The New Zones at a Glance
WoW Forever widens the world in a big way, folding in four fresh or heavily reworked regions and layering more than 1,000 new quests across the map. Rather than piling everything into a single stretch of levels, the expansion spreads its additions from the very first hour of a new character all the way to the level cap, so there is something here whether you are rolling an alt or chasing endgame loot.
Each of the four regions carries its own identity. One is a floating elemental realm reserved for a brand-new playable race, another finally patches a long-standing hole in the mid-level questing journey, a third quietly ties off lore threads that Classic left dangling, and the last is a pure endgame battleground that reopens the door to some of the game’s most storied raids. Below you will find a quick reference table, followed by a deep dive into every zone.
| Zone | Level | Theme | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zephras Isle | 1–12 | Elemental skybound island, Skywall design | Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher |
| Riverglades | 35–45 | Untamed frontier of rivers & grasslands | Standard subscription |
| Shen’Dralas | TBD | Hidden zone, Eldre’Thalas lore | Standard subscription |
| Mount Hyjal | 60 | Post-Archimonde endgame & raiding | Standard subscription |
Planning to hit the ground running when these zones open up? You can buy WoW Forever gold and boosts at Onlyfarms to skip the grind and jump straight into the content that matters to you.
Zephras Isle: Cradle of the Skyborne
A starting zone above the clouds
Zephras Isle is the launch point for the expansion’s headline addition — the Skyborne, an entirely new playable race. Spanning levels 1 to 12, it serves as the exclusive opening chapter for anyone rolling a Skyborne character, giving the race a home ground that no one else touches under normal circumstances.
The island itself drifts among the clouds, an elemental fragment stitched together from swirling winds and living stone. Its structures borrow heavily from Skywall aesthetics, all soaring arches and airy platforms that make the whole place feel less like solid land and more like a piece of the sky given form. If you have ever wanted a starting experience that trades muddy roads for open air, this is it.
Getting there
Because Zephras Isle is wrapped around the Skyborne’s origin story, reaching it the ordinary way requires actually being one of them — and unlocking the race is a paid step. You will need the Skyborne Heroic Pack, priced at $29.99 and up, or a higher-tier edition that bundles it in. Players on a plain subscription can still see the Skyborne out in the world, but the island and its early quests are gated behind that purchase.
Riverglades: The Untamed Frontier
Filling the mid-level gap
For years, the stretch between the mid-30s and mid-40s has felt thin, with players often bouncing between older zones to stay on pace. Riverglades is Blizzard’s answer to that lull. Covering levels 35 to 45, it drops a generous 150-plus new quests right into that awkward window, giving characters a cohesive place to grow instead of a scattered patchwork of leftovers.
What the region offers
Riverglades is a sprawling wilderness of winding rivers, open prairies and rolling grasslands — a genuine frontier that feels lived-in yet still wild. Scattered across it are pioneer settlements carving out a foothold on the edge of civilization, along with new trade routes that connect them and give the zone an economic pulse.
- Frontier settlements — hubs where settlers dig in and hand out much of the region’s questing.
- Ancient adversaries — old threats stir beneath the grasslands, giving the frontier its danger.
- Fresh trade routes — new paths that tie the settlements together and open up the map.
The result is a zone that finally makes the mid-level climb feel like a deliberate journey rather than a detour, and it is available to anyone on a standard subscription.
Shen'Dralas: The Hidden Zone
Tucked between the familiar
Shen’Dralas is the expansion’s quiet surprise — a concealed region wedged between Mulgore and Desolace, in a corner of the map veterans have crossed a hundred times without knowing what sat just out of sight. Its arrival rewards long-time players who thought they had every path in Kalimdor memorized.
Closing old lore threads
What makes Shen’Dralas special is its story. The zone digs into narrative loose ends carried over from Classic, specifically those bound up with Eldre’Thalas — the ancient elven city better known to most players as Dire Maul. Threads that Classic introduced but never fully resolved finally get their payoff here, making the region a treat for anyone invested in the game’s deeper history.
One detail worth flagging: the official level range has not yet been confirmed and remains listed as TBD. That leaves a question mark over exactly when in your journey you will be able to dive in. What is certain is the access model — Shen’Dralas opens to everyone on a standard subscription, no extra purchase required.
Mount Hyjal: The Endgame Battleground
After the fall of Archimonde
Mount Hyjal is built squarely for the level cap. Set entirely at level 60, it picks up after Archimonde’s defeat, letting max-level players walk the slopes where one of Warcraft’s defining battles was decided. This is not a leveling zone at all — it is designed as endgame territory from top to bottom, complete with the moody Darkwhisper Gorge subzone tucked within it.
Raids and reopened doors
The real draw here is the raiding. Mount Hyjal anchors several major encounters:
- Hyjal Summit — a 20-player raid set atop the mountain.
- Barrow Deeps — one of the raid’s entrances sits in this zone, running as a 10-player instance.
- Onyxia’s Lair — the classic dragon fight makes its return alongside the new content.
All of this endgame raiding goes live on December 9, 2026, giving guilds and pug groups a firm date to organize around. Like the other non-Skyborne regions, Mount Hyjal is reachable with a standard subscription, so no paid add-on stands between you and the level-cap grind.
Access & Requirements
What each zone costs you
Sorting out who can go where is refreshingly simple in WoW Forever. Three of the four regions ask nothing beyond an active standard subscription, while only one carries a paywall tied to the new playable race.
| Zone | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Riverglades | Standard subscription |
| Shen’Dralas | Standard subscription |
| Mount Hyjal | Standard subscription |
| Zephras Isle | Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99+) or a higher edition |
In short: if you simply keep your account active, the bulk of the expansion — the mid-level frontier, the hidden lore zone and the entire level-60 endgame — is yours to explore. The lone exception is Zephras Isle, and that gate exists because the island is inseparable from the Skyborne race. Buying the Skyborne Heroic Pack (or an edition that already includes it) unlocks both the race and its floating starting zone in one step.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many new zones does WoW Forever add?
The expansion introduces four new or reworked regions — Zephras Isle, Riverglades, Shen’Dralas and Mount Hyjal — supported by more than 1,000 new quests spread across the world.
Do I need to pay extra to reach Zephras Isle?
Yes. Zephras Isle is the exclusive starting zone for the Skyborne race, so entering it the normal way means unlocking that race. That requires the Skyborne Heroic Pack, which starts at $29.99, or a higher-tier edition that bundles it in.
Which zones can I play with just a subscription?
Riverglades, Shen’Dralas and Mount Hyjal are all available to anyone with an active standard subscription. No additional purchase is needed for these three.
When do the Mount Hyjal raids open?
The raiding content in Mount Hyjal — including the 20-player Hyjal Summit, a 10-player Barrow Deeps entrance and the returning Onyxia’s Lair — unlocks on December 9, 2026.
What level do I need for Riverglades and Shen’Dralas?
Riverglades is tuned for characters between levels 35 and 45, making it a natural fit for the mid-level stretch. Shen’Dralas has not had its level range officially confirmed yet, so that detail is still listed as TBD.