Nadella: World of Warcraft: Forever Beta Was Largest in Franchise History
Microsoft's CEO said on the Q1 earnings call that the beta, which ran from September 17 to October 23, 2026, set a franchise record.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on the company's Q1 earnings call on October 28, 2026, that the beta for World of Warcraft: Forever was the largest in franchise history, according to kotaku.com. He did not provide further context for the claim.
The beta ran from September 17 to October 23, 2026. Access was included with pre-purchased premium bundles starting at $60, and free sign-ups and a free stress test day were also offered.
On September 18, 2026, Blizzard developer Josh Greenfield called the beta turnout the craziest numbers he had seen in 17 years at Blizzard. Unofficial tool ClassicPlus.io suggests over one million characters were created during the beta.
World of Warcraft: Forever was announced at BlizzCon earlier in 2026 as an alternate-universe take on the original game. It launches on November 4, 2026 for anyone with an existing World of Warcraft subscription.
Previous betas
Blizzard previously bundled beta access with The War Within and Midnight expansions, whereas earlier betas were purely opt-in.
Quick answers
When does World of Warcraft: Forever launch?
The game launches on November 4, 2026 for anyone with an existing World of Warcraft subscription.
How large was the World of Warcraft: Forever beta?
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said it was the largest in franchise history, but did not give specific numbers.