WoW Forever Races & Classes Guide

Choosing a main in World of Warcraft: Forever is going to hurt in the best possible way.

If you played original Classic, the character creation screen will look familiar for about five seconds. Then you notice the Human Hunter. The Dwarf Shaman. The Orc Mage. The Troll Warlock. And, yes, the Undead Paladin that people have been arguing about since roughly the invention of forum signatures.

Forever keeps the original nine World of Warcraft classes, but Blizzard is opening new race and class combinations, reworking every class talent tree, giving specializations much stronger identities, and introducing the Skyborne as a new neutral race with different class access depending on whether you join the Alliance or Horde.

This guide covers every currently confirmed race and class combination, what each class can do, which races can play it, and the biggest new options worth knowing before you commit to the long road to Level 60.

Quick answer:
WoW Forever has nine classes: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock and Warrior. Paladin and Shaman are no longer faction-exclusive. Blizzard has added six new combinations to the original races - Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Gnome Priest, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock and Undead Paladin - plus the new Skyborne race.

WoW Forever Release and Beta Status

World of Warcraft: Forever is scheduled to launch on November 4, 2026. The beta is live at the time of writing, so the race/class availability below is based on Blizzard's current launch matrix, Wowhead's Forever guide and Icy Veins' current class documentation.

Balance numbers, talents and individual racial values can still change before launch. The actual list of confirmed race/class combinations is much more stable, but this page should still be treated as a living guide and updated if Blizzard changes the launch matrix.

How Many Races and Classes Are in WoW Forever?

Forever launches with the nine original class families: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock and Warrior. There are no Death Knights, Monks, Demon Hunters or Evokers in the current launch class list.

For races, Blizzard presents five options on the Alliance side and five on the Horde side. Eight are familiar Classic races, while Skyborne appears on both factions in two different cultural branches: High Order Skyborne for the Alliance and Windshaper Skyborne for the Horde.

That gives you nine unique race names in the combined matrix, but ten faction-side race options because Skyborne exists on both sides.

All WoW Forever Race and Class Combinations

Here is the cleanest way to see the entire launch matrix without trying to read a ten-column character creation spreadsheet on your phone.

Human — Faction: Alliance — Available classes: Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior — New / notable in Forever: Hunter is new
Dwarf — Faction: Alliance — Available classes: Hunter, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior — New / notable in Forever: Shaman is new
Night Elf — Faction: Alliance — Available classes: Druid, Hunter, Priest, Rogue, Warrior — New / notable in Forever: Classic lineup retained
Gnome — Faction: Alliance — Available classes: Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior — New / notable in Forever: Priest is new
High Order Skyborne — Faction: Alliance — Available classes: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Rogue, Warrior — New / notable in Forever: New race; Mage is Alliance Skyborne-only
Orc — Faction: Horde — Available classes: Hunter, Mage, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior — New / notable in Forever: Mage is new
Undead — Faction: Horde — Available classes: Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior — New / notable in Forever: Paladin is new
Tauren — Faction: Horde — Available classes: Druid, Hunter, Shaman, Warrior — New / notable in Forever: Classic lineup retained
Troll — Faction: Horde — Available classes: Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior — New / notable in Forever: Warlock is new
Windshaper Skyborne — Faction: Horde — Available classes: Druid, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior — New / notable in Forever: New race; Shaman is Horde Skyborne-only

One immediate consequence is that Paladin and Shaman are no longer faction-specific classes. Horde players get Paladin through the new Undead Paladin, while Alliance players get Shaman through the new Dwarf Shaman.

That is a pretty big Classic-style change. Your faction still matters, your race still matters, but your raid composition is no longer built around the old rule that one side simply cannot bring a Paladin and the other cannot bring a Shaman.

All New Race/Class Combinations in WoW Forever

Blizzard has confirmed six new combinations for the familiar Classic races:

Human Hunter
Dwarf Shaman
Gnome Priest
Orc Mage
Troll Warlock
Undead Paladin

Skyborne then adds an entirely new set of combinations because it is a new playable race. Blizzard has also said that more race/class combinations are planned for future updates, so the launch list is not necessarily the final word for Forever.

Skyborne Classes - Alliance vs Horde

Skyborne are the odd one out because their class list changes slightly with faction.

High Order Skyborne — Faction: Alliance — Classes: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Rogue, Warrior
Windshaper Skyborne — Faction: Horde — Classes: Druid, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior

Both sides can play Druid, Hunter, Rogue and Warrior. The split happens with the fifth class: High Order Skyborne get Mage, while Windshaper Skyborne get Shaman.

There is also an important access detail that is easy to miss when you are only looking at class tables: Blizzard's official Forever page currently states that access to the Skyborne race and the Zephras Isle starting experience requires the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher edition.

Important:
If you are planning your launch main specifically around Skyborne, make sure you check your edition before November 4. The race is part of the confirmed launch matrix, but access is tied to the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher according to Blizzard's current product page.

WoW Forever Classes and Roles

Forever is not simply dropping the 2004 talent trees into a new world and calling it a day. Icy Veins describes all nine classes as heavily reworked, with new talents, abilities and clearer specialization identities while Blizzard still tries to preserve the strengths and weaknesses that make Classic classes feel distinct.

If you are choosing a main, role is the best place to start. Damage rankings will move throughout beta. Your willingness to tank, heal, play melee or live at 35 yards from the boss probably will not.

Druid — Roles: Tank, Healer, Melee DPS, Ranged DPS — Specializations: Balance, Feral, Restoration — Available races: Night Elf, Tauren, Skyborne
Hunter — Roles: Melee DPS, Ranged DPS — Specializations: Beast Mastery, Marksmanship, Survival — Available races: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Orc, Tauren, Troll, Skyborne
Mage — Roles: Ranged DPS — Specializations: Arcane, Fire, Frost — Available races: Human, Gnome, Orc, Troll, Undead, High Order Skyborne
Paladin — Roles: Tank, Healer, Melee DPS — Specializations: Holy, Protection, Retribution — Available races: Human, Dwarf, Undead
Priest — Roles: Healer, Ranged DPS — Specializations: Discipline, Holy, Shadow — Available races: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome, Troll, Undead
Rogue — Roles: Melee DPS — Specializations: Assassination, Combat, Subtlety — Available races: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome, Orc, Troll, Undead, Skyborne
Shaman — Roles: Healer, Melee DPS, Ranged DPS — Specializations: Elemental, Enhancement, Restoration — Available races: Dwarf, Orc, Tauren, Troll, Windshaper Skyborne
Warlock — Roles: Ranged DPS — Specializations: Affliction, Demonology, Destruction — Available races: Human, Gnome, Orc, Troll, Undead
Warrior — Roles: Tank, Melee DPS — Specializations: Arms, Fury, Protection — Available races: Every launch race

Druid - The “I Might Change My Mind Later” Class

Druid is still the easiest recommendation for the player who refuses to decide what they actually want to do at Level 60. Balance gives you ranged spell damage, Feral covers both Cat melee DPS and Bear tanking, and Restoration handles healing.

Forever gives those playstyles much stronger identities. Balance gets real interaction between Wrath and Starfire, Feral receives deeper Cat and Bear support, and Restoration gains better tools for healing multiple players. The class still revolves around shapeshifting, so you are rewarded for using the whole toolbox rather than pretending your other forms do not exist.

Available races: Night Elf, Tauren and Skyborne on both factions.

Player take: if you want one character that can realistically move between almost every group role, Druid is hard to beat. It is also a strong choice for people who enjoy the open world because Travel Form remains one of those Classic conveniences you miss the second you log onto another class.

Hunter - Pets, Solo Play and a Real Melee Survival Option

Hunter remains one of the most comfortable classes for exploring Azeroth. Your pet can hold enemies while you attack from range, traps give you control, tracking is useful constantly, and the class has always been good at surviving situations that probably should have killed you.

Forever makes the three trees more distinct. Beast Mastery leans harder into fighting alongside your pet, Marksmanship focuses on the Hunter's own ranged attacks and can support a petless Lone Wolf direction, while Survival is being developed into a legitimate melee playstyle instead of feeling like the tree you opened by accident.

Available races: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Orc, Tauren, Troll and Skyborne. Human Hunter is one of the new Forever combinations.

Player take: if you want to level without constantly waiting for a friend, Hunter is an extremely safe main. And if you have always liked Hunter fantasy but hated being locked into ranged combat, melee Survival gives the class a much more interesting second life.

Mage - Pure Ranged Caster With Classic Quality of Life

Mage is for players who already know the answer to the role question: damage, preferably from somewhere the boss cannot hit you.

Arcane, Fire and Frost are all ranged magic DPS. Forever gives Arcane a clearer Mana-driven rotation, Fire gets more reactive critical-strike gameplay, and Frost keeps the control and frozen-target interactions that make it so comfortable for leveling and PvP.

Then there is the part every Classic player eventually appreciates: food, water, Teleports and Portals. The longer you play old Azeroth, the more valuable “I can just teleport there” becomes.

Available races: Human, Gnome, Orc, Troll, Undead and High Order Skyborne. Orc Mage is new, and Skyborne Mage is Alliance-only.

Paladin - Now Playable on Both Factions

This is one of Forever's biggest character-creation changes. Paladin is no longer an Alliance-only class because Undead can now become Paladins on the Horde.

The class covers all three traditional group roles: Holy heals, Protection tanks and Retribution deals melee damage. Forever also makes Paladin more active than the original Classic version, with more direct attacks and less awkward Seal maintenance.

Available races: Human, Dwarf and Undead.

Player take: if you like being durable, useful even when your damage meter is not winning, and able to switch between tanking, healing and melee, Paladin gives you a lot of options. Undead Paladin is also easily one of the most interesting new combinations from a lore perspective, and Blizzard is clearly leaning into the tension between the Forsaken and the Light rather than pretending it is not weird.

Priest - The Dedicated Healer With a Shadow Exit Plan

Priest is still the class you pick when healing is not just something you might do - it is a major reason you logged in.

Holy and Discipline provide two healing directions, while Shadow gives you a ranged damage path when you want a break from keeping everyone else alive. Priests also retain valuable group buffs and a large utility toolkit, which matters a lot in Classic-style group content.

Available races: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome, Troll and Undead. Gnome Priest is new in Forever.

Player take: if your favorite part of a dungeon is saving a pull after somebody decides line-of-sight is optional, Priest remains a very natural main. Just remember that cloth armor still means positioning matters.

Rogue - Stealth, Control and the Largest Race Selection After Warrior

Rogue is pure melee DPS, but calling it “just DPS” misses most of the reason people play one. Stealth changes how you move through the world, poisons and lockpicking add utility, and the class can chain control on dangerous targets in ways most other melee classes simply cannot.

Assassination focuses on poisons and attrition, Combat on direct weapon damage and sustained PvE fighting, and Subtlety pushes harder into Stealth, openers and control.

Available races: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome, Orc, Troll, Undead and Skyborne. Tauren is the only launch race without Rogue access.

Player take: if you like choosing when a fight starts - and occasionally choosing that the fight should not happen at all - Rogue is still Rogue. Forever does not need to reinvent that fantasy.

Shaman - Alliance Finally Gets In Through Dwarf

Shaman is the other class that breaks an old faction wall. Alliance players can now roll Dwarf Shaman, while Horde keeps Orc, Tauren and Troll and adds Windshaper Skyborne.

Elemental gives you ranged spell damage, Enhancement mixes melee weapons with elemental power, and Restoration heals. Totems remain the class signature and are a major reason Shaman brings so much value to groups.

Available races: Dwarf, Orc, Tauren, Troll and Windshaper Skyborne.

Player take: Shaman is ideal if you hate feeling like your only contribution is personal DPS. You are constantly bringing something to the group, whether that is healing, totems, buffs or control. Also, Dwarf Shaman is the sort of combination that immediately makes old Classic screenshots feel out of date.

Warlock - Demons, DoTs and More Utility Than the Damage Meter Shows

Warlock remains the dark caster for players who think one pet is too wholesome and would rather summon demons.

Affliction centers on damage-over-time effects and drains, Demonology strengthens the relationship with summoned demons, and Destruction is the direct-damage option built around heavy Fire and Shadow casts.

Available races: Human, Gnome, Orc, Troll and Undead. Troll Warlock is new in Forever.

Player take: Warlock has always been one of those classes that becomes more valuable the more organized the group is. Summons, Healthstones, Soulstones, curses, pets and control all add up before you even start discussing damage.

Warrior - The Only Class Every Launch Race Can Play

If your class fantasy begins and ends with “give me a weapon and point me at the problem,” Warrior remains wonderfully uncomplicated in concept - even if actually playing one well is anything but.

Arms focuses on deliberate two-handed hits and retains a strong PvP identity. Fury is the faster dual-wielding PvE damage option, while Protection is the shield tank built around threat, control and surviving things that would flatten everyone standing behind you.

Available races: all launch races, including both Skyborne paths.

Player take: Warrior is the safest pick if your race choice comes first. You can build the character fantasy you want without discovering five minutes later that your chosen race cannot actually become your class.

Which WoW Forever Class Should You Play?

There is going to be a temptation during beta to look for a damage chart and simply roll whatever is sitting at the top. I would not build a Level 60 main around that.

Forever is still being tuned, and Blizzard's stated direction is to make the specs competitive while preserving different strengths and weaknesses. A beta DPS gap can disappear in one build. The fact that you hate healing, love pets or want to tank for your friends is much less likely to change overnight.

Maximum role flexibility — Start by looking at...: Druid
Tank + healer + melee on one character — Start by looking at...: Paladin
Strong solo play and pets — Start by looking at...: Hunter
Pure ranged caster gameplay — Start by looking at...: Mage
Healing as your main identity — Start by looking at...: Priest
Stealth, control and tactical PvP — Start by looking at...: Rogue
Group utility with melee/ranged/healing options — Start by looking at...: Shaman
Demons, DoTs and raid utility — Start by looking at...: Warlock
Weapon-focused melee or traditional shield tanking — Start by looking at...: Warrior

Does Race Matter in WoW Forever?

Yes, but I would not let a one-percent beta racial decide the character you plan to play for hundreds of hours.

Racials have been overhauled across Forever. The current design gives each race four racial traits: two active abilities and two passives, with Blizzard trying to keep offensive power in a similar range while preserving distinct utility and flavor.

That means race choice can absolutely matter for optimization, PvP and certain encounters, but the system is also still being tuned. In practice, your first decision should be whether the race can play your class at all, followed by faction, character fantasy and the utility you actually care about.

A few examples show the direction: Humans get a stun-removal active and a reworked Sword Specialization; Dwarves keep Stoneform-style utility and get crit from Mace Specialization; Orcs have Blood Fury and new anti-curse utility; Undead retain Will of the Forsaken and gain Touch of the Grave; Skyborne get mobility plus faction-specific exploration/regeneration utility.

We would treat a full “best race for every class” ranking as a separate guide after Blizzard gets closer to launch tuning. Publishing a permanent best-race verdict in the middle of beta is how you create an article that is wrong before Google finishes indexing it.

Alliance Race Overview

Human

Classes: Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior. Human Hunter is new in Forever, giving Alliance players another very natural-looking combination that somehow took more than twenty years to arrive in a Classic-style version of WoW.

Dwarf

Classes: Hunter, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior. Dwarf Shaman is new and is the Alliance route into the Shaman class at launch.

Night Elf

Classes: Druid, Hunter, Priest, Rogue, Warrior. Night Elves do not gain a new familiar-race combination at launch, but remain one of only three race options for Druid when Skyborne is counted as a single race identity.

Gnome

Classes: Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior. Gnome Priest is new in Forever and gives the race a healing option it never had in original Classic.

High Order Skyborne

Classes: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Rogue, Warrior. High Order Skyborne are the Alliance branch of the new race and are the only Skyborne able to become Mages.

Horde Race Overview

Orc

Classes: Hunter, Mage, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior. Orc Mage is new and instantly creates some very Warcraft-looking caster possibilities that Classic never allowed.

Undead

Classes: Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior. Undead Paladin is the headline addition because it finally gives Horde access to Paladin in Forever.

Tauren

Classes: Druid, Hunter, Shaman, Warrior. Tauren keeps its familiar Classic-style class list at launch and remains the traditional Horde Druid option alongside Skyborne.

Troll

Classes: Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior. Troll Warlock is new and gives Trolls one of the broadest class selections in the game.

Windshaper Skyborne

Classes: Druid, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior. Windshapers are the Horde branch of Skyborne and are the only Skyborne able to become Shamans.

Are Paladin and Shaman Still Faction-Locked?

No. This is one of the clearest changes from original Classic WoW.

Alliance gets Shaman through Dwarf. Horde gets Paladin through Undead. The race options are still asymmetric - Alliance has two Paladin races while Horde has one, and Horde has several Shaman races while Alliance has one - but the classes themselves are no longer locked to a single faction.

Are Blood Elves and Draenei in WoW Forever?

They are not part of Blizzard's current launch race matrix for WoW Forever. The confirmed race list is built around the original Classic races plus the new Skyborne.

Forever is designed as an ongoing Level 60 version of Azeroth, and Blizzard has already said more race/class combinations are planned in future updates. That does not confirm Blood Elves or Draenei later; it simply means the launch matrix should not be treated as the game's permanent final state.

WoW Forever Races & Classes FAQ

How many classes are in WoW Forever?

Nine: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock and Warrior.

What are the new race/class combinations in WoW Forever?

The six new combinations for familiar Classic races are Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Gnome Priest, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock and Undead Paladin. Skyborne also introduces an entirely new race/class set.

Can Horde play Paladin in WoW Forever?

Yes. Undead can become Paladins, giving Horde access to the class in Forever.

Can Alliance play Shaman in WoW Forever?

Yes. Dwarves can become Shamans, giving Alliance access to the class in Forever.

What classes can Skyborne play?

All Skyborne can play Druid, Hunter, Rogue and Warrior. High Order Skyborne on Alliance can also play Mage, while Windshaper Skyborne on Horde can also play Shaman.

Can Skyborne be Paladins?

No. Paladin is not in the currently confirmed Skyborne class list.

Can Skyborne be Priests or Warlocks?

No. Neither Priest nor Warlock is currently available to Skyborne.

Which class can every race play?

Warrior. Every launch race option can create a Warrior.

Which races can be Druids in WoW Forever?

Night Elf, Tauren and Skyborne. Skyborne Druid is available on both factions.

Which races can be Paladins in WoW Forever?

Human, Dwarf and Undead.

Which races can be Shamans in WoW Forever?

Dwarf, Orc, Tauren, Troll and Windshaper Skyborne.

Are there Death Knights in WoW Forever?

No. Death Knight is not one of the nine classes in the current launch list.

Do racials matter in WoW Forever?

Yes. Every race has reworked racial abilities, but beta tuning can still change their exact power. Race/class access, faction and playstyle are safer long-term reasons to choose a character than temporary beta numbers.

When does WoW Forever launch?

World of Warcraft: Forever is scheduled to launch on November 4, 2026.

Final Thoughts

The best part of Forever's character creation changes is that Blizzard is expanding the old rules without making the race/class matrix completely meaningless.

You still cannot be everything on every race. Tauren Rogue is not suddenly standing behind you in Orgrimmar. Gnomes still cannot become Warriors of the Light. Race choice still shapes your character.

But the walls that mattered most for group composition are finally softer. Alliance can bring Shaman. Horde can bring Paladin. Hunters, Priests, Mages and Warlocks get new racial options. Skyborne adds a genuinely new decision because its fifth class changes with faction.

If you are planning a main for November 4, choose the role and class fantasy first. Forever is meant to live at Level 60 for a long time, and balance will move. The character you actually want to log into is the one decision Blizzard cannot hotfix for you.

WoW Forever Races & Classes Guide - Every Combination Explained