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WoW Forever Beta Ended: Wiped Characters, Level 60, Nov 4

The World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever) beta closed on Friday, October 23, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PDT, and Warcraft Tavern reports that nothing from it carries over: Blizzard says the game launches on November 4 at 3:00 p.m. PST, with every character starting fresh. The beta stopped at level 30, while Blizzard says launch players adventure to level 60.

Quick answer: Your beta characters are gone, so use the days before launch for what still counts: reserve names if you pre-purchased (until November 3), install WoW: Forever, and pick a ruleset. Levels 31 to 60 were never playable in the beta.

From beta to launch: the beta closes October 23, names open October 27, and the game launches November 4 at level 60.
Timeline from the WoW Forever beta to launch: beta opens September 17 at level 20, cap rises to 30 on October 1, stress test October 21, beta closes October 23 at 10 a.m. PDT with progress wiped, early name reservation runs October 27 to November 3, and the game launches November 4 at 3 p.m. PST with a level 60 cap.

Beta travelers walked only the first stretch of the road, the valleys and the low hills. The rest of the map, up to the high ground of level 60, waits for launch day.

Key facts

  • Beta window: September 17 to October 23, 2026, 10:00 a.m. PDT (Warcraft Tavern, TechRadar)
  • Carry-over: none; beta progress and the stress test's characters were wiped (Warcraft Tavern)
  • Level cap: 20, raised to 30 on October 1 in the beta; level 60 at launch (Warcraft Tavern, Blizzard)
  • Launch: November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST (Blizzard)
  • Raids: three level 60 raids unlock December 9 (Blizzard)

When did the WoW Forever beta end?

The beta closed on October 23 at 10:00 a.m. PDT. Warcraft Tavern's October 20 report quotes a Blizzard post saying Blizzard planned to close the beta at that time on Friday, October 23, and TechRadar's October 22 report, which says it was extended from an earlier end, gives the same time. The sources disagree about the original date: TechRadar says October 20, Warcraft Tavern's beta guide says October 22, and Blizzard's pre-purchase article still says the beta runs through October 21. Warcraft Tavern's October 23 report points testers to Blizzard's Beta Timewalking page for personal beta statistics. Our beta and stress test guide has the earlier history.

Do WoW Forever beta characters carry over to launch?

No, according to Warcraft Tavern: beta progress was temporary and was removed when the beta ended, and the October 21 stress test wiped characters the same way. Two cautions apply. Blizzard Watch wrote on September 28 that "all characters will be deleted and all progress will be wiped," but cites no Blizzard statement for it. And kami-labs, writing on October 3, found no line stating the wipe in Blizzard's September announcements and calls the wipe a deduction from Blizzard's usual practice. Warcraft Tavern's October 20 report does say Blizzard told stress test players their characters, names included, would be deleted. I found no source that says any beta character was kept.

What is the level cap at launch compared with the beta?

Level 60. Blizzard's launch announcement says players will adventure to level 60 on the original continents, and Kotaku reports a cap of 60. In the beta, Warcraft Tavern says players could not reach the content for levels 31 to 60 and that no raids were tested. Treat advice about those levels, such as leveling from 30 to 60, as unconfirmed. See also how long to reach level 60.

What should you do before November 4?

  • Reserve names if you pre-purchased an upgrade pack: the window runs October 27 to November 3 (how to reserve).
  • Install World of Warcraft: Forever from the Game Version menu in Battle.net, as Blizzard's reservation article describes.
  • Choose a ruleset: Blizzard says playing under a different ruleset means creating a new character, while a Warcraft Tavern report on the developer Q&A words it as a Character Transfer service (rulesets guide, can you switch rulesets).

How can the Lore Forever add-on and Willo help with this?

The first thirty levels are the road testers already walked, and the part of Azeroth the free Lore Forever add-on knows best. It tells the story of every zone, city and dungeon up to level 30, puts a Lore button on quests, and keeps a Journey page of completed quests. Willo is a Windows companion app: hold your talk key, ask out loud, hear the answer, and keep a notebook of to-dos for each new character. She can be wrong, so check what matters. Willo is free to start with 50 answers a day, and the add-on is optional for her. Lore Forever is fan-made and not affiliated with Blizzard.

What is not confirmed yet

  • Whether any beta-only tuning, such as test-only rewards, appears at launch.
  • Anything about levels 31 to 60, which no beta player could reach.

Frequently asked questions

Do WoW Forever beta characters transfer to the live game?

No. Warcraft Tavern says beta progress was removed when the beta ended and everyone starts fresh at launch on November 4.

When did the WoW Forever beta end?

On October 23, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PDT, after an extension, according to Warcraft Tavern and TechRadar.

What is the WoW Forever level cap?

The beta capped at level 30. At launch the cap is level 60, according to Blizzard's announcement and Kotaku.

Can you play WoW Forever before launch?

Not the game itself. Blizzard's Early Name Reservation lets pre-purchasers create characters and reserve names from October 27 to November 3, and Kotaku says the game cannot be played until launch on November 4.

Where can you see your WoW Forever beta stats?

Warcraft Tavern points to Blizzard's Beta Timewalking page for personal beta statistics.

Sources

Reviewed October 29, 2026. Lore Forever is fan-made and is not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.

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