Some visitors of BlizzCon have already had the opportunity to try out the controller support of WoW: Forever. We tell you how Classic Plus is controlled without mouse and keyboard.
What is known about the controller support of WoW: Forever? During the panels of BlizzCon 2026 for WoW: Forever, it was only a footnote: The new version of World of Warcraft is supposed to receive official controller support. Although the feature is still in alpha (meaning it’s not finished yet), visitors of Blizzard’s home event were able to play the new version Forever with a gamepad.
Here are the key insights on how WoW plays with Blizzard’s official controller support:
- You can switch between normal control with keyboard and mouse and controller control at the push of a button.
- By switching to controller control, the entire interface adjusts automatically. The familiar standard menus switch to a circular radial menu.
- You primarily use the action keys for your heroes’ abilities, in conjunction with the two back shoulder buttons. You can also freely assign the D-pad. This gives you over 20 assignments to choose from.
- You use the front two shoulder buttons for targeting. The front left button is for allies, while the front right button is for enemies. By pressing repeatedly, you can switch between the various targets. Alternatively, holding the respective button longer allows you to directly target the potential enemies or allies via a selection.
- Area effects apparently cannot be manually placed yet. Instead, you trigger them around the currently selected target, with your target being at the center of the effect.
According to a report on playday.one, the controller variant is said to work well after a short adjustment period. Only in hectic situations did problems arise because the healer had difficulty quickly selecting themselves as a target in dangerous moments. But with more practice, this should also not be an issue.
What does this mean for WoW? In the past, it was possible to control WoW with a controller if external programs were used for assistance. Official controller support for WoW: Forever makes third-party mods unnecessary and could be a good test case for eventually equipping all other versions of World of Warcraft with the feature.
However, there is currently no confirmation from the developers regarding this plan. Similarly, it is unclear whether this could be just a first step towards a console port. Under Microsoft’s umbrella, it makes sense that a strong product like WoW could eventually find a home on Xbox.
Controlling WoW with the controller – have you already tried this or would you like to give it a go? Some players are even looking forward to being able to experience WoW even better on the Steam Deck in the future. Would that be something for you? Feel free to let us know in the comments. You can find more about the new Classic Plus version here: WoW Forever: This is the new Classic Plus of World of Warcraft
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