WoW Forever previews three launch dungeons as stress test download appears on Battle.net

Blizzard has shown off three of the nine new dungeons planned for World of Warcraft: Forever’s launch leveling experience, while a separate “WoW Forever – Stress Test” client has appeared in the Battle.net launcher ahead of availability on Monday, October 19.

The new video focuses on Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron, and Excavation Site: Wetlands. Hall of Thanes sits below the Throne of Ironforge and is aimed at Alliance players, filling a similar early-dungeon slot to Ragefire Chasm on the Horde side. The setup has Dark Iron dwarves breaking into old royal tombs, with angry spirits making things worse.

Ruins of Lordaeron takes place across the ruined castle rather than inside a traditional indoor instance. Blizzard is also using it to show off Forever’s updated lighting, with fog, shadows, and outdoor lighting doing a lot of the mood-setting while players fight through undead.

Excavation Site: Wetlands sends players to investigate a dwarven dig gone wrong above Whelgar’s Excavation. One wrinkle Blizzard highlighted is the tall grass, where raptors can nest and some enemies can stay stealthed until players get too close.

Blizzard has previously said WoW Forever will launch with nine new dungeons total: Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron, the Wetlands excavation site, the City of Dalaran, Blackmaw Hold, the Drowned City, Krol’dok Stronghold, Alcaz Prison, and the Shaper’s Terrace.

The stress test listing on Battle.net can be downloaded now, but Blizzard hasn’t yet spelled out who will be able to join or exactly how long it’ll run. The studio had previously said the test would be open for several hours. The current beta is set to run through October 21 before closing early on October 22 as launch prep begins.

World of Warcraft: Forever is scheduled to launch globally on November 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. PST. Its first new raids are set to unlock on December 9.

Further reading: Official World of Warcraft: Forever site