WoW: Forever beta is live with a level 20 cap, the Skyborne and two new dungeons

The World of Warcraft: Forever beta opened on 17 September and runs through 21 October. Testers start with a level cap of 20, and that cap rises to 30 later in the test. Launch remains set for 4 November at 3:00 p.m. PST, which leaves roughly two weeks between the last day of testing and the day the doors open for everyone.

Blizzard pitches the beta as a first look at a "reimagined original Azeroth" where familiar roads lead to new discoveries. The invite list covers community veterans, press, fansites, friends and family, plus anyone selected from the opt-in pool or holding an eligible bundle.

What is in the first week

The first week has a clear focus. Most of what is new sits in the opening levels:

• New race and zone: the Skyborne and their starting area, Zephras Isle
• New dungeon: Hall of Thanes, for levels 13 to 18
• New dungeon: Ruins of Lordaeron, for levels 15 to 20
• All zone content up to level 20

The Skyborne come in two flavours on our side of the data, the Alliance High Order Skyborne and the Horde Windshaper Skyborne. Week one is the first real chance to see how their starting experience plays rather than how it reads in the files.

Two new dungeons below level 20 is a generous start. Their level ranges overlap, so a group that finishes Hall of Thanes at 18 can walk straight into Ruins of Lordaeron. Whether that pacing holds up once people actually run them is exactly the kind of thing a beta is for.

Blizzard says more zones and dungeons will open as the beta continues, along with the new battleground. It has not said which ones or when, beyond the move to a level 30 cap at some later point.

Server Slam later in the test

At some point during the test, Blizzard will open the servers to anyone for several hours in a "Server Slam". No date has been announced yet; Blizzard says it will share details closer to the time. If you do not get an invite, that window is your best chance to try the game before 4 November.

How to get in

There are two routes. Players who opt in on the WoW: Forever site can be selected, and Blizzard says invitations will go out regularly throughout the test. If you are picked, your Battle.net account is already flagged and an email invitation follows.

The second route is paying for it. The WoW: Forever digital bundles, including the Skyborne Epic Pack and the limited-time Warcraft Forever Collection, come with beta access. Blizzard warns that access can take up to 30 minutes to show up after purchase and that you may need to restart the launcher.

Once you have access, installing works like any other test client:

1. Update your graphics drivers.
2. Run the Battle.net desktop app and let it update itself if you have not opened it in a while (or download it first if it is not installed).
3. Select World of Warcraft from the list of games.
4. In the Game Version drop-down above the Play button, pick World of Warcraft: Forever Beta under In Development, then click Install.
5. When installation finishes, click Play and choose any available test realm.
6. Create a new test character when available.
7. Enter the game and test what is open.

If something breaks during installation or play, Blizzard points to its Common Technical Issues and Solutions thread on the forums as the first stop.

Bundle buyers may receive email notifications too, and Blizzard repeats its usual phishing warning. If an invitation looks suspicious, do not click anything in it. Log in to your Battle.net account instead and check for a World of Warcraft: Forever beta license under Your Game Accounts.

A dedicated feedback forum

Alongside the launch, community manager Kaivax pointed players to a new forum section built for beta talk:

That is where Blizzard wants feedback to land, and with a two-week gap between the end of testing and launch, early reports have the best chance of shaping what ships. Blizzard's own short announcement of the beta sums up the dates:

We read every beta build as it lands, so new items, spells, talents and dungeons from each update show up on Phylactery as soon as they appear in the files. That includes whatever opens up when the cap moves to 30.