Post-launch roadmap

Forever’s roadmap is short and specific through 2026, then seasonal for 2027. The only content date that matters for the guild’s raid calendar is December 9, 2026, when all three launch-tier raids open at once. After that, Blizzard has committed to a rhythm of raids every patch with no expansion, no level cap raise, and no Burning Crusade. Below is the slide as transcribed, what Blizzard’s written recap actually says, and what is only rumor. verified

The slide

Blizzard’s written What’s Next recap gives only “December 9, 2026: New raids unlock” and “Future: Hardcore mode, revamped iconic raid, additional content.” Blizzard Watch transcribed the full slide shown on stage. verified

When	Content	Status
September 17 to October 21 or 22, 2026	Beta, level cap 20 rising to 30	Live now. See Editions
October 27, 2026	Early name reservation and character creation opens (pack holders)	Dated. See Names
November 4, 2026, 3:00 pm Pacific	Launch	Dated
December 9, 2026	The Barrow Deeps (10), Hyjal Summit (20), Onyxia’s Lair (40) open	Dated, in Blizzard’s own recap
Spring 2027	2 new raids (one 10, one 20), 2 new dungeons, new quests and zone expansion, new Legendary questline, PvP season refresh	Seasonal, slide only
Summer 2027	Revamped iconic raid, 1 new raid, expanded world content, 2 new dungeons, PvP season refresh, Professions and Legacy system updates	Seasonal, slide only
“Future”	Hardcore mode, additional content	No slot

Patch cadence

Dated only through 2026; 2027 uses seasons. verified
Blizzard Watch estimates early March and late May or early June for the two 2027 drops, based on retail’s 10 to 12 week cycle. That is an estimate, not a Blizzard statement. unverified estimate
Blizzard commits to “frequent major updates” and a world that grows “for years to come.” verified
A dev-interview headline promised “raids every patch” and “Onyxia at 40.” The article itself 404s. The slide supports both. unverified headline
Lead Designer Tim Jones: every tier will contain both a 10-player and a 20-player raid; “If you’re a 10-man group and you don’t have interest in doing 20-man content, that is perfectly fine.” verified, Kotaku
PvP: a 14-rank Honor track that resets each patch cycle (“within a season or within a patch cycle, you’ll be able to get to rank 14,” Tim Jones). The “PvP season refresh” lines on the slide are that reset. verified, Kotaku

What that means for the guild calendar: launch to December 9 is five weeks of leveling and dungeons; the first raid tier runs roughly December to March; a second tier arrives around spring; a third, with the revamped classic raid, around summer. See Raids overview.

What is promised versus rumored

Claim	Status
Three raids open December 9	Promised. Blizzard’s own recap. The earlier fan claim that the 10 and 20 open at launch with only Onyxia waiting is contradicted by Blizzard
Level cap stays 60, no expansion	Promised. Blizzard YouTube short via wiki; Holly Longdale “indefinitely” via press verified unverified quote
Every tier has a 10 and a 20	Promised. Tim Jones to Kotaku
Hardcore post-launch	Promised, undated. Blizzard says only “post-launch.” Fan sites say “Winter 2026” or “early 2027” unverified dates
Revamped iconic raid in Summer 2027	Promised, unnamed. Molten Core is the guess
Molten Core opens December 9	False. wowforeverguides.com’s “Developer Q&A” writeup claims it; Blizzard’s recap names Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit, and Onyxia only. Treat that site as vapor
12 Hardcore Legacy challenges	Promised with the Hardcore mode, timing unstated. See Legacy
More race and class combos	Promised, vague. “More planned for future updates” verified
New Legacy Challenges every content release	Promised. Legacy post verified
Tinkerer class	Rumor. Game Informer’s interview says Jones and Mills discussed a “long-requested” Tinkerer class as a future possibility; no quote, no commitment verified page, no quote
Classic-style player housing	Rumor. Windows Central’s Ion Hazzikostas interview headline mentions it; the body could not be loaded unverified
Dual spec	Rumor. Beta client strings only; no Blizzard statement. See UI and addons policy for the other WIP features
Paid ruleset transfers	Rumor. Implied by Nora Mills, never announced. See Rulesets
Warsong Gulch in beta at cap 30; Alterac Valley and Arathi Basin at launch	AV and AB are vanilla baseline; Kotaku’s interview lists WSG, AB, AV plus Darkspear Islands. Rank thresholds are unannounced

What is not on the roadmap

No Burning Crusade, no level cap raise, no new continent. Forever is its own continuity and never advances past year one. See Story and zones. verified
No flying, no level scaling, no WoW Token, no boosts, no rated PvP at launch. verified unverified for Token and rated PvP, press only

Unknown as of 2026-09-24

Hardcore launch date.
The name of the Summer 2027 “revamped iconic raid.”
Exact 2027 patch dates.
Which zones the Spring and Summer “zone expansion” items touch.
What the new Legendary questline is (a legendary is teased for the Hyjal tier already).
Whether the Server Slam happens before October 21.