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WoW Forever Story for New Players: Who Fights and Why

The story of World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever) is set in the first year of World of Warcraft, about four years after the Third War ended (year 21 to year 25), when the Alliance and the Horde are rebuilding and still do not trust each other. The game launched on November 4, 2026, and you do not need any Warcraft knowledge to start.

Quick answer: Two coalitions, the Alliance and the Horde, fought three wars. The latest ended at Mount Hyjal, and neither side has forgotten it. Blizzard says the game is set after the Forsaken Kingdom campaign and before Molten Core.

The Alliance (humans, dwarves, gnomes, night elves) and the Horde (orcs, tauren, trolls, Forsaken) face each other, with the three wars between them and the Skyborne as a new race that joins either side.
The two factions and what divides them, from Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard and Blizzard Watch.

Key facts

  • Setting: after Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core (Blizzard launch post)
  • Choice: your faction sets the "communities, cities, and stories your character begins with" (Blizzard Starter Guide)
  • New race: the Skyborne join either side (Blizzard Starter Guide)

What is the story of WoW Forever?

Three wars shaped the world: the Horde's invasion of Stormwind, the Alliance's victory, and the Scourge and Burning Legion's attack, which ended at the Battle of Mount Hyjal in year 21 (Warcraft Wiki). Lordaeron, Dalaran and Quel'Thalas were destroyed. Blizzard's Forsaken Kingdom campaign then tells the fall of Lordaeron, the founding of the Undercity and the first Forsaken Paladin, and Blizzard's pre-purchase post says players who follow the story from Warcraft III go "into the earliest days of World of Warcraft." The full road is in the lore timeline and the lore primer.

Who are the Alliance and the Horde?

Warcraft Wiki's Alliance page names humans, night elves, dwarves and gnomes among the Alliance's peoples (it also lists races added later). The in-game description of the Horde on its page reads "the brutal orcs, the shadowy undead, the spiritual tauren, and the quick-witted trolls." The undead are the Forsaken.

Who are the main figures?

Warcraft Wiki's Mount Hyjal page names Malfurion Stormrage, Tyrande Whisperwind, Thrall and Jaina Proudmoore as leaders of the victory. Thrall is Warchief of the Horde, with Cairne Bloodhoof of the tauren and Vol'jin of the Darkspear trolls close at hand. Warcraft Wiki's Alliance page names King Magni Bronzebeard and the dwarves of Ironforge as allies. Sylvanas Windrunner established the Forsaken in year 22 (Ultimate Visual Guide). Blizzard Watch's Lore Watch (September 23) describes Stormwind as ruled by a child king. See Thrall, Sylvanas and main characters to know.

Why do the Horde and Alliance fight?

Warcraft Wiki says the Alliance "still remembers the Old Horde's association with the Burning Legion," and that Thrall's New Horde was meant to distance itself from that legacy. The two sides, or their predecessors, fought all three wars. Early WoW-era tensions include orcish logging in Warsong Gulch and the fight over Durotar.

Blizzard Watch adds that the three wars took about 25 years, so many people lived through them, and that with no shared cosmic threat the wariness stays. It calls the Horde the more organized side and the Alliance unstable. That is the video's opinion, not Blizzard's. More in Alliance vs Horde lore.

What should a new player do with this?

Pick the side whose cities and people appeal to you. Grouping, guilds, dungeons and raids stay within your ruleset and faction (Blizzard Starter Guide), so choose together with friends. See Alliance vs Horde.

What is not confirmed yet

  • Leaders in Forever: the wiki pages describe modern WoW's setup. Warcraft Wiki says Forever has its own continuity, and Blizzard has not published a leader list for it.
  • Where the plot goes: Blizzard Watch says Forever "won't completely break or re-write the lore"; its new stories are still being revealed.
  • Skyborne lore: see the Skyborne lore guide.

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

The Lore Forever add-on is free, fan-made and not affiliated with Blizzard, and it has no internet access. It shows the story of a quest, NPC or zone as you play, with generated narrator voices where recorded. Willo is a separate companion app with a Windows 10 or 11 download and an Apple Silicon Mac download (macOS 12 or later); her page and the Lore Forever FAQ list both, though CurseForge still calls her a Windows app. You can ask her "who is Thrall" out loud; she is free to start with 50 answers a day, and she can be wrong.

Frequently asked questions

What is the story of WoW Forever?

Rebuilding after the Third War in the first year of WoW, with the Alliance and Horde wary of each other.

Do I need to know Warcraft lore to play WoW Forever?

No. Quests explain what you need, and Blizzard's guide centers on exploration and community.

Why are the Horde and Alliance at war?

Old wounds from three wars, and the Alliance's memory of the Old Horde's ties to the Burning Legion (Warcraft Wiki).

Who leads the Horde and the Alliance?

Thrall leads the Horde. For the Alliance, Warcraft Wiki names Ironforge's King Magni Bronzebeard, and Blizzard Watch describes a child king in Stormwind.

Is WoW Forever connected to Warcraft III?

Yes. Blizzard says it is set after the Forsaken Kingdom campaign from Warcraft III Reforged.

Sources

Reviewed November 5, 2026. Lore Forever and Willo are fan-made and are not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.

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