THE WOW FOREVER COLLECTION · FIELD GUIDE · RESEARCH CHECKED SEPTEMBER 14, 2026
Five days before BlizzCon we published a wishlist of zones for a hypothetical Classic+ and argued that Hyjal, the Emerald Dream and the forgotten corners mattered more than new continents. Blizzard's version of that list is now public. Hyjal is in. Grim Batol and the Azshara crater are teased. The Emerald Dream is named as an opportunity and nothing more. This guide covers what is actually confirmed, where it sits on the map, and what level you will be when you get there.
Sourcing: zone and dungeon names come from Blizzard's What's Next recap and Found Photos recap. Level ranges come from community trackers that played the convention build and are marked as such.
The four new zones
Zephras Isle, levels 1 to 12. The Skyborne starting experience. Elemental and skybound, and deliberately isolated from the rest of the world, the way Teldrassil and the Undead start were. You only see it as a Skyborne.
The Riverglades, roughly levels 35 to 45. The big one. A frontier region on the eastern coast of the Eastern Kingdoms between Redridge and the Swamp of Sorrows, with its own reputations, settlements and leveling paths for both factions. Blizzard's What's Next recap says "more than 150 new quests"; its Found Photos recap and trackers put it closer to 200. Either number makes it larger than most vanilla zones. A neutral goblin port, Powderfuse Port, expands the Eastern Kingdoms trade routes. If you have ever hit 38 on a Horde character and stared at Stranglethorn wondering where else to go, this is the answer.
Mount Hyjal. Endgame, post-Archimonde. The aftermath of the Third War with a corruption theme. This is the zone the community has asked for since people first wall-jumped into it in 2005, and it also hosts the Hyjal Summit raid.
Shen'dralas. A hidden area between Mulgore and Desolace tied to the history of Eldre'Thalas and the Highborne, which connects it to the Skyborne's own lore.
Existing zones that grow
Community trackers report new content in several vanilla zones. Wetlands gets over 25 new quests and a new route through it, plus the Whelgar's Excavation Site dungeon. Desolace gets centaur content. Azshara gets a "major expansion," which is the least surprising line of the whole announcement given how empty it shipped in 2004. Dalaran is rebuilt as a city whose shield is failing, with its own dungeon.
Travel changes too. Blizzard's Found Photos recap confirms new ship routes: Stormwind to Auberdine, Menethil to Southshore and Auberdine, and a Tanaris to Steamwheedle connection. Flight path changes have not been announced. Flying mounts are not coming.
Nine new dungeons
Blizzard named all nine. The level ranges and locations below are from trackers that played the demo, and a couple of names vary between sources (Alcaz Prison appears as "Defias Prison" on one, Krol'dok as "Krol'dor" on another, and Whelgar's as "Titan Dig Site"). We use Blizzard's names.
| Dungeon | Level (reported) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Hall of Thanes | 13 to 18 | Beneath Ironforge |
| Ruins of Lordaeron | 15 to 20 | The Forsaken capital |
| Whelgar's Excavation Site | 24 to 29 | Wetlands |
| City of Dalaran | 28 to 33 | Dalaran, Kirin Tor |
| Drowned City | 35 to 40 | Stranglethorn trolls |
| Krol'dok Stronghold | 40 to 55 | The Riverglades, outdoor |
| Alcaz Prison | 48 to 53 | Naga and Defias |
| Blackmaw Hold | 55 to 60 | The Azshara gate |
| Shaper's Terrace | 58 to 60 | A Titan facility in Un'Goro |
Two things stand out. First, the low end. Classic has a gap between Ragefire Chasm and Wailing Caverns for Horde and nothing at all under Ironforge for Alliance; Hall of Thanes and Ruins of Lordaeron fill both. Second, the spread. Every ten-level band gets something, and the 40 to 55 Krol'dok Stronghold reads like an outdoor dungeon in the Dire Maul mould.
Design intent, per trackers who played the build: single trash mobs take around 15 seconds, crowd control is a requirement again, tanks are built for three or four enemies rather than a room, and boss loot tables are rebuilt with dedicated hybrid gear. Blizzard's Deep Dive recap adds that unique dungeon boss items are upgraded to at least blue quality and that Advanced Blueprint profession recipes drop from dungeon bosses.
The raid calendar
Raids unlock on December 9, five weeks after launch. Blizzard's recap names two:
- The Barrow Deeps, 10 players.
- Hyjal Summit, 20 players.
The published roadmap and several outlets, including Icy Veins and Blizzard Watch, add a 40-player Onyxia's Lair to the same wave. Blizzard's written recap does not. We are treating Onyxia as reported until it shows up in an official post, but three raids at three sizes is the likelier launch shape.
Raids reportedly bring class tier sets and a legendary reward; loot tables, tier bonuses and the legendary questline are unrevealed. Spring 2027 adds two new raids (10 and 20 players), two dungeons and a new legendary questline. Summer 2027 adds "a revamped iconic vanilla raid" and one more new raid. Nobody has said which iconic raid. Molten Core is the obvious guess given the setting sits just before it, and it is only a guess.
The Darkspear Islands battleground
A new 15v15 off the coast of Kalimdor that combines control points with Arathi Basin style flag captures. The Darkspear trolls front the Horde side and the Theramore Expeditionary Force fronts the Alliance. Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin and Alterac Valley all return. The honour system is reworked and the 14 ranks are retained, but Blizzard has not published new thresholds.
Who the Skyborne are
A new neutral playable elven race. You choose Horde or Alliance when you create the character. Per trackers, they are Highborne dissidents from Eldre'Thalas who fled to Skywall roughly ten thousand years ago, which is why Shen'dralas and its Eldre'Thalas ties sit in the same announcement.
Classes: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid on both factions, Shaman on Horde only, Mage on Alliance only. Blizzard's recap promises unique Druid forms, racials, customisation, voices and dances. Three Skyborne factions are reported: the Windshapers (Horde-aligned, Earthen Ring ties, the route to Shaman), the High Order (Alliance-aligned, Kirin Tor ties, the route to Mage), and the Al'Aketh, a renegade Al'Akir cult that serves as an enemy faction.
The race is unlocked by the $29.99 Skyborne Heroic Pack or the higher editions, which is the most argued-about decision of the announcement. The release dispatch has the editions and the reaction.
New race and class combinations
Six at launch, from Blizzard's Deep Dive recap: Gnome Priest, Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock and Undead Paladin. One tracker lists "Ogre Mage" instead of Orc Mage, which we are reading as a typo. The Undead Paladin led the reveal trailer and reportedly begins a unique story at Banderian Keep in Tirisfal at level 10, with a themed mount at 60. More combos are promised later.
Every race also gets reworked racials: two active and two passive each, tuned for comparable offensive value with signature utility kept. Reported examples include Stoneform reducing physical damage directly, Will of the Forsaken breaking effects without granting immunity, and Cannibalize restoring mana.
Reputations
The Riverglades and Mount Hyjal both bring new factions, and reputations now unlock account-wide perks as well as items, per Blizzard's What's Next recap. That ties into the Legacy system covered in the pillar guide: the game is built so that reputation grinds on one character pay off on the next.
Teased, not confirmed
Grim Batol with a growing red dragon presence. More Azshara, including the unused crater. Emerald Dream, Caverns of Time, Uldum and Gilneas named as "creative opportunities." A possible new class, floated and not announced. If any of those move from teased to confirmed in Thursday's Q&A, this page gets updated.
Sources: Blizzard's What's Next recap, Deep Dive recap and Found Photos recap; wowforevertalents.com's change list; wowtbc.gg; Guided.news on the Riverglades; The Click on the Darkspear Islands; Output Lag on the raid wave; Blizzard Watch's roadmap coverage.