WoW Forever Stays in 2004 Vanilla with No Expansions in OSRS Model [2026]

By Indie Kings | September 19, 2026

Updated September 19, 2026: World of Warcraft Forever will stay in vanilla 2004 Azeroth with no expansions and add new zones like Hyjal, Zephras Isle, and Riverglades plus the Skyborne race, per Blizzard as relayed by XDA. XDA frames it as WoW's Old School RuneScape model, where a 2004 base grows through new content instead of expansion resets.

Image: The official World of Warcraft Forever logo. Credit: Blizzard via XDA.

What Forever is after BlizzCon 2026

Per XDA on September 12, 2026, Simon Batt relays Blizzard's BlizzCon 2026 reveal of World of Warcraft Forever. It rolls time back to 2004, stays at level 60, and adds new content rather than progressing through The Burning Crusade and later expansions.

Blizzard's quoted vision, as relayed by XDA via Neowin, says Forever is built as a new permanent home alongside modern and Classic WoW where the world takes center stage, community comes first, and the journey matters as much as the destination, set after Warcraft III Reforged Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core, with new stories inspired by player passion and feedback.

That framing is a creative direction, not a mechanics guarantee. The concrete pieces confirmed so far are new zones, a new race, and continued updates on a vanilla base.

Why XDA calls it an OSRS model

XDA draws the parallel to Old School RuneScape, which froze a 2007 build and then grew through voted-in new content. Jagex places voting booths in cities for major OSRS proposals, and players vote in or scrap them.

Per XDA, the last line of Blizzard's quote about years of player passion and feedback feels familiar to that OSRS loop. The author expects a similar community-driven update style for Forever, and calls it a cautious optimism that this could be the classic experience that keeps players from private servers where earlier Classic progression through expansions drove them away.

Treat that vote-system expectation as XDA speculation, not a Blizzard confirmed feature. The Deep Dive relay via ClassicWoWForever does not list a voting booth system for Forever as of September 15, and Blizzard has not announced one.

Model	Base	Growth method per XDA	Player input
Old School RuneScape	2007 build	New content added to old base	Public vote in-game booths for major additions
WoW Forever per Blizzard via XDA	2004 vanilla, 60 cap	New zones and updates added to 2004 continents	Blizzard says inspired by player passion and feedback, no voting booth confirmed
Classic progression before Forever	2004 then TBC etc	Expansion-by-expansion march	Disgruntled players returned to private servers, per XDA

What new zones and race are confirmed

Per XDA, Blizzard confirmed Mount Hyjal, Zephras Isle, and The Riverglades as new zones plus the elven Skyborne as a new race. ClassicWoWForever's Deep Dive adds Shen'dralas as a fourth new region, but XDA on September 12 lists the three above, so we cite XDA's three and note the fourth appears in the broader Deep Dive summary.

XDA's piece says you can watch the Forever trailer that debuted at BlizzCon 2026 for the reveal, and that the game will feature those zones and race as part of the 2004 world expansion. The Deep Dive via ClassicWoWForever adds that Zephras Isle is a 1-12 starting experience and Riverglades carries more than 150 quests in the mid-30s to mid-40s.

The Skyborne appear in both XDA and ClassicWoWForever as an elven race tied to later datamine coverage, but XDA's September 12 note keeps detail light and focuses on the OSRS philosophy rather than racials.

New zones per XDA Sep 12: Mount Hyjal, Zephras Isle, The Riverglades.
Additional per ClassicWoWForever Deep Dive: Shen'dralas between Mulgore and Desolace.
New race per XDA: Skyborne, elven, debuts with Forever.
Source trailer: BlizzCon 2026 reveal trailer referenced by XDA, not embedded here.

What no expansions means for players

No expansions means the level cap stays 60 and the original continents stay the play space. Per XDA, Blizzard will flesh out the 2004 world with new content inside that space rather than teleporting players to Outland and beyond.

For pure classic fans who left when Classic marched through expansions, that is the hook. Per XDA, the hope is that a permanent 2004 home with ongoing 2004-era additions keeps the classic community together instead of splitting across progression servers.

XDA also notes community-driven cadence could separate Forever from private servers, which already promise a static 2004-like experience but without official support. Forever would then be official persistent vanilla with new layers, not a seasonal reset.

Forever design per Blizzard via XDA	What it keeps	What it adds
Permanent home alongside modern/Classic	2004 continents, 60 cap, before Molten Core	New zones, stories, updates over years
World as main character, community first, journey matters	Original quest world 1-60 within Year One time bubble per Deep Dive	New 1,000+ quests hinted in Deep Dive, more than 150 in Riverglades alone

Beta access and timeline

Per XDA, Forever beta starts September 17, 2026 and requires the Skyborne Epic Pack or Warcraft Forever Collection. That matches the official beta window via ClassicWoWForever cited as September 17 through October 21, with early name reservation October 27-November 3, launch November 4 at 3pm PST, and first raids December 9.

XDA says the beta will let players buy in via those packs, and Blizzard's roadmap via ClassicWoWForever confirms the same pack requirement. Check the official pre-purchase page before buying, as pack contents include beta plus other cosmetics that may duplicate what you already own.

The author is cautiously optimistic that Forever will be the one that sticks, but ends with we'll have to see how it shakes out, which is the right stance for a pre-release reveal from September 12 before beta results.

FAQ

Will Forever have expansions?
No. Per Blizzard via XDA, Forever stays in the 2004 world at level 60 and grows through new content, not expansion progression.

Is this literally OSRS?
No. XDA uses OSRS as an analogy for a 2004 base plus new content. The voting booth system is OSRS, not a Blizzard confirmed Forever system.

What new zones are confirmed per XDA?
Mount Hyjal, Zephras Isle, and The Riverglades, per XDA September 12, plus Skyborne race. ClassicWoWForever also lists Shen'dralas.

What did Blizzard say the philosophy is?
Built as a new permanent home where the world takes center stage, community comes first, and the journey matters as much as the destination, set after Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core, per Blizzard quote via XDA.

When is beta and launch?
Beta September 17, 2026, per XDA and official roadmap; launch November 4, per roadmap relayed by ClassicWoWForever.

Will there be a vote system?
Not confirmed. XDA speculates a similar system after noting Blizzard's feedback line, but no voting booth was announced.

Bottom Line

Forever is Blizzard's Classic Plus bet: keep the 2004 continents and 60 cap as a permanent home and grow it with new zones like Hyjal and Zephras Isle and the Skyborne, rather than marching through expansions. XDA's OSRS analogy captures the intent, but the voting part is speculation. If you wanted vanilla to stay vanilla, beta from September 17 is where that promise gets tested.