World of Warcraft: Forever - What's Next Panel | BlizzCon 2026 transcript

[music] And now, join the World of Warcraft team for a first look at the next chapter of Azeroth. [music] Hello again. Long time no see. It is amazing to be up here actually able to at last talk about what's somehow both the best kept and worst kept secret of the summer. Um, and shout out to the classic WoW subreddit. No, it's not too late to start World of Warcraft forever. Um, this is a story that really began 9 years ago in these halls when we announced WoW Classic to the world.

Then a couple years after that, of course, we welcomed you in to dive back into Azeroth to experience it as it was in the beginning. And millions came in and settled in and began tackling Enixia and Ragnaros, leveling up to 60, really reexperiencing that journey. But the conversations naturally started to emerge around what would come next and those conversations grew louder. Many people of course hoped to continue on into the burning crusade and a chance to go back through the dark portal and show Illan just how prepared we've all become after 20 years.

The minmaxing next level. And of course that is what came to pass. But there was another group even back then in 2020 or so. a group of dreamers, people for whom the vanilla game was just about the perfect MMO, if not for already being solved and already being experienced. They didn't want to leave behind that world grounded in the immediate aftermath of Warcraft 3 and begin a journey forward through the timeline. They didn't want to replace their hard one raid epics with greens from Zanger Marsh.

They didn't want to go from this sprawling expanse of Eastern Kingdoms and Calumdor to an outland that you could fly across in just a few minutes on an epic mount. What if we could stay at level 60? They asked. And so did we. What if we could build some new content and tell new stories in that immersive world? And what if we could make meme specs even just a tiny bit viable? Paladins talking to you here. But this was 2020 and the reality is that the team that we had at the time, the development pipeline that we had at the time were something that had been purpose-built to restore and curate an old version of the game, not to add to it, not to build new things.

And so for a time that dream stayed a dream, but that ember of an idea smoldered over the months and years to follow. And it took hold within the classic team as well. people on the team would come forward left and right pitching versions of what it might look like to add content to change that vanilla game. And that led us to 2023 when we decided to test the waters with a certain experiment also announced right here.

Season of Discovery was an experiment on many levels, right? SOG was awesome, but it was deliberately pushing boundaries. And we pretty much said that outright at the time because it was a timelimited seasonal experience. It gave us a chance to find the limits of how much change was too much change. How far could we go before things started to feel like they didn't belong in that world or alongside those philosophies?

But we did make a bunch of new quests, new items, new class abilities, and even all new dungeons and raids like Karazan Crypt and the Scarlet Enclave. And we sure found those limits. But along the way, we learned a ton of valuable lessons. And probably a couple years ago, by the middle of 2024, looking at how it had gone, we were certain that it was not only possible, but compelling to pursue this vision. From Season of Discovery, we learned what worked and what didn't.

We learned how to build content 20 years later that felt like it belonged alongside the original stuff. And in the meantime, we'd absorbed years of experience of how players today approach the classic game, which is different in many ways from how it was back in 2005 when the internet was a different place and knowledge was a different thing. But most of all, we heard loud and clear from everyone in Season of Discovery that they didn't want just a temporary season, but instead a forever home where their investment would be meaningful, where their journey could continue forward.

And so here we are. Thank you to all those dreamers along the way who kept this idea alive and gave the team inspiration over the years. It's been a lot of fun over the last year reading and watching all the online discourse about what Classic Plus could be, should be, and definitely shouldn't be. But now, let me turn it over to the team so they can tell you exactly what it is. >> [music] >> Hello Blizzcon. [cheering] So what exactly is WOW forever?

For us it begins with the simple belief. There are still adventures worth telling in the original world of Azeroth. We're not looking beyond Azeroth for the next chapter. We're not moving forward to Outland and beyond. Instead, we're looking deeper into the world players already fell in love with the Eastern Kingdoms, Calumdor, the places we've traveled through for decades. We're revisiting mysteries that were never fully explored.

Stories that were never fully told, regions that existed on the map but never had the chance to become adventures of their own. We believe Azeroth still has secrets worth uncovering. And for and that's what WoW forever is. Not expanding away from Azeroth, but expanding deeper inside of it. So before we show you exactly where that journey begins, I want to talk briefly about the principles guiding every decision that we've made.

First, let me get my slides here. Sorry, there. [laughter] First, approachable and familiar. We believe the world should still feel like classic. Every addition we make is measured against the spirit of the original game. Not whether it's new, not whether it's flashy, but whether it feels like it belongs. That's why you won't find flying mounts. [cheering] [applause] You won't find level scaling. And Azeroth [laughter] Azeroth should remain a dangerous world where preparation matters, communication matters, and working together matters. >> Yes.

[cheering] [applause] Thank you. We're not interested in making the game difficult simply for difficulty's sake. When challenges are overcome, we want it to be because players prepared, learned, cooperated, and succeeded together. Now, second world as the main character. >> Yes, we believe Azeroth itself should be one of the most important characters in the game. Leveling is just as important as endgame. Yes. And we want to keep investing in the world itself through new zones, new quests, new rewards, and new adventures across all levels of play.

Not every story needs to be about saving the world. Sometimes the most memorable stories happen in a remote village, along a forgotten road, or a corner of the map that you never expected to revisit. Now, third, journey before destination. We believe your effort should matter and it should continue to matter. While Forever is designed as a long-term home, we're not planning around future level cap increases that invalidate your accomplishments.

The professions you invest in matter. The routes you choose matter. And the gear you earn matters. The experiences that you have with friends matter. Our catchup system is quite simple. Play the game, [laughter] [applause] [cheering] level up, run dungeons, make friends, explore the world, earn your rewards, and finally, protect and nurture social experiences. Many of our favorite memories from classic happened because of other players, because someone helped us complete a quest, because a stranger joined our group, because a dungeon run turned into a friendship.

We've had to be disciplined when adding convenience to the game, because every quality of life decision affects how players interact with one another. Now, we want to create reasons for people to explore and adventure together. And that's part of the philosophy behind new systems like camping. And it's why every patch will include content for different kinds of players. Whether you enjoy solo adventures, dungeons, raids, PVP, or something in between because the best adventures are the ones that we share.

So those pillars guide every decision that we make. But what do they actually mean in practice? Now, for us, it starts with Azeroth itself. People often talk about vanilla Azeroth as though it's a solved game, as though every mystery has been answered, every story has been told, every corner of the world explored. But when we look at Azeroth, we see something very different. We see potential. We see unfinished stories.

We see unexplored places. We see regions players have been wondering about for decades. the Gilaeus, Mount Hyel, Oolum, the mountains north of Angoro. I wonder what's up there. The spaces that exist between the familiar parts of the world. And the possibilities don't stop there. Forgotten kingdoms, Titan mysteries, the Emerald Dream, the Caverns of Time. Countless adventures still waiting to be told in the vanilla world.

But every journey has to begin somewhere. And when we started planning WoW Forever, we wanted to begin with places deeply rooted in the world players already know and love. So, let's take a look at where our adventure begins. So, today we're introducing four new regions to Azeroth. Yes, four new adventures built directly into the world of the Eastern Kingdoms in Calumdorf because Azeroth is not finished growing. And this is how that growth begins.

So let's start with a place many of us have wondered about for more than 20 years. Mount Hyel. [cheering] [applause] And we all know the story. We know the story of Archamon's defeat. But what happened afterwards? How did Hydra recover? How are the forests healing from the corruption? How are the wild gods affected by the events at top the mountain? And what dangers still remain? Mount Hyel is a new endgame leveling zone where players can finally journey through the Dark Whisper Gorge and explore one of Warcraft's most important locations during a period of history that we've never really experienced before.

Now, you'll encounter new stories, rewards, new reputations, and both solo and group content as you help shape the future of this recovering land. And for players seeking a greater challenge, Hyel also serves as the home of one of our launch raids, Hyel Summit. And and it serves as one of three entrances into one of our other raids, the Barrow Deeps, because some of Azeroth's greatest victories still have stories yet to tell.

But not every adventure begins with a famous landmark. Some begin in places we've barely noticed at all. If you've ever flown between Mulore and Desolus, you've probably seen a set of ancient ruins passing far below. A small detail in the world, a mystery hiding in plain sight. Welcome to Shendelos. Here you'll meet Mortyn evenshade and learn more about the Shendelar, the people whose history is deeply connected to Elstro Philos Dire and Prince Torldren himself.

Now players will also continue story lines involving the Galkkus and the Magram Centaur tribes while discovering new reasons to visit dungeons like Maradon and Razer Fend downs. That's a great example of one of the things we love most about Azeroth. Even the smallest corner of the world can become a truly memorable adventure. Now, one of our core beliefs is that the journey matters and nowhere embodies that philosophy better than our new zone, the Riverglades.

Located along the eastern coast of Eastern Kingdoms, between Red Ridge, Burning Steps, the Badlands, and Swamp of Sorrow. This place is big. The Riverglades is a major new leveling zone inspired by stories that stretch all the way back to the earliest Warcraft games. Years ago, human forces pursued retreating orcs to this region. And when help never came, many of those settlers were forced to remain behind and build lives of their own on the frontier.

Generation later, the descendants still endure. This is a rugged land of rivers, grasslands, trade routes, struggling communities, old grudges, and new opportunities. Humans and orcs, ogres and nles, goblins and murlocs, all competing to survive in a region where no one has it easy. And that's what makes the Riverglades special. This isn't a story about saving Azeroth. It's a story about living in Azeroth. Spanning from the mid30s to the mid40s, Riverglades introduces more than 150 new quests, content for both Horde and Alliance players, new reputations, new rewards, and entirely new ways to progress through our through your leveling journey.

Now, players will also discover a neutral goblin port that expands trade routes throughout the Eastern Kingdoms and beyond. And for those of you looking for trouble, you'll find Croll Do Stronghold, an enormous outdoor dungeon where a powerful ogre civilization is conducting some very questionable business. And yes, we thought it might be nice to have another option besides running Scarlet Monastery for the 25th time.

Yes. [cheering] So far, we've explored places tied to the familiar parts of Warcraft's history. But Azeroth should still be able to surprise us. Sometimes the greatest mystery isn't beyond the horizon. Sometimes it's above us. Welcome to Zephris isle. Now, thousands of years ago, a group of highborn exiles forged a pact with the elemental wind spirits, and they built a civilization in the realm of Skywall. This wasn't entirely without precedent.

Classic players may remember stories like Thunderfury and Prince Darren where we first caught glimpses of the elemental powers beyond Azeroth itself. Now Zephris gives us an opportunity to expand on some of those ideas while still creating something entirely new. But the civilization of Zephris is in trouble. The air spirits that once protected these islands have vanished. Ancient structures are beginning to fail. Communities are becoming isolated.

And the skyborn people are divided over what comes next. Some seek answers from the wind spirits. Some wish to reclaim the arcane traditions of their ancestors. Others have turned to darker powers. Zephris Aisle serves as a brand new starting experience from levels 1 to 12 and combines classic Warcraft aesthetics with elemental architecture inspired by Skywall itself. And that is why we're introducing an entirely new playable race, the Skyborn.

Yes. [laughter] Now, the Skyborn are not a neutral race. At character creation, players will choose whether their Skyborn joins the Horde or the Alliance. And while they share a common ancestry, they no longer share a common vision for the future. Now, Horde aligned Skyborn embrace stronger ties to elemental traditions and work closely alongside the Earth and Ring, granting access to the shaman class. Now, Alliance Skyborn pursue the arcane legacy of their ancestors and work alongside the Kyantor, granting access to the mage class.

Now, both factions can play warriors, hunters, rogues, and druids, including some brand new Skyborn Druid forms created specifically for the race. Yes. And the Skyborn also feature new racials, customizations, voices, dances, and a wide range of unique visual options. And more importantly, the skyorn represent exactly the kind of story we want to tell in WoW forever. Something new, something exciting, and something that feels like it belongs in Azeroth.

Now, whether it's helping restore Hyel, uncovering forgotten histories of Shendrol, building a future on the Riverglades frontier, or taking your first steps through the skies of Zephris. These are only the first chapters of WoW Forever. This isn't a seasonal experiment. This isn't a one-time expansion. And it isn't the end of Azeroth's story. It's a commitment, a promise to keep growing this world with new regions, new mysteries, new adventures, and new stories for years and years to come.

But a living world needs challenges. New dungeons, new raids, new battlegrounds, new rewards. And to show you what's waiting for adventurers brave enough to answer that call, I would like to hand things over to Nora. Thank you. [music] Greetings, adventurers. [cheering] >> I'd like to start by expressing just how proud I am of the team for making this dream a reality. Like many of you watching right now, we've poured our hearts into World of Warcraft, and it's an honor to be entrusted with this beloved world and this incredible legacy.

[sighs and gasps] But ah look at me getting all sentimental when there are matters that require our attention. There's adventure to be had all across Azeroth. And well, let me just show you. In the Altterak Mountains, a disruption has thrown the magical city of Deran into chaos. The mages of the Kirin have erected a magical barrier over the city to conceal the con restoration efforts after the events of Warcraft 3. But as you can see, the barrier seems to be down.

Furthermore, I'm hearing all sorts of strange reports. Enchantments backfiring, arcane constructs going haywire, demonic energy has been running rampant, there are cats everywhere. I guess that part's normal. Anyway, far be it from me to imply that the all powerful mages of the Kieran Tour don't have the situation under control. But if uh perhaps if you're willing to brave the dangers, you could lend them a hand. Uh especially if you're around levels 28 33, there might be some magical artifacts in it for you.

And besides, there's a whole city to explore. So no, this isn't just a dungeon. Of course, the optics of some ragtag group of adventurers helping out these powerful mages would not go over well, but I'm sure we can find some roundabout way to get you into the city. Anyway, that's just scratching the surface. Let's turn our sights closer to home. The once great city of Lorderon was devastated by Arthus and his scourge.

The Forsaken have been hard at work trying to restore the city. There are memories here. Old family heirlooms, keepsakes from loved ones who never made it out of the city in time. The ruins of Lorderon are treacherous. A scourge still lurk in its darkest corners. But to make matters worse, we've heard reports that a necromancer has moved in, and all signs point to an attack on another city. Honorable members of the Horde may choose to take up arms and assist the Foresaken in reclaiming these ruins, ideally in the level 15 to 20-ish range, while members of the Alliance Well, I can't imagine the Forsaken taking kindly to your presence here.

So, you may need to find a way to sneak in. But don't worry, Alliance. We have something close to home for you, too. The dwarven capital city of Iron Forge is carved within the mountains of Denmaro, and its mighty halls run deep. Beneath the city proper lies the Hall of Fames, a final resting place for the dwarven monarchs of old. This is a place that has been well tended and for the most part left undisturbed. But if you guys can believe it, someone's broken into the place.

I suspect the Dark Irons. And perhaps if you're a member of the alliance, you might feel inspired to uproot these intruders. Although, I'll warn you, ghostly whispers echo these corridors. It's probably best to make sure you're at least somewhere in the 13 to 18 level range. As for horde, one thing's for certain. The dwarves I know would never let some horde walt right into their sacred burial chamber. I suppose if you're curious, you'll need to find a way to sneak in or perhaps carve your way through.

But enough about home. You're here for adventure. Azeroth holds many secrets, and it's no surprise that there would be no so many archaeological dig sites scattered throughout the land. These courageous enough to brave errant Titan constructs may set their sights on one dig site in particular. Located in the wetlands just above Welgar's excavation, you'll find a place trapped in time. Although we don't know much about it, but that's the point.

A strange mist has been floating down from the mountains and flashing lights have been spotted on the horizon. So, there must be something up there. You'll check it out, won't you? I would make sure that you're in the levels 29 to they're 24 to 29 range, I'd say. So, you're prepared for what you might find. I'm sure the Explorers League might be interested in those findings. But if you're not a fan of swamps, I understand.

So, how about something a bit more tropical? These ancient troll ruins located off the coast of Stranglethorn Veil have been submerged in waves and inhabited sea creatures for as long as I can remember. And I don't mean to alarm you. Uh but those ruins have suddenly risen out of the ocean. You can see it just off the coast. It appears to be some sort of city. Well, one thing's for certain. We're going to need somebody to go in and uh make sure nothing nefarious is going on in there.

I've heard reports that trolls in Naga have been spotted there. And I thought I saw a pirate ship crash into the place. I wonder how they're doing. Could be pretty dangerous. So, I'd make sure you're at least around levels 35 to 40 before venturing into that place. Actually, I'm looking around the room and uh y'all look pretty tough. So, if you want to head over to the World of Warcraft demo area, you can check out the Drown City today right here on the show floor.

[cheering] [applause] Now, some players may find this prison familiar. And no, I'm not implying you're a bunch of criminals, although there may be a few devilish rogues among you. But no, this prison is famous because it's rumored to be the place where the Deas once held high-ranking nobles for ransom. It was at one point even rumored to have held King Vyian Ren himself. In the past, we were able to go visit this location, but we couldn't actually go inside in forever.

Of course, now you can, and it would be nice if you considered going down there to clear the place out. There seemed to be some sort of conflict happening between the Defias and the Naga inside, so now would be an opportune time to move. You'll want to make sure you're ready to put up a fight, though. So, uh, a group's around level 48 to 53 should do it. [sighs] The Shapers Terrace. Where have I heard those words before?

In Wrath of Lich King Classic, I recall there was an old Titan facility deep within Scholazar Basin. But were there others? What happened to them? Anyway, uh perhaps one of our most treacherous locations yet. In the hills of Unoral Crater lies a place seemingly untouched by time. I've heard it described as, I quote, a whole lot like Jurassic Park, whatever that means. There are old Titan buildings scattered throughout the area, wildlife running among beautiful power crystals scattered throughout, and you guessed it, there must be some source of power here, right?

Well, if you're interested, perhaps you can go in and investigate if you're levels 58 to 60, maybe. Look, I don't know why you would want to venture into a stronghold crawling with ogres, but if you're into that sort of thing, I've got the opportunity for you. In the Riverglades, outrunners have been kidnapping folks. And I've heard several randings have occurred within the region. Sturdy adventurers in the level 40 to 55 range could potentially put up a fight and end the ogre's mischief in the region.

But be warned, in the twilight hours of the night, I've heard weird chanting coming from the place. Could it be cultists? But back to nature. In times past, I could have sworn. I remember standing before a gate in Ajara and wondered what was on the other side. I'd tell you, but if you're around levels 55 to 60, you might as well go check it out for yourself. A great Furbul city lies within. But if you're familiar with the Fergold's plight, well, I suspect they might be struggling to save off some sort of corruption.

It could be very dangerous. The tunnels leading into Black Mah hold run deep and wind far into the mountain. In fact, should you decide to explore these tunnels, you might find yourself in an entirely different kind of danger. Which brings us to our first raid. To the night elves, the Barrow Deeps is a sacred place. While there may be a variety of barrow dens scattered throughout the land, it is said that their winding tunnels lead to one pivotal location we call the Barrow Deeps.

None truly know how far or how deep these tunnels run, but it must be massive. The night elves hold some of their most dangerous prisoners in this location. In fact, rumor has it an infamous demon hunter was once kept here. Perhaps you'll get to see his prison. The night elves are hesitant to let anyone in, including allies. But I've heard that like the furbuls of Black Mah hold, they may be dealing with some sort of corruption.

But these dangers are no joke. In fact, if I were you, I'd send no less than 10 of my greatest adventurers. But we've got more danger in store. At the battle for Mount Hyel, Malfurion Storm Rage chose to sacrifice the power sustaining the night elves immortality for a chance to defeat Legion Commander Archamond. It worked, but I mean, holy smokes, coming to terms with losing one's immortality mustn't be easy. And there must be some who disagreed with his decision, right?

Ah, anyway, fast forward to today, and we're hearing reports that someone or something has been draining the power from the land surrounding Pyel Summit. Now, like the Barrow Deeps, you'll want to be prepared. If you were to send, say, 20 of your finest, I'd say you'd have a reasonable chance of surviving. This is by far our largest raid in WoW Forever. Beautiful snowy peaks tower over the area. A raging river carves a path through ancient elven ruins.

The whispering of ghosts from the third war can be heard. There's plenty of adventure to be had and perhaps plenty of power to be had as well. Legendary power. But this is World of Warcraft, and tension is at an all-time high between the Horde and the Alliance. Rest assured, you'll get to duke it out in the classic battlegrounds you've always known and love. But we have something more for you. Off the coast of Calumdor lies the Dark Spear Islands, a strategic location for those seeking to gain an upper hand in the conflict.

This is a 15 versus 15 battleground that follows the same rule set as Eye of the Storm. If you want to win, you'll need to control strategic positions throughout the islands. The catch is that this battleground features Arafi Basin style capture points. You'll need to interact with a flag, then stand to defend it to secure that location. Or you guessed it, you'll be joining the Dark Spear trolls as they fight to eradicate the Alliance from their islands.

An Alliance, you are to report to the Theramore Expeditionary Force for deployment. We've also spent a lot of time thinking about classes. Back in 2005 and 2006, the class team modestly redesigned several of the talent trees such as priest, mage, hunter, druid. They made the changes they made back then weren't really about making every class equally good at everything. Rather, they wanted each class to feel unique. They wanted to give us a reason to bring each class on their next adventure.

The changes we've made in classes and wild forever follow that same spirit. We want to cover gaps where they exist, but we don't want to erase what makes each class unique. For example, paladins, there's a new seal that allows you to tank a bit more effectively. If healing's your jam, you might find talents that enable you to do a bit, just a bit of group healing. And uh rep paladins, uh I don't know, maybe now's your time to shine.

We've moved away from talents that simply give you small incremental improvements and have instead tried to give you talents that you notice. You may find yourself in situations where you're making real meaningful tradeoffs depending on how you want to build your character. But that's not all. Wow forever is huge and you've got hundreds of brand new items to look forward to, including all sorts of really fun and exciting onuse and on equip effects.

For example, check out this sharpen cutlery I found backstage, which you can equip as your phone weapon. And possibly related, we have this grave robber shovel for uh uh you know what uh when you want to uh dig a grave. Anyway, we've gone through and made a variety of updates and existing items and rewards throughout the games. Check out the title charm now super effective against certain sea dwellers and white man's chapo which has an increase to healing and damage done alongside a reduction in the cast time of resurrection spells.

Now let me touch on race abilities in WoW forever. We want to give you reasons to want to spin up a new character and embark on a new journey. Which is why we've done a pass over race abilities to make them feel more distinct, more unique, such that each race has something special to bring that other races do not. You can see a sneak peek of a few of our upcoming racial passives. A 5% increase of damage dealt against beasts if you're a dwarf, and a 5% chance to drain health from your target if you're undead.

But I highly encourage you to check out tomorrow's WOW Forever deep dive panel where my friends will go into a lot more detail on what I've teased today. But I'm an introvert and it's time for me to crawl back into the shadows from whence I came. So I'm going to go ahead and hand things off to our wonderful production director, Klay Stone, who will share even more fun and exciting WOW Forever updates. >> [music] [music] >> Thanks, Nora.

And hello, BlizzCon. [cheering] >> My name is Klay Stone and I'm the associate production director on the WoW Classic and WoW Forever team. So, we've talked a lot about things you might be expecting, but let's take a minute and talk about some things perhaps you weren't expecting. Let's start with our rendering updates. You got to see a bit of this in our gameplay trailer during opening ceremony, and admittedly, we went pretty hard.

Not every zone is going to be set at sunrise or sunset all the time, but I want to make a bold controversial statement. We believe WoW Classics art style is timeless, which is why our focus was not on changing the game art, but on small ways we could push specifically things like the environmental effects, such as the way rivers now flow in Elwin forest. Or the way the fog rolls into duskwood at night, or the way the moonlight now breaks through the leaves of the trees in Ashenville.

[applause] It's the same original Azeroth that players fell in love with all those years ago with just a few small but powerful effects updates to make it more immersive than ever. Next, let's talk camping. So, in addition to the new professions content arriving elsewhere in WoW Forever, with camping, we are doubling down on trade skills. Almost anywhere in the open world, players can craft a campsite. Other adventurers can stop by, stay a while, and use their trade skills to craft something for the campsite, granting everyone there a specific buff.

When we think about our core pillars and nurturing and protecting social experiences, this is one of those things we're talking about. And because players need to sit there for a moment before they gain any buffs, maybe, just maybe, they just might talk to each other. Legacy system there. If camping is us doubling down on trade skills and community, WoW Forever's new legacy system will see us tripling down on an element of classic that is only found in classic, the 1 to 60 leveling journey.

For as epic as Endgame is, and I promise you WoW Forever's Endgame is epic, we know that there are some players who just love the classic leveling journey. >> [applause] >> Although the legacy system benefits everyone, it very much aids players who love to run alts as they unlock new perks across their alts by achieving new goals on each new leveling journey. We are really excited about this one and how well it fits into classic WoW design philosophy.

Now, I'd like to switch gears and talk about the community. And if there's one thing I've learned in my time as part of this community, it's that players love to debate what is and is not classic. Players discuss in social, in forums, and even make polls. And if there's one thing every player agrees on, it's what is classic plus. >> When I took this survey, I was like, "Oh my gosh, yes. Blizzard is going to see this and we're going to be able to have proof and say, "Look, this is what we want, Blizzard.

Now, you can do it." In reality, after looking at this data, it's like [laughter] it's it's the exact opposite of what I thought. It's the exact >> [laughter] >> It's the exact Oh my gosh. Like, it's literally proving [clears throat] that like nobody knows what they want. Like, that's hilarious, bro. So, since we're all in agreement on what we want, let's talk transmog. Now, some of you are saying, "Yes, finally. This is my moment.

I feel seen." But we know some of you are saying, "Transmog, not in my classic plus." We say, "Is it too much to ask for both?" >> In Wow! forever. Transmog is entirely optin. If you want to turn it on, it's on and everyone you see in the world can look their very best. But for classic players, especially those of us who enjoy world PvP, many of us want to see other players for who they truly are and what they've accomplished.

So, turn it off. And it's clown suits for everyone. [applause] throughout the world you decide. There is a lot more to learn about the classic modifications we've made to this system for those who choose to use it. Stop by tomorrow's deep dive panel to learn a lot more about this as well as the camping and legacy systems and much more. For now, let me move on to another absolutely not at all controversial topic, character models.

Now, many players enjoy WoW's newer HD character models, but many of us also feel that Classics art style is timeless, as I said before, and deserves to be preserved, which is why we've made it completely toggleable gamewide. your character, the NPCs, other player other player characters together, unified in either HD or SD. For fellow classic players, that means you get to see all the beloved original races rendered in their glorious original SD designs.

And for those of you who prefer a more modern aesthetic, you can go with the modern HD designs. You choose what you see. Oh, and there is one more thing. We feel like classics animations are just as important as its art style. Here you will see a newer modern HD dwarf running with its modern animation set. Now let me show you that same HD dwarf running while attached to the classic animation set. I am so proud to announce that we have gone back and painstakingly restored the classic animations you know and love across the game's HD character models.

[applause and cheering] No bouncy dwarves in this game. >> So, let's see. We've talked about a few new zones, the new race, nine new dungeons, two new raids, classes, systems, but friends, this is only a glimpse of WoW forever. We simply don't have enough time to talk about new professions content, new reputations, all the new itemization rewards updates blowing up much of the old meta, the new PvP system, our first new legendary, our change to riding skill to preserve that classic classic moment when you finally earn your right to ride your first mount. our official support of game pads for players who prefer to play using controllers.

Playable this weekend on the show floor in an indevelopment state, by the way. And of course, the integration of previously unfinished and unused vanilla WOW content. [applause] But that's all. Now, I want to take a second to talk about where we're going. We have learned a lot since season of discovery, including the benefits of a strong road map, which is why we are building WoW forever in the way it was originally conceived back in the early 2000s, but with everything we've learned for the past 25 years, a fast-paced production for a slowpaced game, which will allow us to deliver where we go from here.

We have big plans for the coming months. You will see new raids unlock on December 9th, followed by even more new raids, new dungeons, PvP updates, world content, and so much more. All in addition to the original vanilla WoW content. And this includes new quests throughout the leveling 1 through 60 journey as we add to this horizontally expanding evergreen classic Azeroth. [applause] And I want to take a second to briefly point to that major updates box right there in summer at the far end.

There's a few words there that say revamped iconic raid. There's been a lot of speculation about when this game could take place, which is why I want to reiterate that this game takes place at the beginning of World of Warcraft and tells stories authentic to that time period. The original iconic raids that you know and love have not opened yet, and we're excited for you to rediscover them in the future. But friends, this is just a taste of the year of the year ahead and not even a peak at where we're planning to go beyond this.

However big you think this game is based on what you've seen so far, I promise you it is so much bigger than that. Our ambition is mighty, but most importantly, we have room to pivot based on community feedback. [applause] We are building this game with you. And we are not just building for today, but for something that lasts. And nothing is off the table. Not even a new class. >> Going back to this road map, you may have noticed there's a big gap right there, right around the winter time frame.

Let's discuss that. Uh, but first I want to take a second to talk about a picture. A picture that was framed and has hung on my wall at Blizzard since 2023. Hardcore represented a turning point for us as a team. We had tried a few things before it and as Ian covered, we've absolutely tried new things since. But hardcore represented the moment when Blizzard and the community came together and showed not only why World of Warcraft is one of the greatest games ever made, but why that original adventure still holds so much promise for where we could go in the future.

Which is why I'm also so proud to announce that Hardcore will be coming to WoW Forever as well. [applause] Please check out the hardcore panel tomorrow for a look at Wow Forever Hardcore. To me, hardcore was the start of a promise. And Wow Forever is not some experimental seasonal realm, nor some recreation of where we've already been. Wow, as a name and a logo represents a promise. And if you happen to pick up the collector's edition, we hope you love the logo on the box.

And when you open that box, we hope you love it on the game box. And when you see what else is inside that box, we hope you love We hope you love your very own dwarf and bear statue, which signifies where this all began. not just with Hardcore, but also way back in November of 2004. On behalf of the WoW Classic team and the entire World of Warcraft team, thank you. When I started on Classic, our dream was to get here.

We are here because of you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for your feedback. Thank you for believing in this dream. I'll see you in game on November 4th. Beta starts this Thursday and you can play the demo here today. Have a great Blisson, everyone. [cheering] [music]