WoW Forever News: Forever Coming to Consoles, China Pay-to-Win Bundles, and More!

Could WoW Forever Eventually Come to Consoles?

On November 1, Xbox UK's social account posted an image that listed World of Warcraft: Forever among upcoming Xbox releases. The post came down within hours. Xbox UK then said it was a mistake and that Forever is coming to PC and Mac through Battle.net only.

That lines up with what Blizzard has said. In an interview with GamesRadar, WoW executive producer Holly Longdale described native controller support as the first leg of making WoW playable on whatever device you want. Controller support is confirmed for Forever. A console version is not.

Even without a console, controller support is a real quality of life change. Fishing, working professions, or clearing a quest hub from the couch sounds good to us. A full console port would be a much bigger job. Inventory, trading, chat, and group finding all need a controller-friendly answer before combat even comes up.

For now the picture is PC and Mac at launch, a gamepad in your hand if you want one, and a console port Blizzard is clearly thinking about but has not promised.

Premium WoW Forever Bundles Reported in China

Two premium bundles have surfaced for WoW Forever's Chinese launch, and some of the included items are already raising questions about how far paid conveniences should go in Classic WoW.

The starter pack includes 30 days of game time, six bags, portable repair bots, food, and potions. The annual package takes things further, offering a full year of game time, additional supplies, cosmetics, and a special camping tent that builds rested experience four times faster than a normal tent.

To be clear, the tent doesn't give you four times the experience from everything you do. It simply speeds up how quickly rested experience accumulates while you're logged out at the tent.

Still, paid bags, free repairs, and faster rested XP are gameplay advantages, and that's something Classic players have strong opinions about. Earning your first decent bags, managing your gold, and relying on other players for crafted items are all part of what makes those early levels meaningful.

For now, these bundles are exclusive to the Chinese version of Forever. Nothing similar has been announced for North America or Europe, and many players are hoping it stays that way.

How Much Will Mounts and Riding Cost?

WoW Forever is making some changes to its riding system, with more of the cost now tied to learning the riding skill rather than purchasing the mount itself.

At level 40, riding training costs 100 gold, while a basic mount will set you back another 20 gold, bringing the total to 120 gold.

Once you reach level 60, the next rank of riding costs 1,000 gold, with an epic mount adding another 200 gold. That's 1,200 gold altogether.

Another welcome change is the shared Mount Collections system. Mounts earned on one character will be available across your account, although each character will still need to learn the appropriate riding skill before using them.

There's also a new item called the Gift of Galloping, which costs 150 gold and increases mounted movement speed by 10% for 15 real time days. Keep in mind that the timer continues counting down even when you're offline.

We actually like the idea of account wide mounts while keeping riding progression tied to individual characters. Your alts can enjoy the mounts you've collected, but they still need to earn the ability to ride them.

And if there's one piece of advice we'd give before launch, it's to start saving your gold early. Nobody wants to finally hit level 40 only to realize they're going to be walking everywhere for another few levels.

Over 200 New Quests Discovered During the Beta

During the WoW Forever beta, one player took the time to count every new quest they encountered between levels 1 and 30, discovering more than 200 additions, with many appearing in the starting zones and Wetlands.

Blizzard has said Forever has over 1,000 new quests in total, which suggests there's still a lot waiting to be discovered beyond level 30. Of course, the exact number is difficult to determine since some quests may not have been available during testing.

Another tester levelled an Enhancement Shaman to 30 purely through questing, taking around 39 hours of played time. They felt the new quests made the zones flow together better, although they also struggled with gear upgrades and occasionally ran short of quests appropriate for their level.

For anyone who has memorized every Classic leveling route, this is the part of Forever we're most looking forward to. There's finally a chance to walk into a zone you know by heart and find something you've never seen before.

Could Zul'Gurub Become an Open World Zone?

A player comparing Forever's fully explored Stranglethorn Vale map with the Classic version noticed that Zul'Gurub does not appear on it.

That started a round of guessing. Could Blizzard turn Zul'Gurub into an outdoor zone, with quests in the outer ruins and elite enemies that need a group, while the deeper temple stays a raid? Players who never raid would finally get to see the place. Some have suggested Dire Maul and Stratholme could get the same treatment.

This is speculation built on one missing map label, and it confirms nothing. Still, adding adventures to existing locations would be a way for Forever to grow without a new continent every time, and we would be glad to see it.

Players Want More Rare Mounts and Class Cosmetics

A recurring community request is to give people reasons to keep exploring Azeroth after 60 that are not raid gear. Suggestions include unique Druid forms, alternate Warlock spell effects, class-specific appearances, more rare mounts, and long questlines with memorable rewards.

The Deathcharger's Reins and the Swift Zulian Tiger are the model here. Those drops keep players running Stratholme and Zul'Gurub long after the gear stopped mattering. Your friend needs a Strat drop and you are still chasing the horse, so you both go.

Cosmetics from hard class quests work the same way. A spell animation you unlocked through a brutal questline has a story attached every time you cast it. Not every reward needs to raise your damage. A rare mount, a title, or a class appearance can make an achievement feel worth the time.

None of this is confirmed for Forever. It is a wish list, but a popular one.

PvP Realms and Faction Balance

World PvP is the other big pre-launch argument. Players want to know how Blizzard plans to keep factions balanced on PvP realms, because a lopsided server stops being fun fast. The smaller side struggles to find groups, defend itself, or show up to the big fights at all.

There is a second thread in the discussion about why people pick PvP realms when they rarely start fights. The usual answer is the unpredictability. You spot an enemy player while questing and have no idea whether they will attack you, ignore you, or help you finish the quest. Those are the moments people still talk about years later.

Players have also asked for organized duels, so friends can set up 2v2 or 5v5 fights and run community tournaments.

Balance will not stop every gank. It is what makes lasting rivalries possible, and the rivalries are what make a PvP realm worth living on.

Revisiting World of Warcraft's Original GameSpot Review

Greg Kasavin's original GameSpot review of World of Warcraft has been making the rounds again. It is a snapshot of Azeroth before anyone had optimized it, when nobody had a leveling route or a dungeon memorized.

The line that gets people now is the review calling WoW fast paced and action packed. Two decades on, players are coming back to Classic-style servers because they want the slower pace.

It is a good reminder going into Forever. Not every session needs to be efficient. Getting lost, finding a quest you have never seen, or meeting someone in a dungeon run tends to stick with you longer than the level you gained that night.

Could Class Halls Work in WoW Forever?

Another popular suggestion is Class Halls at level 60, with class-specific mounts, titles, appearances, and questlines.

Legion's Class Order Halls were one of that expansion's better-remembered features, but the pitch for Forever is different. Instead of separate instanced hubs, the gathering places would live in the open world. Paladins picking up assignments near their trainers, Rogues taking contracts in a back room of a capital city, Shamans sent on errands by the elements. Same-class players would have a natural place to meet, compare gear, and help each other through the quests.

The risk is pulling people out of the capital cities. Classic's social feel depends on crowded cities, so any class hub would need to be attached to an existing settlement rather than tucked away in its own instance.

It is only a community idea for now, but it is one of the better ones we have seen.

What Class Are You Maining?

With launch days away, the last big decision is your main. Are you sticking with the class you have played for years, or is this the reroll you have been putting off?

There is a lot to weigh with Forever's class changes, but the class you actually enjoy is usually the right answer. Have you locked in, or are you still flipping?