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WoW Forever Races and Racial Abilities

World of Warcraft: Forever keeps the eight original races, adds a ninth, and reworks almost every racial. This page covers which classes each race can play and how racials changed as a whole; each race has its own page with the full racial comparison.

Blizzard published every race’s classes and racial traits on September 23, 2026. Every racial here, including the Priest race spells, is checked against the beta client (build 1.60.1.70450). Last reviewed: .

Racial changes in the October 26 developer notes

Blizzard’s October 26 development notes retuned racials around racial identity. The beta client (build 1.60.1.70450) still has the October 15 values; these pages follow the notes. Each race’s page has its full comparison with Classic.

RaceRacialBeforeSince October 26
HumanRuthless2% crit with any weapon1% crit with any weapon
HumanThe Human Spirit5% Spirit10% Spirit
DwarfEarth Fury2% critical damage and healingRemoved
DwarfArtisan’s Precision—1% hit chance with spells and attacks
OrcSavage1% crit with any weaponRemoved
OrcCommandNot a racial+5% Hunter and Warlock pet damage
TaurenPlainsrunning1% per stack, max 30%; 3% mounted speed2% per stack, max 60%; no mounted speed
TaurenEndurance5% Health, 2% critical damage and healing5% Health only
SkyborneWind Blessed3% Haste2% Haste
SkyborneRead Leyline100% regen, 15 min at a leyline / 30 sec elsewhere50% regen for 15 sec; 100% while Attuned (1 hour from a Ley Line); cannot overlap Innervate
SkyborneSkysight10% movement and mounted speed, 15 min at a convergence / 30 sec elsewhere15% movement speed for 15 sec; 30% while Charged (1 hour from a convergence)
A Skyborne standing beside two floating stone wind guardians on Zephras Isle in World of Warcraft: Forever
Image: Blizzard Entertainment

New in Forever

The Skyborne, the new race

The Skyborne are an elven people from Zephras Isle, a floating island with its own level 1–12 starting zone. They share one ancestry but pick a faction at character creation, and that choice sets one class and one racial. Blizzard said in the September 17 Live Q&A that the Skyborne also let it explore race and class combinations elves have not really gotten to explore, such as Druids.

  • High Order (Alliance): can be Mages; racial Read Leyline.
  • Windshaper (Horde): can be Shamans; racial Skysight.
  • Both factions: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid, with Druid forms made for the race, plus Walk on Air, Wind Blessed and Elemental Insight.
  • Unlock: Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99) or a higher edition.
Skyborne racials, classes and unlock →

All WoW Forever races

A Human character in World of Warcraft: Forever

Human

Alliance
New class: Hunter

New Hunter option, a stun break in Will to Survive, and Ruthless: 1% crit with any weapon since October 26 (2% from October 15).

 A Dwarf character in World of Warcraft: Forever

Dwarf

Alliance
New class: Shaman

The Alliance's only Shaman, a reworked Stoneform, and Artisan’s Precision’s 1% hit in place of Earth Fury.
Forever portrait not released yet

Night Elf

Alliance

No new class, but a new crit cooldown in Elune's Light and a Shadowmeld that helps you drop out of a fight.

 A Gnome character in World of Warcraft: Forever

Gnome

Alliance
New class: Priest

New Priest option with two Gnome-only spells, plus Eureka! and an Expansive Mind that helps every class.

 An Orc character in World of Warcraft: Forever

Orc

Horde
New class: Mage

New Mage option, a Blood Fury with Spell Power and no healing penalty, and Shatter Curse.

 An Undead character in World of Warcraft: Forever

Undead

Horde
New class: Paladin

The Horde gets Paladins, Cannibalize restores Mana, and Touch of the Grave is new.
Forever portrait not released yet

Tauren

Horde

Plainsrunning builds speed as you run, up to 60%, Endurance is 5% Health, and Cultivation grows herbs for anyone.

 A Troll character in World of Warcraft: Forever

Troll

Horde
New class: Warlock

New Warlock option for seven classes in all, a flat Berserking and a Rapid Regeneration heal.

 A Skyborne character in World of Warcraft: Forever

Skyborne

Alliance or Horde
New race

The new elven race, Alliance (High Order) or Horde (Windshaper), unlocked with the Skyborne packs.

Race and class combinations in WoW Forever

★ marks a combination that is new in Forever. Hover or tap an icon for its name, and pick a class or a faction to see only the races that fit.

  • WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlockDruid
  • HumanAlliance WarriorPaladinHunter★RoguePriestMageWarlock
  • DwarfAlliance WarriorPaladinHunterRoguePriestShaman★
  • Night ElfAlliance WarriorHunterRoguePriestDruid
  • GnomeAlliance WarriorRoguePriest★MageWarlock
  • Skyborne (High Order)Alliance Warrior★Hunter★Rogue★Mage★Druid★
  • OrcHorde WarriorHunterRogueShamanMage★Warlock
  • UndeadHorde WarriorPaladin★RoguePriestMageWarlock
  • TaurenHorde WarriorHunterShamanDruid
  • TrollHorde WarriorHunterRoguePriestShamanMageWarlock★
  • Skyborne (Windshaper)Horde Warrior★Hunter★Rogue★Shaman★Druid★

Compare WoW Forever racials

Every race’s racials side by side. Pick a class and a talent path to rank the races by how many of their racials work with its talents, switch on Classic to see what each racial was before, and pin up to three races to keep them at the front.

  • 15new racials
  • 25changed
  • 14no longer racials

Across the eight Classic races, Priest racial spells included.

  • HumanAlliance
    • Will to SurviveInstantly removes all Stun effects; 3 min cooldown
    • PerceptionGreatly improved stealth detection for 20 sec; 3 min cooldown
    • Ruthless+1% critical strike chance with all spells and attacks
    • The Human Spirit+10% SpiritClassic: +5% Spirit
    • Divine Grace PriestInstantly heals a friendly target below 50% Health and removes Weakened Soul; not on yourself; 10 min cooldown
    • Feedback PriestFor 15 sec, each enemy spell that hits you burns its caster's Mana (105 at the top rank) and deals 1 Shadow damage per point burned; 3 min cooldown
    • Sword SpecializationClassic: +5 sword skill (in the beta until October 15: 2% crit with a sword)
    • DiplomacyClassic: +10% reputation
    • Mace SpecializationClassic: +5 mace skill
    • Desperate PrayerClassic: Human Priest spell: an instant self-heal (Dwarves keep it)
  • DwarfAlliance
    • StoneformRemoves and grants immunity to Bleed, Poison and Disease effects, and reduces Physical damage taken by 10%, for 8 sec; 3 min cooldownClassic: Immune to Bleed, Poison and Disease; +10% Armor for 8 sec
    • Find TreasureShows nearby treasure on the minimap and can stay active alongside other tracking abilitiesClassic: Shows nearby treasure; replaced any other tracking
    • Artisan’s Precision+1% hit chance with spells and attacks
    • Big Game Hunter+5% damage against Beasts
    • Chastise PriestHoly damage and a root of up to 2 sec on a Humanoid, with very low threat; 2 min cooldown
    • Desperate Prayer PriestInstant self-heal; 10 min cooldownClassic: Human and Dwarf Priest spell; 1339 to 1580 at the top rank
    • Fear Ward PriestA baseline spell for every PriestClassic: Dwarf Priest spell that wards a target against Fear
    • Frost ResistanceClassic: +10
    • Gun SpecializationClassic: +5 gun skill
    • Earth FuryClassic: +2% critical strike bonus to damage and healing (in the beta until October 26)
  • Night ElfAlliance
    • Elune's Light+10% critical strike chance with all spells and attacks for 15 sec; 3 min cooldown
    • ShadowmeldStealth until you move or cancel it; used in combat, it discourages enemies from attacking you and the cooldown rises from 10 sec to 2 minClassic: Stealth until you move; Night Elf Rogues and Druids were also harder to detect
    • Quickness+1% Dodge and +2% movement speed; Night Elf Rogues and Druids are harder to detect in Stealth, as if 1 level higherClassic: +1% Dodge
    • Wisp Spirit+75% movement speed as a wisp after deathClassic: +50%
    • Elune's Grace PriestFor 15 sec, melee and ranged attacks are 50% less likely to hit you (ends after 3 misses); 5 min cooldownClassic: Night Elf Priest spell: less ranged damage taken and +10% Dodge for 15 sec
    • Starshards PriestArcane damage to an enemy over 6 sec; 30 sec cooldownClassic: Night Elf Priest spell; 936 damage at the top rank
    • Nature ResistanceClassic: +10
  • GnomeAlliance
    • Eureka!For 8 sec, your non-periodic damaging abilities (Priests: damaging or healing) cost 10% less Mana, Rage or Energy and deal or heal 10% more; 2 min cooldown
    • Expansive Mind+5% maximum Mana, Rage or EnergyClassic: +5% Intellect
    • Engineering SpecializationEngineering devices fail or backfire 20% less oftenClassic: +15 Engineering skill
    • Escape ArtistRemoves all movement-impairing effects and grants immunity to them for 3 sec; 2 min cooldownClassic: Removes immobilize and movement-slowing effects; 1 min cooldown
    • Confounding Flash PriestConfuses up to 5 enemies within 8 yd for 3 sec; damage breaks it; 2 min cooldown
    • Contingency Plan PriestA 30 sec ward on an ally: when damage drops their Health below 35%, they get an absorb shield and a heal over 15 sec; one per target; 10 min cooldown
    • Arcane ResistanceClassic: +10
  • OrcHorde
    • Blood Fury+10% Attack Power and Spell Power for 15 sec; 2 min cooldownClassic: +25% base melee Attack Power, but −50% healing received for 25 sec
    • Shatter CurseRemoves all Curses and Banes, and reduces magic damage taken by 5% for 8 sec; 3 min cooldown
    • Command+5% damage for Hunter pets and Warlock demons
    • HardinessStuns on you last 20% shorterClassic: +25% chance to resist stuns
    • SavageClassic: +1% critical strike chance with all spells and abilities (in the beta until October 26)
  • UndeadHorde
    • Will of the ForsakenInstantly removes Charm, Fear and Sleep effects; 2 min cooldownClassic: 5 sec immunity to Charm, Fear and Sleep
    • CannibalizeEat a nearby Humanoid or Undead corpse: 7% of your Health and Mana every 2 sec for 10 sec, 35% in all; 2 min cooldownClassic: 7% Health every 2 sec for 10 sec
    • Touch of the GraveSpells and attacks have a 20% chance (Priests, Mages and Warlocks: 30%) to drain Health with Touch of the Dead, up to 5% of your maximum; 15 sec internal cooldown
    • Underwater BreathingHold your breath 300% longer
    • Dark Sacrifice PriestInstant, 10 min cooldown: trade Health for Mana over 15 sec; your Spirit adds to the Mana
    • Touch of Weakness PriestThe next melee attack against you deals Shadow damage to the attacker and lowers its melee Attack Power for 2 min (56 damage and 204 Attack Power at the top rank)Classic: Undead Priest spell: 64 Shadow damage, and the attacker dealt 20 less damage per hit
    • Devouring Plague PriestA baseline spell for every PriestClassic: Undead Priest spell: Shadow damage over 24 sec that heals you
    • Shadow ResistanceClassic: +10
  • TaurenHorde
    • War StompStuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yd for 2 sec; 90 sec cooldownClassic: Same stun; 2 min cooldown
    • PlainsrunningEvery 5 sec you keep moving adds 2% movement speed, up to +60%; taking damage or standing still wears it down. Does not increase mounted speed
    • CultivationGrow a copy of a nearby herb that anyone can gather without Herbalism; once per herbClassic: +15 Herbalism skill
    • Endurance+5% maximum Health
    • Nature ResistanceClassic: +10
  • TrollHorde
    • Berserking+10% attack and casting speed for 15 sec; 3 min cooldownClassic: +10% to +30% for 10 sec, higher at low health
    • Rapid RegenerationRestore 50% of your maximum Health over 6 sec; moving, acting or taking damage cancels it; 3 min cooldown
    • Regeneration+20% Health regeneration; 20% of it continues in combatClassic: +10% Health regeneration; 10% of it continues in combat
    • Beast Slaying+5% damage against Beasts
    • Hex of Weakness PriestLowers an enemy's melee Attack Power (204 at the top rank) and cuts the healing it receives by 20% for 2 minClassic: Troll Priest spell: the enemy dealt 20 less damage per hit
    • Shadowguard PriestThree charges of shadows that strike attackers for Shadow damage (96 at the top rank), without threat; lasts 10 minClassic: Troll Priest spell; 116 damage per charge at the top rank
    • Bow SpecializationClassic: +5 bow skill
    • Throwing SpecializationClassic: +5 throwing skill
  • Skyborne (High Order)Alliance
    • Walk on AirGlide down through the air for 10 sec, steering as you go; 90 sec cooldown (2 min until October 15)
    • Wind Blessed+2% spell, melee and ranged Haste (3% from October 15 until October 26; 1% before that)
    • Elemental Insight+5% damage against Elementals
    • Read Leyline+50% Health and Mana regeneration for 15 sec; 2 min cooldown; cannot be used while Innervate is active (Innervate replaces it as the stronger effect). Using it at a Ley Line also grants Attuned for 1 hour: while Attuned the bonus is +100%, and Attuned persists through death and is removed when you enter a raid. Could be cast while moving since October 15; until October 26 it was +100% for 15 min at a leyline or 30 sec elsewhere
  • Skyborne (Windshaper)Horde
    • Walk on AirGlide down through the air for 10 sec, steering as you go; 90 sec cooldown (2 min until October 15)
    • Wind Blessed+2% spell, melee and ranged Haste (3% from October 15 until October 26; 1% before that)
    • Elemental Insight+5% damage against Elementals
    • Skysight+15% movement speed for 15 sec; 2 min cooldown. Using it at an elemental convergence also grants Charged for 1 hour: while Charged the bonus is +30% movement speed, and Charged persists through death and is removed when you enter a raid. Could be cast while moving since October 15; until October 26 it was +10% movement and mounted speed for 15 min at a convergence or 30 sec elsewhere

Blizzard's Deep Dive panel recap sets the rule: every race now has two active and two passive racials, tuned to a similar amount of offensive power while each race keeps its signature utility. The recap goes through the Dwarf and Undead racials in detail. The beta client (build 1.60.1.70450) still has the October 15 values; these pages follow the October 26 developer notes, which retuned several racials around racial identity and did not bring back the weapon specializations. On the WoW Forever Podcast episode 3, Blizzard had called the Orc and Troll active racials “perhaps a little too strong”, and asked whether the weapon skill racials are kept or replaced. The October 15 build replaced the weapon racials and toned down the Orc actives; October 26 went further.

The six new race and class combinations

A Human, a Gnome and a Dwarf character in World of Warcraft: ForeverA Troll, an Orc and an Undead character in World of Warcraft: Forever
Humans, Gnomes and Dwarves (left), Trolls, Orcs and Undead (right): the six races that gain a class in Forever, from the panel recap. Images: Blizzard Entertainment.
CombinationFactionWhy it matters
Undead PaladinHordeHorde Paladins without waiting for Blood Elves; shown in the Forever launch cinematic.
Dwarf ShamanAllianceThe Alliance's only Shaman option, since Skyborne Shamans are Horde.
Troll WarlockHordeBerserking and Rapid Regeneration on a Warlock.
Orc MageHordeBlood Fury now adds Spell Power, so it helps casters too.
Gnome PriestAllianceComes with its own Priest spells: Confounding Flash and Contingency Plan.
Human HunterAllianceWill to Survive and Perception on a Hunter.

WoW Forever races FAQ

Can the Horde play Paladins in WoW Forever?

Yes. Undead can be Paladins, the first Horde Paladin option in Classic-era WoW.

Can the Alliance play Shamans?

Yes, as Dwarves. Skyborne Shamans are Horde-only (Windshaper).

Are racial resistances gone?

Yes. None of the +10 resistance racials is a racial in the beta client.

Are these racials final?

Not yet. Blizzard's Deep Dive recap sets the rules. The beta client (build 1.60.1.70450) still has the October 15 values; these pages follow the October 26 developer notes. The beta began on September 17, and these pages are updated as values change.

What changed for racials on October 15?

Every race got something. The weapon racials became Ruthless (Human, 2% crit), Earth Fury (Dwarf, 2% critical damage and healing) and Savage (Orc, 1% crit), none tied to a weapon. Tauren Endurance trades 1% Hit for 2% critical damage and healing, Touch of the Grave triggers 20% to 30% of the time behind a 25-second cooldown, Troll Regeneration doubles, Blood Fury’s cooldown rises to 3 minutes, and Shatter Curse no longer grants immunity.

What changed for racials on October 26?

Blizzard retuned several racials around racial identity. Ruthless is 1% crit (was 2%), The Human Spirit is 10% Spirit (was 5%), Earth Fury and Savage are removed, Dwarves gain Artisan’s Precision (1% hit), Command is back for Orc Hunter and Warlock pets, Plainsrunning is 2% per stack up to 60% and no longer speeds mounts, Endurance is 5% Health only, Wind Blessed is 2% Haste (was 3%), Read Leyline is 50% regen for 15 seconds with Attuned at a Ley Line, and Skysight is 15% speed for 15 seconds with Charged at a convergence. The table at the top of this page lists every change. Weapon specializations stay gone.

Still unconfirmed

  • Final racial values and cooldowns: these come from the beta client and can still change
  • Skyborne druid form names
  • Whether Skyborne can later be unlocked without a purchase

Sources