Forever beta has closed; name reservation is next

Updated October 24, 2026: Blizzard confirmed on October 23 that Forever beta has closed. Kaivax thanked players for five weeks of testing and said the team is moving into priority fixes and game-service preparation. The announcement does not specify those fixes. Blizzard’s confirmation.

Originally published October 21 to report the extension, this article now preserves the schedule and celebration as event history, not an invitation to an open test. The closing date is confirmed; the table’s hour remains the previously announced schedule.

A celebration for the final day

Kaivax’s October 22 announcement placed the celebration in Zephras Isle, Dun Morogh, Elwynn Forest, Teldrassil, Durotar, Tirisfal Glades and Mulgore. It was scheduled to continue until beta ended.

Blizzard also cautioned that the one-off celebration would almost certainly include items and experiences absent from the released game. Screenshots and clips from the event should therefore not be used to infer ordinary starting quests or permanent rewards. The celebration is a special case.

The announcement does not turn normal beta access into access for everyone. The open stress test and the regular beta were separate events.

The beta week’s European schedule

European clocks change on October 25. Beta closure and reservation therefore use the time zones applicable to their respective dates. Reservation opens at 19:00 in Finland.

What still matters about the stress test?

Under the original schedule announcement, the stress test required a WoW account but no active subscription. It used its own Battle.net version, and its characters and names were scheduled for deletion when the test ended. The regular beta was planned to reopen afterwards.

A name created during that test was therefore not a launch reservation. That distinction remains useful even though installation instructions no longer help plan an upcoming stress-test evening.

The next practical decision is where to begin together

Agree on a ruleset and faction with your friends before name reservation. The announcement bringing RP-PvP to launch adds another choice, although having it ready for reservation remains Blizzard’s target.

Our name reservation guide explains purchase requirements and the shared three-character limit. To revisit the questions beta raised at a quieter pace, the official end-of-beta podcast viewing guide links directly to sections on secrets, leveling and raids.

More podcast episodes next week

The closure announcement also says the Forever podcast will continue the following week. End of Beta Special therefore marks the beta’s end, not the end of the series. The post does not give an exact release time for the next episode.