When does the WoW Forever beta end?
The beta is the ongoing closed test of WoW Forever that started on September 17, 2026; it needs beta access. The stress test is a short public load test on October 21 that any player with a WoW account can join — no beta access, subscription or invitation required. Confusing the two is the most common mistake in search results right now.
| Question | WoW Forever beta | October 21 stress test |
|---|---|---|
| Who can enter? | Players with beta access | Any player with a WoW account |
| Subscription needed? | Not stated here | No |
| Where does it run? | Beta realms | Production realms used at launch |
| When? | From September 17, 2026; pauses for the stress test | October 21: Europe 17:00 UTC, others 21:00 UTC |
| Progress kept? | Not announced | No, complete wipe |
Cells say "not announced" or "not stated" wherever our sources do not answer the question.
What happens on October 21
- The beta goes offline shortly before the stress test opens.
- The stress test runs for a few hours on production realms, starting 17:00 UTC in Europe and 21:00 UTC for Americas, Oceania, Korea and Taiwan.
- The stress test ends with a complete wipe of everything made on those realms.
- The beta comes back online shortly after.
October 21 is also the last full day of beta testing. See stress test duration and the full timeline to launch.
What is not known
- The exact moment the beta goes offline before the test.
- The exact moment it comes back after the wipe.
- When the beta finally closes before the November 4, 2026 launch.
- Whether beta progress carries into the launch game.
When Blizzard publishes any of these, this page and its update date change with it.