Key Takeaways
Short on time? These are the points that matter most before you open the character screen in WoW Forever.
- Reservation window: Early Name Reservation lasts from 27 October to 3 November 2026, and you need one of three upgrades to join in: the Skyborne Heroic Pack, the Warcraft Forever Collection or the Skyborne Epic Pack.
- Three slots: you can reserve three characters in total across every ruleset, and a reservation is simply a character you create and save.
- Two-part names: each hero gets a first name plus a surname, and it is the complete pair that must be unique in your region.
- Ruleset is final: you pick Normal, PvP or Roleplay first, and a character can never move to another ruleset afterwards.
- Open classes: both factions have access to all nine classes, and the new Skyborne race begins on Zephras Isle.
- Fresh start: nothing from the beta survives, neither characters nor names, so everybody rolls new heroes for launch on 4 November 2026.
Creating Your Character Step by Step
Making a hero in World of Warcraft Forever comes down to four steps. First you settle on a ruleset, then you decide on faction, race and class, after that you shape the look, and last of all you type a name. Nothing about this flow changes between Early Name Reservation and the days after the servers open. Anyone who reserved in advance will find those characters already sitting on the selection screen on 4 November, and all other players make theirs once the realms go live.
Choosing a Ruleset
Before anything else you need the game itself on your computer. Launch the Battle.net app, click World of Warcraft, set the Game Version menu to “World of Warcraft: Forever” and hit Install. You will not find an old-style list of realms here. Instead, a ruleset selector placed above your character list on the selection screen does that job. You can choose between these:
| Ruleset | Availability | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | At launch | Mostly PvE; one account may hold both factions |
| PvP | At launch | Open-world PvP; your characters all stay on one faction |
| Roleplay | At launch | Normal rules with stricter roleplay naming |
| Hardcore | After launch | Comes later, no exact date announced |
Treat this as the weightiest decision on the whole screen. Once a character exists, it cannot be moved to a different ruleset, so a wrong pick means starting over. If you want to play alongside friends or inside a guild, agree on the ruleset and the faction together before anyone clicks Create. That matters even more on PvP, where all of your characters have to belong to a single faction.
Gold is also bound to the ruleset and the faction of the character that receives it. If you ever plan to buy in-game currency, make sure it matches your choice, for example by ordering WoW Forever Gold for the exact ruleset and faction you picked.
Choosing Faction and Class
Faction, race and class come next. Every one of the nine classes is playable for the Alliance and for the Horde alike, so your side does not limit your class. On the Alliance side you can pick Dwarf, Gnome, Human, Night Elf or High-Order Skyborne. Horde players get Orc, Tauren, Troll, Undead or Windshaper Skyborne. Skyborne is the race that WoW Forever introduces, and you can only play it if you own a Skyborne upgrade pack.
On top of that, six of the Classic races received an extra class option, and you get these pairings with the base game, no pack needed:
| Race | Faction | New Class |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Alliance | Hunter |
| Dwarf | Alliance | Shaman |
| Gnome | Alliance | Priest |
| Orc | Horde | Mage |
| Troll | Horde | Warlock |
| Undead | Horde | Paladin |
With these new options, Human and Troll each reach seven classes, the widest range of any race, and Tauren remain the most limited with four. That is worth keeping in mind if you like to settle on a race first and a class second.
Not sure which class your race can play? The WoW Forever race and class combinations guide lists every pairing.
Some classes also come with long class quest chains that hand out important spells or items. If you want those rewards but would rather skip the long grind, the WoW Forever class quests service can finish the chain for your chosen class.
Starting Zones by Race
Your race also decides where the adventure begins. This table shows the starting zone of each one:
| Race | Faction | Starting Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Alliance | Elwynn Forest |
| Dwarf, Gnome | Alliance | Dun Morogh |
| Night Elf | Alliance | Teldrassil |
| Orc, Troll | Horde | Durotar |
| Tauren | Horde | Mulgore |
| Undead | Horde | Tirisfal Glades |
| Skyborne | Both | Zephras Isle (levels 1–12) |
The Classic races begin in the same zones they always did. Both Skyborne versions, High-Order and Windshaper, share Zephras Isle as their first zone no matter which faction they belong to.
Customizing Your Appearance
On the customization screen you get the usual set of options for your race: face, skin color, hairstyle and a few other features. There is one more choice before the character is created. The game asks which of two experience presets you want, and that preset affects both the look and the feel of WoW Forever:
- Classic: sticks closely to the look and interface of the original Classic game.
- Enhanced: turns on several modern touches at once: transmog, a single combined bag, markers for quest objectives, HD models for characters, keybinds for strafing and a centered UI.
Think of the customization screen as the calm part of the process. Nothing here is time-critical, so there is no reason to rush it. Take a moment to compare the two presets, because they change the interface you will stare at for the entire climb to level 60.
This choice is not locked in. You can change the experience preset later in the game options, so there is no need to agonise over it. Pick whichever feels nicer for your first evening and adjust when you know what you prefer.
Choosing a Name
Naming is the final step, and you have to fill in two fields: a first name and a surname. Uniqueness is only checked on the combination, so somebody else in your region can still pick the same first name as long as their surname differs. In the open world your surname is hidden by default, but chat still shows it.
One practical detail: typing in the name field works only with a physical keyboard. If your setup lacks one, either connect a keyboard for this step or let the random name generator do the work.
Note: Confirming the name brings up a social contract that describes the rules of conduct. The character is only saved after you have scrolled to the end of that text and accepted it.
Keep in mind that a main and a reserved alt both start from zero, and levelling two characters side by side eats a lot of time. Planning that workload before launch day makes the first weeks far less stressful.
How to Reserve a Name in WoW Forever
You will not find a dedicated reservation menu. A name counts as reserved when you make a character during the window and save it. That is the whole mechanic, and it is why the preparation matters more than the clicking. The dates are fixed: Early Name Reservation opens on 27 October 2026 and closes on 3 November 2026. Work through these steps to take part:
- Before the window opens, bring your graphics drivers up to date, so that your first login goes smoothly.
- Open the Battle.net app (install it first if you have not yet) and log in with the account that holds the pack.
- Click World of Warcraft, set the Game Version menu to “World of Warcraft Forever” and hit Install.
- As soon as the window is live in your region, press Play.
- Choose a ruleset with the selector shown above the list of characters.
- Make as many as three characters with the names you are after, and save each one.
Whoever claims a name first gets it, and Blizzard makes no promise that any specific name will be available. If someone already holds the name you entered, the game prompts you to try a different combination, or you can ask the random name generator for a suggestion.
Because the reservation counts as real character creation, everything from the previous section applies: the ruleset you select is permanent for that character, and the name goes through the same checks. Settle your ruleset, race, class and names before the window, not during it. A reserved character on the wrong ruleset could cost you one of your three slots.
Opening Times by Region
The window does not open at the same moment everywhere, so check the line for your own region:
| Region | Opens |
|---|---|
| Europe | 27 October 2026, 18:00 CET |
| North America | 27 October 2026, 1:00 p.m. PDT |
| Korea and Taiwan | 28 October 2026, 07:00 local time |
In every region the window closes on 3 November 2026, one day before the game releases on 4 November.
Who Can Reserve
To reserve, you must own one of three upgrades: the Warcraft Forever Collection, the Skyborne Epic Pack or the Skyborne Heroic Pack. An active subscription or a beta invite does not count. Players without one of those packs make their characters at launch instead.
Curious about the new race? The WoW Forever Skyborne race guide covers its lore, classes and racials.
Warning: Beta characters and their names are deleted and do not carry over. If you liked a name from the beta, you have to claim it again during the reservation window or at launch.
Three reserved slots is not much, and those characters will all begin at level 1 like everybody else. If you would rather arrive at the level you need than repeat the early game several times, our WoW Forever powerleveling services are one way to get ahead once the servers open.
Tips to Secure the Name You Want
Landing the name you want is mostly a matter of timing and preparation, because popular names disappear soon after the reservation window opens. These tips help you stay ahead of the crowd:
- Be ready early: have the client installed and your Battle.net login done ahead of the opening, so you can begin the second the window goes live where you play.
- Prepare backups: for each character, note down a few pairs of first name and surname, since coming up with fresh ideas while the clock is ticking is far tougher.
- Use the surname: if your favourite first name is gone, try pairing it with another surname, because uniqueness applies to the full name only.
- Check the rules: run every candidate past the length and character limits beforehand, and you avoid refusals while everyone else is rushing.
- Plan your slots: all three characters draw from the same limit, so settle which ruleset each one goes on before the opening.
Tip: A reserved character is complete in every respect, so on launch day all that is left is to log in and step into the world.
Remember that nothing from the beta comes with you: every beta character is deleted along with its name. On launch day all players begin at level 1, and with a level cap of 60 a fresh character has a long way to go. If you want to shorten that road, the WoW Forever level boost can raise a character from where it stands to the level you pick, with a real player doing the quests and dungeons for you.
Think about the order of your three slots as well. Put the character you care about most first, so that your best name idea is typed while the name pool is still fresh. Then use the remaining slots for the characters where a fallback name would not bother you.
A sensible plan is to write your shortlist down now, agree on rulesets with your friends, and keep the opening time for your region in a calendar. With those three things done, the window itself should feel calm rather than rushed.
Still choosing a race? See our best races for WoW Forever guide.
Character Name Rules
Names are judged against the in-game code of conduct, and the check looks at the first name and the surname as one unit. That means a first name that would be accepted alone can still fail in combination with a particular surname. Test the full name before you confirm it rather than judging each half separately.
Allowed Names
Blizzard has not published a complete list of what is allowed yet, so treat the following as the main limits known so far. They may be adjusted, so do not rely on them as final:
- Length: every part of the name needs at least 2 characters and may have up to 12.
- Characters: you can use letters, accented letters included, but no numbers, no apostrophes and no hyphens.
- Repeated letters: one character may not show up three times in a row. The known limits also mention more than 3 similar characters together, so it is safest to avoid long runs of the same or look-alike letters.
- Roleplay ruleset: on this ruleset, pick a name that could belong to a person living in the game world.
- Renaming: there is no name change for now, so go for a name you will still like many levels later.
The renaming point deserves the most thought. Because there is no way to fix a name afterwards, a quick joke name that seems funny during the reservation rush can become a long-term regret. Say the full name out loud once. If it still sounds good, it is probably a safe choice.
It also helps to remember that the Roleplay ruleset is stricter than the others. If you plan to use it, choose a name that fits the world instead of a gaming handle, and have a second option ready in case the first one is refused.
Forbidden Names
A name gets refused when it goes against the code of conduct or pretends to be somebody else. The filter blocks offensive words, some spellings and patterns of repeated characters. It also stops any name that poses as Blizzard or as the World of Warcraft team. Under the rules as they stand, you also cannot use brand names, names of real people or game titles like King or Sergeant.
If you are unsure which name to pick or you want something truly unique, the safest approach is to write down several candidates, run each one through the limits above and keep the ones that pass as your shortlist.
Frequently Asked Questions
These short answers deal with the topics players raise most often: rulesets, reservation, naming limits and what survives into launch.
How Do You Make a Character in WoW Forever?
You make a character in WoW Forever by first installing the game via the Battle.net app and choosing a ruleset. Then you select faction, race and class, adjust the appearance, type a first name and a surname, and accept the social contract, after which the character is saved.
What Ruleset Is Best in WoW Forever?
The best ruleset in WoW Forever comes down to your playstyle. Pick Normal if PvE content is your main interest, PvP if you like fighting other players in the open world, and Roleplay if you are looking for a roleplay community. Hardcore arrives only after launch, and no exact date has been given for it.
Can You Switch Ruleset or Faction Later?
Switching ruleset after creation is not possible in WoW Forever, and a faction change service has not been announced so far. If you want a different ruleset or faction, the only route is a new character.
When Does Name Reservation Open?
Name reservation in WoW Forever opens on 27 October 2026: 18:00 CET for Europe and 1:00 p.m. PDT for North America. Korea and Taiwan follow on 28 October at 07:00 local time. Every region closes on 3 November.
Who Is Eligible for Name Reservation?
Name reservation is limited to owners of the Skyborne Epic Pack, the Skyborne Heroic Pack or the Warcraft Forever Collection. A subscription alone or beta access does not qualify you, so other players create their characters at launch.
How Many Names Can You Reserve?
You can reserve at most three names, one for each character. All rulesets draw from that single limit, so if you spend all three on PvP, Normal and Roleplay get nothing.
Can You Rename a Character in WoW Forever?
Renaming a character is not available in WoW Forever so far, as far as is known. Because of that, it pays to pick a name you can live with for months of play.
Do Beta Names Carry Over to Launch?
Beta names do not carry over to launch, because every beta character is deleted. If there is a beta name you want back, claim it again during Early Name Reservation or when you create the character at launch.
Once ruleset, class and names are sorted out ahead of time, making a character takes only a few minutes. Pack owners can reserve from 27 October, and all other players create their heroes when the game opens on 4 November.