Blizzard details every WoW: Forever race and class combination and its reworked racial traits

Blizzard has published the full race and class chart for WoW: Forever, along with the racial traits every race will bring to the game on 4 November 2026. Orc Mages, Troll Warlocks, Undead Paladins, Human Hunters, Gnome Priests and Dwarf Shaman all join the roster, and the two Skyborne factions get their class lists and abilities spelled out properly for the first time.

The bigger story for anyone theorycrafting a main is the racial traits. A lot of them have been rebuilt, the weapon specializations now grant critical chance instead of acting like old-style weapon skill bonuses, and several races pick up brand new active abilities.

The forum announcement that pointed to the article is short and mostly a pointer:

Nine classes, ten races

There are no surprises in the class list itself: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock and Warrior. The article gives each one its familiar flavour blurb, from druids as reclusive shapeshifters to warlocks drawing on demonic blood, and notes that some classes can shift between multiple roles "with a few tradeoffs along the way", which is about as close as Blizzard gets to describing hybrid tax.

The Skyborne count as a single race in the chart for each faction, but they are really two separate playable options: the Horde-aligned Windshaper Skyborne and the Alliance-aligned High Order Skyborne. Their class lists are almost identical, with one deliberate split: Windshapers can be Shaman, High Order can be Mages.

Horde race and class combinations

• Orc: Hunter, Mage, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior (six classes).
• Tauren: Druid, Hunter, Shaman, Warrior (four classes).
• Troll: Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior (seven classes).
• Undead: Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior (six classes).
• Windshaper Skyborne: Druid, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior (five classes).

Read the chart by class rather than by race and a few things jump out. The Undead are the only Horde Paladins, so anyone who wants to bring the Light to the Horde will be doing it as a Forsaken. Horde Priests are limited to Trolls and Undead, and Horde Druids to Tauren and Windshapers. Trolls come out as the most flexible Horde race at seven classes, while Tauren stay at four.

Alliance race and class combinations

• Dwarf: Hunter, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior (six classes).
• Gnome: Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior (five classes).
• Human: Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior (seven classes).
• Night Elf: Druid, Hunter, Priest, Rogue, Warrior (five classes).
• High Order Skyborne: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Rogue, Warrior (five classes).

The mirror image of the Undead Paladin is the Dwarf Shaman: Dwarves are the only Alliance race that can pick up totems. Alliance Druids come from Night Elves and the High Order, and Alliance Warlocks remain a Gnome and Human affair. Humans match Trolls at seven classes, and every one of the ten races can be a Warrior.

New and notable combinations

Blizzard calls out six newly opened pairings on top of the Skyborne debut: Orc Mages, Troll Warlocks, Undead Paladins, Human Hunters, Gnome Priests and Dwarf Shamans. Several of those plug genuine gaps. Before this, a Horde player who wanted a Paladin or an Alliance player who wanted a Shaman simply could not have one, and now each faction has exactly one route to the other side's signature hybrid. Expect a lot of Dwarf Shaman in Ironforge and a lot of very confused-looking Forsaken in plate.

Racial traits get a broad rework

Every race has four traits listed: two active abilities and two passives. Blizzard says some have been updated to "better support the expanded class options and give each race a stronger sense of identity". In practice that means caster-friendly versions of traditionally melee racials, a couple of fresh cooldowns, and a notable absence: none of the races lists a magic resistance trait. The old Shadow, Nature, Frost and Arcane resistance passives from the original game do not appear anywhere in the new lists.

Horde racial traits

The article frames the Horde as proud nations joined in an alliance of convenience against a hostile world, valuing strength and honour while struggling to keep aggression in check.

Orc

The orcs' lore entry recaps their history: a peaceful shamanic people from Draenor, enslaved by the Burning Legion, forced into war with humanity and eventually freed from demonic corruption.

• Blood Fury: increases Attack Power and Spell Power by 10% for 15 seconds.
• Shatter Curse: immunity to Curses and Banes, and reduced Magical damage taken, for 8 seconds.
• Axe Specialization (passive): axes increase spell and ability critical chance by 1%.
• Hardiness (passive): stun durations decreased by 20%.

Blood Fury now boosting Spell Power is what makes Orc Mages and Warlocks a real choice rather than a roleplay one. Shatter Curse is the most interesting addition on the Horde side: it reads as an anti-magic counterpart to the Dwarven Stoneform, and an 8 second window of curse immunity is going to matter in PvP against Warlocks.

Undead

The Forsaken, free of the Lich King and led by Sylvanas, seek vengeance on the Scourge and see the Horde as merely a tool for their own schemes.

• Will of the Forsaken: removes Charm, Fear and Sleep.
• Cannibalize: consume corpses to regenerate 35% Health and Mana over time.
• Underwater Breathing (passive): breathe 300% longer underwater.
• Touch of the Grave (passive): sometimes drain health with your attacks.

Will of the Forsaken and Cannibalize are intact, and Cannibalize now explicitly restores Mana as well as Health, which suits the new Undead Paladin nicely. Touch of the Grave takes the slot that shadow resistance used to occupy; the article does not give its proc chance or how much health it drains.

Tauren

The tauren follow the Earth Mother, and joined the Horde to honour the blood-debt owed to the orcs who helped them defeat the centaur.

• War Stomp: stuns nearby enemies for 2 seconds.
• Cultivation: grow bonus herbs that do not require herbalism to gather.
• Plainsrunning (passive): gain increased movement speed the longer you stay moving.
• Endurance (passive): total Health increased by 5% and Hit Chance increased by 1%.

Cultivation changes from a profession bonus into something any Tauren can use, which makes it more of a goldmaking perk than a herbalist's one. The extra 1% hit on Endurance is a quiet but useful buff for Tauren Warriors and Hunters, and Plainsrunning should make long Barrens runs a little less miserable. No numbers are given for how fast it ramps up.

Troll

The Darkspear were driven from their jungle home in Stranglethorn Vale, befriended Thrall and followed him to Kalimdor, where they hold a place of honour in the Horde.

• Berserking: increases casting and attack speed by 10% for 10 seconds.
• Rapid Regeneration: regenerate 50% of maximum Health over time.
• Beast Slaying (passive): damage to Beasts increased by 5%.
• Regeneration (passive): 10% of Health regeneration continues during combat.

Berserking is now a flat 10% for 10 seconds, rather than a bonus that scales with missing health, and Trolls gain Rapid Regeneration as a new self-heal. Half your health back over time on a racial is strong for solo levelling, especially for the new Troll Warlocks. There is no bow or throwing weapon specialization in the list any more.

Windshaper Skyborne

The Windshapers descend from the first shen'dorei high elves to receive the wind spirits' gift of elemental skysight. A new generation leaves their home within Skywall for Azeroth to find out what happened to their missing elemental mentors, determined to restore the wind spirits and preserve their way of life.

• Walk on Air: glide downward through the air for 10 seconds.
• Skysight: receive an Elemental Blessing that increases run speed by 10%.
• Wind Blessed (passive): 1% increased melee, ranged and spellcasting Haste.
• Elemental Insight (passive): damage to Elementals increased by 5%.

Windshapers are a utility race more than a damage race. Walk on Air is effectively a built-in slow fall with a duration, Skysight is a movement buff, and 1% Haste across melee, ranged and spells helps everyone a little without being anyone's must-pick. Elemental Insight is a niche bonus, though there are plenty of elementals between here and the end of the game.

Alliance racial traits

The Alliance is described as bound together by traditions of nobility, honour, faith, justice and sacrifice, with each people contributing technical, arcane and spiritual wisdom towards a peaceful and just world.

Human

Humanity is the young, versatile race that built some of the world's greatest kingdoms and now seeks to rekindle its former glory.

• Will to Survive: removes Stuns.
• Perception: detect Stealthed enemies for 20 seconds.
• Sword Specialization (passive): swords increase spell and ability critical chance by 2%.
• The Human Spirit (passive): 5% increased Spirit.

Will to Survive is the headline: a stun break on a racial, which Humans did not have in the original game. Humans also lose their mace bonus to Dwarves, but in exchange Sword Specialization is the strongest weapon racial on the list at 2%, double what Orcs get from axes and Dwarves get from maces. Diplomacy does not appear.

Dwarf

Once interested only in riches from the earth, the dwarves turned to archaeology after learning of the god-like race said to have given them life, and their archaeologists now travel the world.

• Stoneform: immunity to Bleeds, Poisons and Diseases, and reduced Physical damage taken, for 8 seconds.
• Find Treasure: track nearby treasure chests.
• Mace Specialization (passive): maces increase spell and ability critical chance by 1%.
• Big Game Hunter (passive): damage to Beasts increased by 5%.

Stoneform keeps its familiar shape. Gun specialization is gone; Big Game Hunter gives Dwarves the same 5% Beast damage bonus Trolls get, which fits a race that now leans hard into Hunter and Shaman. Mace Specialization is a natural pickup for Dwarf Paladins and Shaman alike.

Night Elf

The night elves' ancient empire fell to their reckless use of magic, and they withdrew to the forests until the Burning Legion's return forced them out of seclusion.

• Elune's Light: increases critical chance by 10% for 15 seconds.
• Shadowmeld: gain Stealth while immobile.
• Quickness (passive): 1% increased Dodge chance and 2% increased run speed.
• Wisp Spirit (passive): 75% increased run speed while dead.

Elune's Light is the biggest single change in the article. Night Elves have historically had no offensive racial at all, and 10% critical chance for 15 seconds is a serious cooldown on paper, comparable in impact to Blood Fury. The article gives no cooldown for it, so how strong it really is will depend on numbers we do not have yet. Quickness also picks up 2% run speed on top of its Dodge bonus.

Gnome

The gnomes lost their steam-powered capital of Gnomeregan to a trogg invasion and now live as vagabonds in the dwarven lands, helping their allies where they can.

• Escape Artist: brief immunity to Roots and Snares.
• Eureka!: reduced cost and 10% increased damage or healing on your next 3 spells or abilities.
• Expansive Mind (passive): maximum Mana, Rage or Energy increased by 5%.
• Engineering Specialization (passive): more reliable engineering devices.

Escape Artist now grants brief immunity rather than only breaking a root, which makes it a lot better in a fight. Expansive Mind moves from an Intellect bonus to a straight resource pool increase, so Gnome Rogues and Warriors finally get something out of it too. Eureka! is new: the article does not say how large the cost reduction is, but three empowered spells in a row is a neat burst tool for the new Gnome Priest.

High Order Skyborne

The High Order descends from the ancient Highborne scholars of Eldre'Thalas, the ruined city better known as Dire Maul. When the wind spirits vanished from Zephras Isle, they realised how dangerously dependent the Skyborne had become on their elemental patrons. A new generation now returns to Azeroth to reclaim lost arcane knowledge so the shen'dorei can survive on their own.

• Walk on Air: glide downward through the air for 10 seconds.
• Read Ley Line: activate a ley line to gain 100% increased Health and Mana regeneration.
• Wind Blessed (passive): 1% increased melee, ranged and spellcasting Haste.
• Elemental Insight (passive): damage to Elementals increased by 5%.

The two Skyborne factions share three of their four traits; the only difference is Skysight for the Windshapers and Read Ley Line for the High Order. That split tracks the lore neatly, with one side still chasing the wind spirits and the other turning to arcane power instead. Doubled Health and Mana regeneration is a comfortable fit for High Order Mages, though the article does not explain where ley lines can be activated or how long the effect lasts.

The chart is final enough to start planning around, and the Skyborne pages on Phylactery already show their trait spells as they appear in the beta files. If you are torn between two races for your main, the weapon specializations and the new actives (Shatter Curse, Rapid Regeneration, Will to Survive, Elune's Light and Eureka!) are where the real differences now live.