Source: Blizzard Entertainment. Verified against multiple sources; datamines and reports are labelled as such, not stated as fact.
What Happened
Anyone can play WoW: Forever free on October 21, two weeks before launch, and Blizzard deletes every character when the stress test ends.
The test
- What it is. World of Warcraft: Forever is a level-60 version of the original game from Blizzard, the studio behind World of Warcraft, with new zones, dungeons, raids and the Skyborne, a new playable race.
- No subscription. Its server stress test is open to anyone on Battle.net, Blizzard's launcher app, with no subscription, Game Time, invitation or beta access needed.
- Moved two days. Blizzard posted the test on October 15, then moved it on October 16 from October 19 to October 21. It gave no reason.
- Start times. It opens October 21 at 2:00 p.m. PDT in North America and 19:00 CEST in Europe, and October 22 at 06:00 KST in Korea and 05:00 CST in Taiwan.
- No set end. Blizzard says the window "may end earlier or run later as needed".
- Separate client. The test installs as its own client, picked from the Game Version menu in Battle.net.
The WoW: Forever Server Stress Test is moving to October 21 (previously October 19).
— Blizzard, update to 'Join the World of Warcraft: Forever Stress Test', October 16, 2026, Blizzard news post
After the test
- Everything wiped. Every character, name and guild made during the test is deleted when it ends.
- Names on October 27. Name Reservations open October 27, only for buyers of the Skyborne Heroic Pack, Skyborne Epic Pack or Warcraft Forever Collection.
- Launch November 4. WoW: Forever launches globally on November 4 and is included in the standard WoW subscription.
Blizzard announced WoW: Forever at BlizzCon, its fan convention, on September 12. Below is its official gameplay trailer.
What This Means for the Riot MMO
Launch-day server load is where big MMOs fail in public, and Riot has shown no public build of its MMO yet.
- A free trial. With no subscription needed, the test also lets anyone try WoW: Forever before deciding to pay for it.
- Built to measure. The wipe means Blizzard keeps no players from it. The test exists to put load on the servers.
- Plans still move. A two-day slip with no reason given, two weeks out, shows how late a launch server plan can still change.
- No public test. Riot has announced no public test, beta or alpha for its MMO.
- One internal playtest. Brian Holinka, a principal game designer on the Riot MMO, posted in June 2026 about watching an internal playtest, then deleted the post.
- Model unrevealed. Riot has not said how its MMO will be sold. Every game it ships today is free-to-play.
| Launch prep | WoW: Forever | Riot MMO |
|---|---|---|
| Public test | Open stress test, October 21 | None announced |
| Who can join | Anyone on Battle.net, no subscription | Not revealed |
| Business model | Included in the WoW subscription | Not revealed |
| Launch date | November 4 | Not revealed |
Our read. If Riot's MMO follows the rest of its catalogue and launches free, which Riot has not said, day one could draw a crowd a subscription game never sees. Blizzard's beta drew complaints about layering, the system that splits a crowded zone into separate copies, so this open test is the nearest live look at the capacity problem Riot's team will face.
Blizzard has spent the run-up shaping what that crowd does once inside: it is freezing suspected gold buyers and dealing group quest drops in turns. We sorted its BlizzCon decisions into the six Riot should copy and the three it should leave.
What to Watch
Three dates decide whether WoW: Forever opens cleanly.
Your Take
Should Riot run a free, open stress test before its MMO launches?
Reported from Blizzard Entertainment and corroborating coverage. The MMO read is ours and clearly speculative. Analysis by RuneGrove.
