World of Warcraft: Forever, from another perspective

Yesterday, at BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard introduced World of Warcraft: Forever, its own take on what many of us have been calling Classic Plus for years. At first glance, it seems ambitious, but also fairly measured in the steps it wants to take.

Maybe it’s a very Blizzard thing: giving the impression that it’s going to do a lot, then falling short. Yesterday we saw the announcement of this supposed Classic Plus and, for me, two of the most disappointing moments were the new race reveal and the trailer. A trailer that appealed to emotion, to nostalgia. But was that the nostalgia I felt?

When I think of Vanilla and those early years of WoW, what comes to mind? A world of pastel colours and beautiful forests? Or an orc pounding the ground with a hammer, shouting amid the flames? An undead spreading death through a forest? A giant infernal rising before us, engulfed in that cursed green? And then, in The Burning Crusade, that blood elf who looked so sweet until she drained the energy from a mana wyrm and killed it.

I should also be fair and acknowledge the moment when the undead paladin appeared in combat. Perhaps it was one of the few moments when the trailer felt a little more like Classic to me.

A question of tone

Maybe my first disappointment with Forever has less to do with what they announced and more to do with how they presented it. Warcraft had beautiful places, of course, but it was a world that felt dangerous. The Classic trailer conveyed exactly that, and you went into the game with that idea in mind.

That’s what I missed in this trailer. It reminded me of the places, but not so much of how I felt exploring them. Nostalgia also lives in that mix of curiosity and danger, in not knowing what you might find around the next corner.

The problem with the race

The problem with the race isn’t just the choice itself, or the fact that it’s neutral. It’s that the last few seconds of the trailer could easily have been part of Shadowlands and nobody would have noticed the difference.

Blizzard had an easy option. High elves, vrykul or naga for the Alliance; ogres or mok’nathal for the Horde. Why not? The community has been asking for them for years. Was it really that difficult? This is what I mean when I say Blizzard seems about to do a lot and then falls short. They had a fairly straightforward option.

I also missed seeing at least one new class. For me, that was one of the minimum things I expected from the presentation of a supposed Classic Plus. I like that they’re leaving that possibility open for the future, but I expected to see it on the table already.

Success really comes down to how they execute the idea

Blizzard rarely gives a bad presentation. If there’s one thing it does well, it’s leaving us stunned with cinematics, images and a crowd whose enthusiasm sometimes feels a little forced to me, cheering the virtues of what it’s watching.

The real problem comes when it’s time to execute the idea. When you have to get to work, maintain the world you’ve just created and fill it with ideas. When you have to keep it going and deliver content at a decent pace.

Classic is going to tackle one of Blizzard’s biggest problems lately: PvP.

One thing we’re missing is arenas. It’s true that, as of today, 13 September, we still have a Forever panel to watch that may clear this up. But if they’ve already figured it out and didn’t tell us at the opening ceremony, that’s a communication failure in my eyes.

They’ve mentioned a new PvP system, but what system exactly? Again, it leaves me feeling that they aren’t giving it the weight it deserves. If that proposal is going to satisfy part of the audience, why not make it clear from the opening ceremony? Not everyone is going to watch the later panel.

I won’t pretend my trust isn’t fragile, because we’ve seen how Blizzard has executed things in the past. But you should always give it a chance. I sincerely hope Blizzard can maintain a pace of content, in both PvE and PvP, that satisfies the WoW community. It deserves no less, especially now that it has even fewer places to choose from.

What I did like

I think the idea, which isn’t theirs, is good. I don’t think Blizzard simply listened to the community: the community kept throwing stones onto its roof until it finally reacted. As usual, a little late. But it did react.

I like that the stories are local, that the world evolves within Azeroth itself, that classes are being changed and that new races will be added, even if I don’t like this one. I also like the possibility of new classes in the future.

I also liked the world talents, the changes to racial abilities and the changes to professions. Those steps do suggest to me that there’s an intention to understand what we need from Classic: changes that improve it without losing its essence.

I like being able to choose between HD models and the old ones. I also like having achievements and no flying mounts. I like that they’ve improved the lighting, although I do think there’s too much glow and it needs adjusting. Everything shines too much. It’s like giving Minecraft futuristic lighting without changing Minecraft’s textures. But, well, that’s another topic.

And finally, I like the commitment they seem to have made with that “Forever”: keeping it going forever. I hope the day never comes when they regret taking it on.

We can debate and talk about it all we like, but ultimately the years will show whether this project really is what they’ve promised. For the sake of the WoW community, I sincerely hope it is.

There’s still a lot of information I don’t have, and perhaps this post is a little premature, but I felt I had to write it. Whether you’re a retail player, a Classic player or coming to WoW for the first time, I think Warcraft Forever could be a good opportunity to explore Azeroth in a different way.

Enjoy it. I hope it becomes one of those experiences you carry with you forever.

Best wishes, Dani.

KEEP EXPLORINGWorld of Warcraft, a reflection