Returning player guide
Coming back? Start here
Verified on . Sources are linked on each claim.
A checklist by the era you last played, a version picker, and a sourced comparison of WoW: Forever and original Classic Era.
“I last played…” checklist
Pick the last era you played to see what’s waiting now. Items marked Retail are modern WoW only — Forever is a standalone level-60 game and does not use Hero Talents, Chromie Time, Timewalking, PvP brawls, or the Moonkin Festival. Blizzard’s official returning-player guide is the starting point for catch-up in retail.
Original WoW / Burning Crusade / Wrath (2004–2010)
- Retail: The current expansion is Midnight, the second chapter of the Worldsoul Saga. The campaign plays out around a rebuilt Silvermoon, with a level cap of 90, player Housing, Delves, Prey hunts, and the current Mythic+ season. (Wowhead: Midnight overview; Blizzard: Season 2)
- Retail: You don’t have to replay every expansion. A Catch Up Experience in the Arathi Highlands can re-familiarize you and grant level-appropriate gear, and a short War Within recap covers the previous story. (Blizzard: Welcome Home)
- Retail: Warbands (from The War Within) share renown, a Warband bank, and appearances across the characters on your Battle.net account. Dragonriding is now called Skyriding. (Blizzard: Welcome Home)
- If you’d rather have a level-60 world than modern endgame, try Classic Era or WoW: Forever (see the version picker below).
Cataclysm through Warlords (2010–2016)
- Retail: Same current picture as above: Midnight is the live expansion, with Housing, Delves, Prey, Mythic+, and official catch-up tools. (Blizzard: Welcome Home; Blizzard: Season 2)
- Retail: Since this era, modern WoW added account-wide Warbands, Skyriding (formerly Dragonriding), a Catch Up Experience, and player Housing in Midnight. (Blizzard: Welcome Home)
- If the current expansion isn’t what you want, Classic Era, Anniversary realms, Hardcore, Season of Discovery, and WoW: Forever are included with a subscription. (Blizzard: Classic)
Legion through Shadowlands (2016–2022)
- Retail: After Shadowlands came Dragonflight, then The War Within (the first Worldsoul Saga chapter), and now Midnight. (Wowhead: Midnight overview)
- Retail: Dragonriding is now Skyriding, with the Vigor meter removed. The War Within added Warbands (shared renown, bank, and appearances). Midnight adds player Housing and a Journeys tab for tracking Renown, Delves, and Prey. (Blizzard: Welcome Home)
- Retail: If you skipped The War Within’s story, Blizzard’s recap takes you through the highlights in a few hours and can level new characters from 70 to 80. A Catch Up Experience in the Arathi Highlands is also available. (Blizzard: Welcome Home)
Dragonflight / The War Within (2022–2025)
- Retail: Midnight is live: level cap 90, Silvermoon as the hub, player Housing, Prey hunts, new Delves, the Haranir allied race, and a Devourer Demon Hunter specialization. (Wowhead: Midnight overview; Blizzard: Welcome Home)
- Retail: Season 2 is the current season, with The Venomous Abyss raid, a new Mythic+ rotation, PvP Season 2, Delves, Prey, and the Tidebound Grotto Lair. (Blizzard: Season 2 is now live)
- Retail: Use the War Within recap if you want the story highlights before jumping in, and the Arathi Highlands Catch Up Experience if you want a guided refresher and level-appropriate gear. (Blizzard: Welcome Home)
- WoW: Forever launched on November 4, 2026, as a separate level-60 world included with the same subscription. (Blizzard: Forever now live)
Any era
World of Warcraft: Forever now exists alongside modern WoW, and one subscription or Game Time covers both. (Blizzard)
Which version should I play?
| If you want… | Try | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The current expansion, raids and Mythic+ | Retail (Midnight) | Midnight Season 2 is live: The Venomous Abyss raid, a new Mythic+ rotation, PvP, Delves, Prey, and Lairs. (Blizzard) |
| A refreshed level-60 world, new dungeons, modern conveniences toggleable | WoW: Forever | 9 new dungeons, the Skyborne race, Legacy System (Blizzard) |
| Original 2019-era Classic as it was | Classic Era | Blizzard still offers “the original WoW experience”: a recreation of Azeroth as it first launched, before the Dark Portal, with the original races and classes. (Blizzard: Classic) |
| One life; death is permanent | Hardcore | Also planned for Forever “a little after launch” (Blizzard) |
| Classic with experimental twists | Season of Discovery | Still listed as a current Classic mode included with a subscription: runes that change class kits, plus reimagined raids and dungeons. (Blizzard: Classic) |
| A fresh-realm Classic progression | Anniversary realms | Currently The Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary Edition, with The Gods of Zul’Aman now live. (Blizzard: Classic) |
WoW: Forever vs original Classic Era
All Forever facts are from Blizzard’s official overview, rechecked Nov 10, 2026. The “Original Classic Era” column describes the 2019 Classic recreation of original WoW; sources are linked in each cell.
| Area | WoW: Forever | Original Classic Era |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Classic or Enhanced presets; presentation only, not Ruleset | The original Classic interface. Forever’s Classic/Enhanced presentation presets are a Forever feature. (Blizzard) |
| Conveniences | Enhanced: quest guidance, one-bag view, transmog, HD models | Quest guidance, one-bag view, transmog, and HD models are Forever Enhanced defaults, not built into Classic Era. (Blizzard) |
| Combat tools | Optional Cooldown Manager and Damage Meter | No built-in Cooldown Manager or Damage Meter; those are listed as Forever Advanced options. (Blizzard) |
| Controller | Native gamepad (beta); keyboard still needed for chat. See the controller guide. | No official native Gamepad UI documented for Classic Era. Blizzard’s published gamepad guide is for Forever. (Blizzard) |
| Level cap and world | 60; Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor with new and expanded zones and quests | 60; original zones |
| Dungeons | 9 new 5-player dungeons, levels 13–60 | Original dungeons |
| Races | New Skyborne race (Horde Windshaper, Alliance High Order), Zephras Isle start | Original 8 races |
| Race/class combos | Adds Undead Paladin, Dwarf Shaman, Gnome Priest, Human Hunter, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock | Original combos |
| Classes | Talents and abilities revised (e.g., Hunter traps, pet gear scaling) | The original pre-expansion class kits, in Blizzard’s recreation of Azeroth as it first launched. (Blizzard: Classic) |
| Progression | Legacy System, up to 16 points per character at launch | None |
| World | Camping: campsites, rested status, buffs | Inns and cities for rested |
| Realms | Rulesets (Normal, PvP, RP-PvP, RP; Hardcore later); group only within the same Ruleset and faction | Realm list |
| Subscription | Included with WoW subscription or Game Time | Also included with a WoW subscription or Game Time, along with other Classic modes. (Blizzard: Classic) |
Getting started in WoW: Forever
Forever is a standalone Classic-style game that levels from 1 to 60. It does not use retail systems such as Hero Talents, Chromie Time, Timewalking, PvP brawls, or the Moonkin Festival. Blizzard’s New Player’s Starter Guide is the official walkthrough.
- Agree on a Ruleset and faction before you create characters: you can group, join guilds, run dungeons and raid only with players on the same Ruleset and faction. (Blizzard: starter guide)
- The Classic or Enhanced experience preset is chosen at first login, before you pick a Ruleset. The preset is a starting point, not a lock: you can change its individual settings later under Game Menu → Options, and the preset screen does not appear again after that first login. (Blizzard: starter guide)
- Character names have two parts, a main name and a secondary name; the combination must be unique in your region. You can hide the secondary name under Options → Nameplates, though it still appears in chat. (Blizzard: starter guide)
- As you level, visit a class trainer to learn new abilities, and drag newly learned spells from the Spellbook (P) onto your action bars. (Blizzard: starter guide)
- Dual Specialization becomes available at level 40. (Blizzard: Hunter and Druid deep dive)
- The Legacy System usually opens when your first character reaches level 25 (it can also unlock at 150 in a non-gathering primary profession, or by exploring the entire world map). Open it from the shield icon on the menu, or with the default hotkey Y. (Blizzard: Legacy System)
- Store extra materials in a bank, and learn flight paths from flight masters for travel between towns. (Blizzard: starter guide)
- The Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor have new and expanded zones, plus nine new 5-player dungeons. Native gamepad support is available in beta. (Blizzard: Forever overview; Blizzard: gamepad)
- Tips (not cited to a Blizzard post on this page): train weapon skills at weapon trainers as well as class abilities; banks are in the capital cities; Forever has no flying mounts; a player-side note says raids open December 9, and that Darkspear Islands is a Forever battleground.
FAQ
Do I need a separate subscription for WoW: Forever?
No. Your WoW subscription or Game Time covers both Forever and the modern game. (Blizzard)
Can I play Forever with friends on another Ruleset?
No. Grouping, guilds, dungeons and raids work only within the same Ruleset and faction. (Blizzard)
Can I use a controller?
In Forever, yes (beta). See the controller guide.