blizzard asked testers to keep reporting zones where quests are hard to finish, so more zones may get the same treatment before November 4.
FAQ
What level is the Riverglades in WoW Forever?
Blizzard says the Riverglades covers much of the mid-30s to mid-40s with more than 150 quests. Warcraft Wiki and Icy Veins list it as 35 to 45, and its dungeon, Krol’dok Stronghold, is 40 to 45.
What level is Shen’dralas?
Blizzard hasn’t announced a level range for Shen’dralas. Its quests lead to Razorfen Downs and Maraudon, which points to the mid-30s to mid-40s (our estimate).
What level is Mount Hyjal in WoW Forever?
Level 60. Icy Veins describes Mount Hyjal as an endgame zone for level 60 players, reached through Darkwhisper Gorge in Winterspring. Its raids, Hyjal Summit and the Barrow Deeps, open on December 9.
Did WoW Forever change the level ranges of Classic zones?
Not that anyone has published. Blizzard’s beta notes adjust respawns and quests in Classic zones but list no new level ranges, so the Classic ranges are the best guide until launch.
Sources: Blizzard’s What’s Next panel recap and Blizzard’s beta development notes (September 24 and October 1). Also used: Warcraft Wiki, Icy Veins, Warcraft Tavern and Zockify for zone and dungeon level ranges (including Blizzard’s dungeon level list as quoted by Icy Veins), and wowforever.be for flight points from the beta files. Zone positions on our maps use Forever’s map data from wago.tools. Maps and screenshot: Blizzard Entertainment.