This article is currently in its original German "vanilla" version. We're channeling our inner Mein-MMO and grinding hard on the English localization quest line!
The full English version will be unlocked soon. Thanks for your patience.
Today, on October 21, 2026, the stress test for WoW: Forever starts as part of the beta, and everyone interested is allowed to participate. We will keep you updated today about the test event and the status of the servers in our live ticker.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
8:03 PM
So far, we are just peacefully moving through the starting area. Everyone is pretty much fighting over the mobs right now. It’s quite busy after the spawning:
And the quest NPCs are already patiently lining up, without cutting in line!
7:55 PM
Meanwhile, we can FINALLY log in normally – and without a queue!
We quickly created a human warlock and see how gaming works now. How about you? Feel free to keep us updated in the comments!
The realm selection looked like this for us:
7:18 PM
Now we are again in front of the realm selection, but none of the realm types are available. We use the short waiting time to grab snacks and cold drinks. You too?
7:13 PM
The stress test started 13 minutes ago, and we still only have the error message.
How about you?
7:05 PM
At the next start, there was a new error message:
7:02 PM
After our queue was ended so swiftly that we couldn’t even take a photo of it, we were faced with the same image as before: realm types not available.
6:50 PM
A new attempt ensures that we at least get a glimpse of the intro cinematic at the game start! Meanwhile, there is also an overview of the available realms – but still with the note on all servers that these realm types are currently unavailable.
6:46 PM
In the Battle.net launcher, there is now a mini-update for the stress test of WoW: Forever!
6:43 PM
At the beginning, we could select a WoW account. After that, we faced the following info, so we’re waiting some more:
6:40 PM
Attention: The previously grayed-out “Play” button of the stress test is already clickable! Let’s see what awaits us behind it.
6:00 PM
In an hour, the stress test for WoW: Forever will start!
For anyone who wants to know more about the release of the MMORPG, what new content to expect, what the differences to Classic are, and what the roadmap looks like, here’s an overview:
5:50 PM
In a new clip, World of Warcraft shows the snowy weather in Dun Morogh – and it looks really nice:
4:50 PM
Only about two hours left until the stress test begins!
A little reminder: Make sure to check your graphics card drivers again. Blizzard emphasizes in the English forum that you should update them before the start.
3:47 PM
Blizzard has explained in detail in the official support section how the friend codes for WoW: Forever work. Every owner of a paid version of Forever receives access to these codes:
- The Heroic Pack grants a “Invite a Friend” code
- The Epic Pack and the Collection grant 3 “Invite a Friend” codes
The codes are supposed to be sent to the registered Battle.net email addresses starting October 20. If you then share such a code with a friend, they can redeem the code for their account and thus play WoW Forever for a week without an active subscription (from November 5 to November 12, 2026).
Important:
- “Invite a Friend” codes do not grant access to the new race and their quests in the starting area.
- “Invite a Friend” codes are not game time and do not grant access to other versions of World of Warcraft.
- “Invite a Friend” codes do not grant access to the beta of WoW: Forever.
2:43 PM
For us, there are 5 clear winners in the Beta of WoW: Forever. By this, we mean a handful of specializations that benefit the most from Forever. Which classes have you tried so far, and what has been your impression?
2:07 PM
As the ticker for the maintenance of Aion 2 slowly winds down (the servers have been live for a few minutes), we are slowly but surely approaching the hot phase for the upcoming stress test of WoW: Forever. It’s set to start in just under 5 hours.
You can pass the waiting time with Cortyn’s thoughts on the premade groups in WoW Forever’s PvP.
11:20 AM
Do you have your eye on the also upcoming name reservation phase for WoW: Forever? The early name registration starts for us in Germany on Tuesday, October 27 at 6:00 PM. From then on, you can create characters and secure names.
The prerequisites include purchasing one of the three paid Forever packages. You can secure up to 3 names per account, across all rules. Are you taking advantage of the offer?
10:26 AM
Since the focus of today’s test is primarily on the servers and not on the content, it could be that sensible playing will not be possible at times. But perhaps the servers will surprise us, and the stress test will run relatively smoothly.
In that case, we have a beginner’s guide with 46 tips to significantly ease your start for all Forever or WoW newcomers.
9:57 AM
So you know exactly what you need to download for the stress test – look for this entry in Blizzard’s launcher:
9:28 AM
Welcome to the live ticker this Wednesday! Today is the stress test, and everyone interested is allowed to try to bring the servers of WoW: Forever to their knees. The key data:
- Date: October 21, 2026
- Time: 7:00 PM CEST
- Duration: approx. 8 hours
Are you joining us?
What do I need to know about the stress test? The stress test for WoW Forever takes place on October 21, 2026, starting at 7:00 PM CEST and is scheduled to end at 3:00 AM CEST.
Who can participate in the stress test? Anyone who is interested and has a WoW account. You don’t need a subscription, game time, an invitation, or beta access.
What do I need to install for the stress test? You will find under the game versions of World of Warcraft in the Battle.net launcher of Blizzard the point “WoW: Forever – Stress Test”. That is the client you need to download for the stress test.
What about the beta of WoW: Forever? The currently running beta will be taken offline shortly before the start and put back online shortly after the end of the stress test. In the Blizzard forum, it states that the beta will be finalized on October 23 at 7:00 PM CEST.
Will you participate in the stress test, or are you already playing the beta? Or would you rather comfortably wait for the release? On November 5, 2026, at 12:00 AM CET, things will officially kick off, and WoW: Forever will open its gates. We asked the developers in an interview how they plan to handle the rush, and the stress test is just one of the precautions: WoW Forever: The rush will be huge – We asked how Blizzard plans to handle it
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