WoW Forever name reservation is open, and the race for the best names in Azeroth has started. Blizzard Entertainment kicked off Early Name Reservation for World of Warcraft: Forever on October 27, 2026, a week before the game launches worldwide. If you have a name you have carried since the original days of World of Warcraft (WoW), now is the time to lock it in, because every name is first come, first served.
World of Warcraft: Forever is a reimagined take on the original Azeroth, built so the journey matters as much as the destination. Blizzard calls it a world ready to grow for years to come, and it launches globally on November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Pacific time, which is 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Access is included with a regular World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time.
WoW Forever name reservation start times
According to the official Blizzard announcement, reservations run from October 27 through November 3 and opened at these times:
- North America: October 27 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific (4:00 p.m. Eastern)
- Europe: October 27 at 18:00 Central European Time
- Korea and Taiwan: October 28 at 07:00 local time
Eligible players can reserve up to three characters total across all rulesets. If you make two on a player versus player (PvP) ruleset, you only have one slot left for Normal or Role-Play. That cap only applies during the reservation window.
Who can reserve names
Early Name Reservation is a perk of the upgrade editions, not the base game. You need to pre-purchase the Skyborne Heroic Pack, the Skyborne Epic Pack or the limited-time Warcraft Forever Collection on the Battle.net Shop. All three include access to the new Skyborne race and its Zephras Isle starting zone. The Epic Pack adds 30 days of Game Time from launch and extra cosmetics, and the Warcraft Forever Collection also bundles Warcraft III: Reforged and the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign. Check the shop for current pricing in your region.
The upgrades also include Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes, one with the Heroic Pack and three with the higher tiers, which let a friend play during launch week from November 4 through November 11 without a subscription.
How the new two-part names work
This is the big change. Because WoW: Forever is realmless, every character gets two names, like a first name and a surname. Blizzard explains in its naming guide that only the full combination has to be unique within your region. So if someone already grabbed the first name you love, you can still use it with a different second name. Roleplayers can build family names, and guilds can share a theme. You can also hide your second name in the world from the Nameplates options, though it still shows in chat.
How to claim your names
Install the Battle.net desktop app, select World of Warcraft, pick World of Warcraft: Forever from the Game Version menu, install it, then hit Play, choose a ruleset and create up to three characters. Update your graphics drivers first so nothing slows you down.
If you are lining up a big game week, also see our Phantom Blade Zero release guide and the Mouthwashing Game Pass release.
Our call
This one is Surfacing. Regional names mean the short, clean ones will go fast, so if you already own an upgrade, log in tonight. If you were on the fence, the reservation window closes November 3, the day before launch.
