WoW Forever Races Guide
What Races Are Available in WoW Forever?
WoW Forever features nine playable races: eight familiar Azeroth races and the new Skyborne.
Alliance characters include Humans, Dwarves, Night Elves, and Gnomes. Horde characters include Orcs, Undead, Tauren, and Trolls.
Skyborne are different because they can join either faction at character creation.
The nine races are:
Human;
Dwarf;
Night Elf;
Gnome;
Orc;
Undead;
Tauren;
Troll;
Skyborne.
Blizzard has also redesigned racial abilities and introduced six additional race-class combinations, with more combinations planned for future Forever updates.
Players who want to compare the classes first can use the WoW Forever Classes Guide.
How Racials Change in WoW Forever
Racial abilities have a larger and more clearly defined structure in Forever.
Each race is designed around:
two active racials;
two passive racials.
Blizzard wants the offensive value of races to be reasonably comparable while keeping distinct forms of utility, movement, defense, recovery, and profession support.
Race choice therefore matters without necessarily creating one mandatory race for every class.
Six New Race-Class Combinations
Forever adds six confirmed combinations:
Gnome Priest;
Human Hunter;
Dwarf Shaman;
Orc Mage;
Troll Warlock;
Undead Paladin.
Blizzard has also stated that additional combinations are planned for future updates.
Dwarf Shaman and Undead Paladin are particularly notable because Paladin and Shaman are no longer completely separated by faction.
Humans
Humans can play:
Warrior;
Paladin;
Hunter;
Rogue;
Priest;
Mage;
Warlock.
Hunter is the new Forever option.
Human Racials
The currently documented Human racials include:
Will to Survive;
Perception;
Sword Specialization;
The Human Spirit.
Will to Survive removes a Stun, while Perception helps detect stealthed enemies.
Sword Specialization improves critical performance while using swords, and The Human Spirit increases Spirit.
Why Choose Human?
Humans provide one of the broadest class selections on Alliance.
Their PvP utility is particularly easy to understand because they can counter Stuns and improve stealth detection.
The new Hunter option also makes Human a choice for players who previously needed another Alliance race for ranged physical gameplay.
Dwarves
Dwarves can play:
Warrior;
Paladin;
Hunter;
Rogue;
Priest;
Shaman.
Shaman is the new Forever combination.
Dwarf Racials
Current abilities include:
Stoneform;
Find Treasure;
Mace Specialization;
Big Game Hunter.
Stoneform removes and provides temporary immunity to Bleeds, Poisons, and Diseases while also reducing Physical damage.
Find Treasure can operate alongside other tracking abilities.
Mace Specialization supports critical effects while using maces, while Big Game Hunter increases damage against Beasts.
Dwarf Shaman
Dwarf Shaman gives Alliance players access to Shaman without changing faction.
It is one of Forever's most significant new race-class combinations and greatly expands the available Shaman character concepts.
Night Elves
Night Elves can play:
Warrior;
Hunter;
Rogue;
Priest;
Druid.
No additional launch class combination has been announced for them.
Night Elf Racials
Current racials include:
Elune's Light;
Shadowmeld;
Quickness;
Wisp Spirit.
Elune's Light temporarily increases Critical Chance.
Shadowmeld allows Stealth while stationary.
Quickness improves Dodge and movement speed, while Wisp Spirit increases movement speed after death.
Night Elves therefore retain a strong identity built around mobility, avoidance, and stealth-related utility.
Gnomes
Gnomes can play:
Warrior;
Rogue;
Priest;
Mage;
Warlock.
Priest is the new class option.
Gnome Racials
The current set includes:
Eureka!;
Escape Artist;
Expansive Mind;
Engineering Specialization.
Eureka! reduces resource cost and improves the effect of the next several abilities or spells.
Escape Artist helps against Roots and Snares.
Expansive Mind increases maximum resources, while Engineering Specialization improves Engineering device reliability.
Gnome Priest
Gnome Priest gives the race a dedicated healing-capable class that was previously unavailable.
This significantly expands the possible group roles for players who want a Gnome character.
Orcs
Orcs can play:
Warrior;
Hunter;
Rogue;
Shaman;
Mage;
Warlock.
Mage is the new Forever combination.
Orc Racials
Current Orc racials include:
Blood Fury;
Shatter Curse;
Axe Specialization;
Hardiness.
Blood Fury temporarily increases Attack Power and Spell Power.
Shatter Curse protects against Curses and Banes while reducing incoming Magical damage.
Axe Specialization improves critical performance with axes, while Hardiness reduces Stun duration.
Orc Mage
Orc Mage adds another ranged spellcaster option to Horde character creation and demonstrates Forever's broader approach to relaxing selected Classic restrictions.
Undead
Undead can play:
Warrior;
Paladin;
Rogue;
Priest;
Mage;
Warlock.
Paladin is the new option.
Undead Racials
Current racials include:
Cannibalize;
Will of the Forsaken;
Touch of the Grave;
Underwater Breathing.
Cannibalize restores Health and Mana from appropriate corpses.
Will of the Forsaken removes Charm, Fear, and Sleep effects.
Touch of the Grave can drain Health through attacks and spells, while Underwater Breathing greatly extends underwater breathing time.
Undead Paladin
Undead Paladin brings Paladin gameplay to Horde characters.
It is one of the most distinctive new combinations in Forever and removes the old requirement to play Alliance simply to access the class.
Tauren
Tauren can play:
Warrior;
Hunter;
Shaman;
Druid.
No new launch combination has been announced.
Tauren Racials
Current abilities include:
War Stomp;
Plainsrunning;
Endurance;
Cultivation.
War Stomp Stuns nearby enemies.
Plainsrunning increases movement speed while continuing to travel.
Endurance increases maximum Health and Hit Chance.
Cultivation creates additional herbs that do not require Herbalism to gather.
The combination gives Tauren useful open-world movement, control, survivability, and profession utility.
Trolls
Trolls can play:
Warrior;
Hunter;
Rogue;
Priest;
Shaman;
Mage;
Warlock.
Warlock is the new Forever option.
Troll Racials
Current abilities include:
Berserking;
Rapid Regeneration;
Beast Slaying;
Regeneration.
Berserking temporarily increases attack and casting speed.
Rapid Regeneration provides active Health recovery.
Beast Slaying increases damage against Beasts.
Regeneration allows part of natural Health regeneration to continue during combat.
Troll Warlock
The new combination adds another magical ranged option and makes Troll one of the more flexible Horde races in terms of class availability.
Skyborne - The New Forever Race
Skyborne are WoW Forever's completely new playable race.
They can choose either Alliance or Horde during character creation:
High Order Skyborne - Alliance;
Windshaper Skyborne - Horde.
Faction choice changes one racial ability and one class option.
Players targeting the new race can use Skyborne 1-60 Leveling.
Skyborne Classes
Both factions can play:
Warrior;
Hunter;
Rogue;
Druid.
Additionally:
Alliance Skyborne can play Mage;
Horde Skyborne can play Shaman.
That makes faction choice especially important for anyone specifically planning a Skyborne Mage or Shaman.
Shared Skyborne Racials
Both versions receive:
Walk on Air
Allows the character to glide downward for 10 seconds.
Wind Blessed
Provides 1% increased melee, ranged, and spellcasting Haste.
Elemental Insight
Increases damage against Elementals by 5%.
These abilities establish the core identity of the race regardless of faction.
Alliance Skyborne Racial
High Order Skyborne receive Read Ley Line.
It activates a ley line that greatly increases Health and Mana regeneration.
This can be especially convenient during leveling, world exploration, and longer questing sessions.
Horde Skyborne Racial
Windshaper Skyborne receive Skysight.
The ability grants an Elemental Blessing that increases movement speed by 10%.
Movement speed is particularly useful for open-world progression, gathering, and traveling between quest objectives.
Alliance or Horde Skyborne?
Start with class choice.
Choose Alliance when you specifically want Mage.
Choose Horde when you specifically want Shaman.
Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, and Druid are available on either faction.
After that, compare Read Ley Line with Skysight and choose the utility that better fits your character.
The race is covered in more detail in the WoW Forever Skyborne Guide.
Choosing a Race for Your Class
Start with what the character is supposed to do.
Consider:
class availability;
faction;
active racials;
passive racials;
preferred weapons;
professions;
PvP;
Hardcore;
appearance.
There is little reason to choose a race based on one minor numerical advantage if you prefer another character visually or mechanically.
Forever's racial redesign specifically aims to preserve race identity while keeping offensive value closer together.
Best Races for Leveling
Leveling benefits greatly from utility that reduces downtime or travel time.
Useful racial features can include:
Health and Mana recovery;
movement speed;
crowd control;
removing dangerous effects;
profession utility.
Skyborne and Tauren movement abilities can help with open-world travel, while Undead recovery can reduce downtime in some situations.
Race is still only one part of leveling efficiency.
Class knowledge, route planning, gear, and quest selection usually matter more.
Players targeting the cap can use WoW Forever 1-60 Leveling.
Choosing a Race for PvP
PvP increases the value of racials that can:
remove control;
reduce control duration;
detect Stealth;
provide crowd control;
improve mobility;
help survive burst damage.
Abilities such as Will of the Forsaken, Stoneform, Escape Artist, Perception, and War Stomp can therefore become important in specific matchups.
However, a racial ability does not replace class knowledge, gear, positioning, or objective play.
Players targeting competitive progression can use WoW Forever PvP Rank.
Choosing a Race for Raids
Raid value depends heavily on the class and role.
Useful racials may provide:
temporary damage increases;
resource benefits;
defensive utility;
Critical Chance;
situational bonuses against specific enemy types.
Blizzard's redesign aims to keep offensive racial power relatively comparable rather than making one race universally mandatory.
For most players, a comfortable race-class combination will be more important than chasing a small theoretical difference.
Choosing a Race for Hardcore
Hardcore creates different priorities.
Useful racial tools can include:
recovery;
crowd control;
debuff removal;
movement;
damage reduction.
No race makes one-life progression safe.
Treat racials as additional tools rather than protection from the core risk of Hardcore.
Players targeting the mode can use Hardcore 1-60 Leveling.
Races and Professions
Some racial abilities directly support professions.
Examples include:
Gnome Engineering utility;
Tauren herb-related utility;
weapon racials that can complement certain equipment choices.
Forever also introduces hundreds of new profession recipes, giving profession-focused racial utility more opportunities to matter.
Players developing trade skills can use WoW Forever Profession Leveling.
Should You Pick a Race Only for a Profession?
Usually not, unless that profession is the main purpose of the character.
A profession bonus can be useful, but the character will also spend time on:
quests;
dungeons;
raids;
PvP;
reputations;
Legacy progression.
Evaluate the entire character rather than one narrow bonus.
Dedicated crafting or gathering alts are the clearest exception.
Races and Legacy Progression
The Legacy System makes developing several different characters more useful.
A new race can be combined with:
another class;
another profession;
another faction;
a different quest route;
additional Legacy Challenges.
That gives players reasons to experience Forever from several character perspectives instead of forcing one hero to cover everything.
Players focusing on long-term progression can use Legacy Challenges and Legacy Points.
Race or Class - Which Should You Choose First?
For most characters, choosing the class first is simpler.
Class determines more of the actual gameplay:
combat role;
abilities;
melee or ranged combat;
weapons;
leveling style;
raid role;
PvP toolkit.
Once you know the class, compare the races that can play it.
Skyborne are an obvious exception for players who specifically want the new race. In that case, choose Skyborne first and then select from its available classes.
Racials and Talent Builds
Racials and class talents are separate systems.
Racials come from the character's race and remain available regardless of talent allocation.
Talent trees determine how the class itself develops.
The same race can therefore feel very different across several classes, while the same class gains different utility depending on race.
Players can learn more in the WoW Forever Talents Guide.
Should You Reroll for a Small Racial Advantage?
For most players, no.
A long-term character involves more than a small numerical difference.
Consider:
appearance;
faction;
animations;
class availability;
racial utility;
professions;
PvP or PvE goals;
how much you actually enjoy the character.
Blizzard's stated approach is to keep offensive racial value relatively comparable while preserving unique utility.
That makes overall preference a much more reasonable part of race selection.
Will More Race-Class Combinations Be Added?
Yes.
The first six new combinations are not intended to be the final expansion of character creation.
Blizzard has already stated that more race-class combinations are planned for future Forever updates.
The available character roster can therefore continue expanding as the game develops.
How to Choose Your First Character
A practical process looks like this:
choose a class and role;
identify which races can play it;
choose Alliance or Horde;
compare active racials;
compare passive benefits;
consider professions and your main content;
choose the character you actually want to play long term.
If the new race is your main reason for starting Forever, begin with Skyborne and choose from its available classes.
Players who want to reach the level cap can use WoW Forever 1-60 Leveling or Skyborne 1-60 Leveling.