Guide · October 29, 2026

WoW Forever Classes: All 9 Classes, Roles and Races

World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever) has nine classes, Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock and Warrior, and each has three specializations. The game launches on November 4, 2026 with a level 60 cap, and the roles below come from Warcraft Tavern's class overview, while the races come from Blizzard's character creation post.

Quick answer: Tanks come from Druid, Paladin and Warrior, and Warcraft Tavern also lists the Enhancement Shaman as a possible tank. Healers come from Druid, Paladin, Priest and Shaman. The other specializations deal damage. Which races can play each class is in the list below.

The nine WoW Forever classes with their armor type and roles: Druid leather, Hunter mail, Mage cloth, Paladin plate, Priest cloth, Rogue leather, Shaman mail, Warlock cloth and Warrior plate, each with three specializations. — The nine classes with armor and roles as Warcraft Tavern's class overview lists them.

Nine roads lead out of the starting zones, and each one asks something different of the hand that walks it. Before you pick a race, a guild or a ruleset, look at how each class holds a sword, a staff or a wand.

Key facts

Number of classes: nine, each with three specializations (Warcraft Tavern class overview)
Launch and cap: November 4, 2026; level cap 60 (Warcraft Wiki)
Beta: capped at level 30; Warcraft Tavern says level 60 builds will be added at launch (Hunter leveling guide)
New race and class pairs: Orc Mage, Troll Warlock, Undead Paladin, Human Hunter, Gnome Priest, Dwarf Shaman (Blizzard)
Skyborne limits: only the Alliance branch can be Mages and only the Horde branch Shamans (Warcraft Wiki)

What does each of the nine classes do?

Warcraft Tavern lists each class's armor and roles, and Blizzard's post lists the races.

Druid: leather. Balance (ranged damage), Feral (tank or melee damage), Restoration (healer). Night Elf, Tauren, Skyborne. Druid guide, Druid talent build.
Hunter: mail. Beast Mastery and Marksmanship (ranged), Survival (melee or ranged). Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Orc, Tauren, Troll, Skyborne. Hunter guide, Hunter talent build.
Mage: cloth. Arcane, Fire, Frost, all ranged damage. Human, Gnome, Orc, Undead, Troll, Alliance Skyborne. Mage guide, Mage talent build.
Paladin: plate. Holy (healer), Protection (tank), Retribution (melee damage). Human, Dwarf, Undead. Paladin guide, Paladin talent build.
Priest: cloth. Discipline and Holy (healers), Shadow (ranged damage). Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome, Undead, Troll. Priest guide, Priest talent build.
Rogue: leather. Assassination, Combat and Subtlety, all melee damage. Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome, Orc, Undead, Troll, Skyborne. Rogue guide, Rogue talent build.
Shaman: mail. Elemental (ranged), Enhancement (melee, also listed as a possible tank), Restoration (healer). Dwarf, Orc, Tauren, Troll, Horde Skyborne. Shaman guide, Shaman talent build.
Warlock: cloth. Affliction, Demonology and Destruction, all ranged damage. Human, Gnome, Orc, Undead, Troll. Warlock guide, Warlock talent build.
Warrior: plate. Arms and Fury (melee damage), Protection (tank). Every race. Warrior guide, Warrior talent build.

Which classes can tank, heal or deal damage?

Warcraft Tavern lists Feral Druid, Protection Paladin and Protection Warrior as tank specializations, and says Shamans "may finally be able to become fully fledged tanks" as Enhancement; reader comments on that page dispute the Shaman claim, and the page does not settle it. Healers are Restoration Druid, Holy Paladin, Discipline and Holy Priest, and Restoration Shaman. mein-mmo's beginner guide says the Druid is the only class that can fill every role. See tanks and healers.

What is new for the classes in WoW Forever?

Warcraft Wiki says all nine classes have new or updated abilities and talents from Classic, and that talent trees and specs will be rebalanced. Warcraft Tavern's overview gives examples: Hunters can hunt without a pet as Lone Wolves, Rogues can use one-handed axes, and Priests of any race can use Devouring Plague and Fear Ward. Blizzard says the new race and class pairs are Orc Mage, Troll Warlock, Undead Paladin, Human Hunter, Gnome Priest and Dwarf Shaman. See race and class combinations.

How do you choose between the classes?

The sources rank by purpose, so the guides are split by purpose too. Start with the best class for beginners, the best solo class, the fastest leveling class, the best class for PvP or dungeons, and the picks for casual players and roleplay. The free Lore Forever add-on shows the story behind the zone you level in.

What is not confirmed yet

Warcraft Tavern's class overview shows no publication date, and balance can change after launch.
Level 31 to 60 talents were not playable in the beta, which ended at level 30.
Skyborne requires an upgrade pack, according to Warcraft Tavern's character creation guide.

Frequently asked questions

How many classes are in WoW Forever?

Nine: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock and Warrior, each with three specializations.

Which WoW Forever classes can tank?

Warcraft Tavern lists Feral Druid, Protection Paladin and Protection Warrior, and also names the Enhancement Shaman as a possible tank.

Can every race be every class in WoW Forever?

No. Blizzard's post lists which classes each race can be. Only the Warrior is open to every race.

Is there a Death Knight, Monk or Demon Hunter in WoW Forever?

No. Blizzard's character creation post lists nine classes, and none of them is a Death Knight, Monk or Demon Hunter.

Which WoW Forever class can fill every role?

mein-mmo's beginner guide says the Druid is the only class that can tank, heal, and deal melee and ranged damage.

Sources

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