WoW Forever Zones

World of Warcraft: Forever opens four new zones, from corners of Azeroth that Classic players could only look at to the floating home of the new Skyborne race, and adds more than 1,000 new quests across the level 1–60 journey.

Compiled from Blizzard's What's Next panel video and the What's Next and Found Photos panel recaps. Screenshots come from each zone's section of the Found Photos recap. Last reviewed: September 14, 2026.

New zones: 4; from level 1 to the end of leveling
New quests: 1,000+; across levels 1–60
Riverglades: ~200; quests for both factions
New ship routes: 3; linking the continents

The four new zones at a glance
Zone	Where	Levels	What’s there
Zephras Isle	Floating islands of the Skyborne	1–12	The Skyborne starting experience
The Riverglades	Eastern Kingdoms, east coast	Mid-30s to mid-40s	Powderfuse Port, Krol’dok Stronghold
Shen’dralas	Kalimdor, south of Desolace	Not announced	The Shen’dralar story, centaur tribes
Mount Hyjal	Kalimdor	End of leveling	Hyjal Summit raid, a Barrow Deeps entrance

The 4 new zones in WoW Forever

Snowy peaks behind a white tower and stone buildings — From the Zephras Isle section of Blizzard’s Found Photos panel recap. Image: Blizzard Entertainment.

Zephras Isle

Floating islands in the elemental plane

Levels 1–12
Skyborne starting zone

Thousands of years ago, highborne exiles who fled Eldre’Thalas after the War of the Ancients made a pact with the wind spirits and built a civilization in Skywall. Blizzard points to Thunderfury and Prince Thunderaan as the first hints of those elemental powers in Classic.

Now the air spirits that protected the islands have vanished, the pylons holding Zephras together are failing, and parts of the island are falling into ruin and darkness. The Skyborne are split: some seek answers from the wind spirits, some want back the arcane traditions of their ancestors, and others have turned to darker powers.

The Skyborne starting experience, levels 1 to 12
The Windshapers, the High Order and the Al’Aketh fight for control of the island
A Skyborne joins the Horde as a Shaman or the Alliance as a Mage, and both sides can play Warrior, Hunter, Rogue or Druid
Playing a Skyborne needs the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher upgrade

A green valley with a river, red-roofed buildings, a tower and rocky hills — From the Riverglades section of Blizzard’s Found Photos panel recap. Image: Blizzard Entertainment.

A goblin town with domed buildings, a water tower and a giant wrench sign — From the Riverglades section of Blizzard’s Found Photos panel recap. Image: Blizzard Entertainment.

The Riverglades

The eastern coast of the Eastern Kingdoms

Mid-30s to mid-40s
Nearly 200 quests
Horde and Alliance

Long ago, human forces chased retreating orcs into this region. When help never came, the settlers stayed and built lives on the frontier, and generations later their descendants still hold on. Blizzard sums it up as a story about living in Azeroth, not saving it.

It’s a big, rugged land of rivers, grasslands and trade roads, about the size of Stranglethorn Vale, between Redridge, the Burning Steppes, the Badlands and the Swamp of Sorrows. Humans, orcs, ogres, gnolls, goblins and murlocs all compete to survive here.

Powderfuse Port, a neutral goblin port at the end of the new Steamwheedle route from Tanaris
The Powderfuse goblins, the Twilight’s Hammer and the Brotherhood of the Horse, plus gnoll camps and ogre threats
Krol’dok Stronghold, a huge outdoor ogre dungeon for levels 40–55
New reputations and rewards

Shen’dralas

South of Desolace, through the Valley of Bones

Kalimdor

If you ever flew between Mulgore and Desolace, you passed over a set of ancient ruins far below. Shen’dralas turns that small detail into a zone about the Shen’dralar, the night elves whose history runs through Eldre’Thalas, the city of Dire Maul, and Prince Tortheldrin himself.

The story lines of the Gelkis and Magram centaur tribes carry on here, and the zone gives new reasons to go back to Maraudon and Razorfen Downs.

Reached from the south of Desolace through the Valley of Bones
Desolace’s centaur faction quests also get new content and faction rewards
Blizzard hasn’t given its level range yet

Pine-covered mountain peaks under a violet sky, with a tall shape rising into the clouds in the distance — From the Mount Hyjal section of Blizzard’s Found Photos panel recap. Image: Blizzard Entertainment.

Mount Hyjal

Kalimdor

End of the leveling journey

A place players have wondered about for more than 20 years. Forever picks up after Archimonde’s defeat: how the forests heal from the corruption, how the wild gods were affected by the battle on the mountain, and what dangers remain.

It’s a new zone for the end of leveling, with new stories, reputations, rewards and both solo and group content, and players can finally travel through Darkwhisper Gorge.

Hyjal Summit, a 20-player raid that opens December 9
One of the three entrances to the Barrow Deeps, a 10-player raid
New factions to meet and form alliances with

New ship routes

Three new ship routes make it easier to meet friends across the world while keeping the feel of a long voyage.

The new ship routes. A diagram, not to scale; stops are listed as Blizzard gave them.

Stormwind Harbor – Auberdine: an early crossing between the continents
Menethil – Southshore – Auberdine: a second route with more choice while leveling
Tanaris – Powderfuse Port: the Steamwheedle Cartel’s ship to the Riverglades

A wooden sailing ship moored at a dock on calm green water — From the New Ways to Travel section of Blizzard’s Found Photos panel recap. Image: Blizzard Entertainment.

What changes in the original zones

Starting zones

More from level 1

Valley of Trials, Shadowglen and the other starting areas get new characters, quests, profession hooks and recipes.

Wetlands

New quests

The Wetlands gains quests that build on its existing characters and stories, and a new dungeon at an excavation site.

Desolace

Centaur factions

The centaur faction quests get more content and new faction rewards.

Travel

No flying

There are no flying mounts and no level scaling: the world stays big and dangerous.

The nine new dungeons and where they are: WoW Forever dungeons.

WoW Forever zones FAQ

How many new zones are in WoW Forever?

Four: Zephras Isle, the Riverglades, Shen’dralas and Mount Hyjal, plus new quests in the original zones.

Where is the Riverglades?

On the eastern coast of the Eastern Kingdoms, between Redridge, the Burning Steppes, the Badlands and the Swamp of Sorrows. A Steamwheedle ship from Tanaris sails to its Powderfuse Port.

What level is the Riverglades?

Blizzard says it covers much of the mid-30s to mid-40s.

What is the story of the Riverglades?

Human forces once chased retreating orcs there. The settlers who stayed built a frontier society that still endures, now crowded with ogres, gnolls, goblins and murlocs.

Who are the Skyborne?

A people whose history begins with highborne exiles who made a pact with the wind spirits in Skywall. Their home, Zephras Isle, is in crisis, and they’re divided over their future.

Do you need to pay for Zephras Isle?

Zephras Isle is where the Skyborne start, and playing a Skyborne needs the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher upgrade.

Where is Shen’dralas?

South of Desolace, through the Valley of Bones. It’s the set of ruins players could see from the flight between Mulgore and Desolace.

Can you go to Mount Hyjal in WoW Forever?

Yes. Mount Hyjal is a new zone for the end of the leveling journey, with Darkwhisper Gorge and the Hyjal Summit raid.

Which dungeons and raids are in the new zones?

Krol’dok Stronghold is in the Riverglades. Mount Hyjal has the Hyjal Summit raid and one of the three entrances to the Barrow Deeps.

How many new quests does WoW Forever add?

More than 1,000 across the level 1–60 journey, with nearly 200 in the Riverglades alone.

Is there flying in WoW Forever?

No. Blizzard ruled out flying mounts and level scaling.

Will Gilneas be in WoW Forever?

It isn’t announced. Blizzard named Gilneas, Uldum and the Emerald Dream among Azeroth’s unfinished stories but hasn’t announced them as zones.

Still unconfirmed

Level ranges for Shen’dralas and Mount Hyjal
Reputations and rewards in each new zone
Flight paths and maps for the new zones
Which zones the beta includes