As World of Warcraft: Forever’s beta popularity grows, Blizzard has yet again had to increase the server cap
World of Warcraft: Forever’s beta has become remarkably popular, prompting Blizzard to increase server capacity multiple times in its first week. Holly Longdale, executive producer of World of Warcraft, announced the latest expansion via X, stating the team “had to increase the WoW: Forever Beta population cap again.”
Forever is Blizzard’s major announcement from BlizzCon 2026—a significantly modified version of WoW Classic that retains the core gameplay and world while introducing substantial new changes and content. The title addresses years of requests from the WoW Classic community for fresh experiences within the classic framework.
Developer Josh Greenfield, who has worked on WoW Classic for 17 years, described the beta’s performance as generating “the craziest numbers I’ve seen” during his tenure, underscoring the unexpected surge in player interest. Heavy server queues were reported during the beta’s launch, necessitating the capacity expansions.
Access to the Forever beta requires a $60 payment, though base game access is included with a standard WoW subscription. The paid beta model has evidently resonated with players, demonstrating strong commercial viability ahead of the full release.
The beta is scheduled to run until November when Forever launches officially. The sustained demand and repeated server expansions suggest robust interest in the reimagined classic experience, potentially signaling a successful full launch and strong player engagement going forward.
Sources
- As World of Warcraft: Forever’s beta popularity grows, Blizzard has yet again had to increase the server cap
- WoW: Forever’s Beta Just Keeps Getting Bigger
- I’m sure whoever chose to charge for WoW: Forever beta access is feeling very chuffed, given Blizzard’s had to expand its server size a second time