World of Warcraft Forever Officially Brings Gamepad Controls Blizzard’s MMO
Blizzard announced World of Warcraft Forever at BlizzCon 2026, a new classic experience for its long-running MMO that surprised players with its breadth and scope. The “Classic Plus” version had been a long-requested feature by the community.
The biggest surprise on the show floor was that World of Warcraft Forever features official gamepad support—marking the first time the MMO has received robust, official controller support. Traditionally, World of Warcraft is played with keyboard and mouse using keybindings for spells and actions. The gamepad option is currently in alpha state, with Blizzard actively seeking player feedback to refine the implementation.
The addition of gamepad support has sparked speculation among fans and industry observers, particularly given Microsoft’s 2023 acquisition of Blizzard Entertainment. While World of Warcraft has never been available on consoles, the introduction of controller support could potentially pave the way for console ports in the future—a possibility that has long been questioned since Xbox brought Blizzard under its umbrella. However, Blizzard has not announced any official console versions at this time.