Rise Primers · 01 — Getting Started
Getting started in Forever.
A new, permanent version of the old world — no realm list, no box to buy, a level cap that never rises. Here is the shape of it, from the verified database.
Last verified: October 30, 2026
The game in six answers
What it isA third version, on purpose
Forever is a new, permanent version of WoW that lives alongside Retail and Classic. Blizzard's own words: “This is not a mode, a season, or a new version of Classic.” It shares Classic's continents, cap and era feel, and adds new zones, quests, dungeons and raids, reworked talents and racials, two-part names, and the Legacy, Camping and Transmog systems. Nothing carries over from Classic Era or Anniversary. (Facts wf-0003, wf-0004, wf-0005)
What it costsA subscription. That's the list.
No box purchase is required: access is included with a WoW subscription or game time (wf-0012). US pricing is reported at $14.99/month, or $12.99 on 6- and 12-month plans (wf-0013 — secondary). There is no WoW Token and no paid character boost (wf-0025 — community-reported from interviews). The optional packs buy cosmetics, the Collector's goods, and one functional thing: Skyborne access and name reservation.
Where you playRealmless: pick a ruleset, not a realm
There is no realm list and no realm choice. You choose a ruleset — Normal, PvP, Roleplay, or Roleplay-PvP at launch, Hardcore later — and your character lives there. (Fact wf-0067)
Who you play withRuleset and faction are walls
Grouping, dungeons and raids happen only inside your own ruleset and faction. The one exception: battlegrounds may mix rulesets (Hardcore stays enclosed). You cannot move a character to another ruleset — a new ruleset means a new character, with one exception: dead Hardcore characters may transfer out once Hardcore exists. On the PvP ruleset you may create one faction only; elsewhere both factions are allowed, but cross-faction grouping exists nowhere. (Facts wf-0069, wf-0070, wf-0073)
The cap60. Permanently.
The level cap is 60 and is intended to stay 60 — progression is horizontal, with new content added inside levels 1–60 on a roughly four-month cadence. Blizzard's stated intent is that Forever will not turn into a different form of Retail. A design promise, not a guarantee — but it is the promise the whole game is built on. (Facts wf-0053, wf-0187)
Your nameFirst and last
Every character has a first name plus a surname; only the combination must be unique per region. You can hide the surname in the world (it still shows in chat). Reservation runs for pack owners until Nov 3 — the name guide has the rules. (Facts wf-0027, wf-0030)
Before you create: the decision card
Region
The region your group selected. A familiar account name does not establish the correct regional game account.
License
The active WoW license in Battle.net. Returning players can hold several; check the second account dropdown as well as the game version.
Faction & ruleset
Agreed with your intended teammates before anyone creates. Ordinary grouping requires compatible faction and the same ruleset.
Full name
Both components, copied exactly. A first name alone may identify several characters — the combination is the identity.
Class & activity
Questing, tanking, healing, damage, PvP, or a crafting focus — chosen for the play you will repeat, not for a ranking.
Backup plan
A second name choice, alternate local objectives, and the next meeting point, agreed before launch night.
The guild's first-week plan Guild advice — not a game fact
Launch night: form groups in Discord before 3:00 p.m. PST and level together. Days 1–3: two gathering professions on while you level; run the low dungeons (Hall of Thanes at 13–18 sits under Ironforge — Horde visitors, be polite and quick) with guild groups. Level 30: Darkspear Islands opens — the first guild PvP nights form there. Week's end: pick your raid-size ambition with the officers; the Onyxia attunement chain is long and December is closer than it looks.
Your first session, in order Guild procedure
Confirm the game version and license before pressing Play. Set the controls you will live with — map, quest log, spellbook, character panel — then move, turn, target, loot, and return to a quest giver before adding complexity. Take a small set of nearby quests and read one fully. Learn the abilities you actually have; an endgame guide names abilities a new character does not yet possess. Run one short quest loop, then check class steps, training, equipment condition, supplies, and bag space before leaving the area. End at a sensible stopping place and write down the next objective. Default shortcuts per Blizzard's starter guide: L quests, M map, P spellbook, C character, K professions.
Questions on this guide? Ask Thrall.
Thrall answers from the same database this guide cites — in #ask-thrall, with the confidence tier stated and the gaps admitted.
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