Zephras Isle is where every Skyborne starts: islands anchored in the elemental plane, a home that is coming apart, and a people who cannot agree on how to save it. It is the only new zone you can play from level 1.
From the Zephras Isle section of Blizzard’s Found Photos panel recap. Image: Blizzard Entertainment.
Written from Blizzard’s own panels and recaps, with interviews, a Wowhead roundup and lines read out of the Forever beta client marked where they are used. Last reviewed: .
Thousands of years ago a group of highborne exiles fled Eldre’Thalas after the War of the Ancients. They made a pact with the elemental wind spirits, and those spirits anchored their island home in Skywall, the realm of air. Blizzard calls their descendants the Skyborne, or the shen’dorei — the hidden people. Wowhead’s roundup of what Blizzard has said about the open world adds the part the panels skipped: they got out of Dire Maul with the help of Al’Akir’s wind elementals.
Classic players have already seen the edge of that story. The panel points back at Thunderfury and Prince Thunderaan as the first glimpses of elemental powers beyond Azeroth.
By the time players arrive, Zephras Isle is in trouble. The air spirits that protected the islands have vanished, the pylons that hold the place together are failing, communities are cut off from each other, and parts of the island have begun falling into ruin and darkness.
Who is fighting over Zephras Isle
Horde
The Windshapers
They keep the elemental traditions and work closely with the Earthen Ring. A Windshaper Skyborne joins the Horde and can be a Shaman.
Alliance
The High Order
They want the arcane legacy of their ancestors back and work alongside the Kirin Tor. A High Order Skyborne joins the Alliance and can be a Mage.
Neither
The Al’Aketh
The ones who turned to darker powers. In the beta client a “Mark of Akir” lets the Al’Aketh know you are friendly, so at least part of the zone is spent among them rather than against them.
For now
A truce on the island
Another line in the beta client reads that the Windshapers and the High Order “have set aside their differences, for now” — the two playable sides start out working together.
Racials, classes, druid forms and what the packs cost are on the Skyborne race page.
How you get to Zephras Isle
There is no boat or portal to find: Zephras Isle is where a Skyborne character wakes up, and it carries the first twelve levels on its own. Blizzard describes it as a surprising but self-contained experience, added “with care and restraint”, which is also why it does not tie into the rest of the world the way the other three new zones do.
Playing a Skyborne needs the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher upgrade, so the zone is behind the same purchase as the race. Blizzard has not said whether characters of other races can visit the island, or how a Skyborne leaves it at level 12.
Two paid guide addons plan step-by-step routes through Forever’s new zones; what each has announced and what it costs: Zygor vs RestedXP for WoW Forever (the comparison contains affiliate links).
What Zephras Isle looks like
Three more shots from the Zephras Isle section of the Found Photos panel recap: white towers under snowy peaks, a statue in blue fog, and a carved gateway under red leaves. Image: Blizzard Entertainment.
What the beta client shows
No duels or world PvP, at least for now. A client line reads “Combat between players is currently forbidden on Zephras Isle.”
Named corners of the island. The spell table has a Shadowgale Forest, a Blessing of Zephras and separate conversation moments for the Windshapers and the High Order.
A finale. There is a trigger named for the end of the Zephras story, so the starting zone looks to be built as one arc rather than a set of loose quests.
A frog pet. Frogs sing on a rock at 51.5, 72.1, a nod to Ocarina of Time’s frog choir. Use /sing next to them and one hops onto the log beside you: pick it up for the Musical Gustjumper pet. It isn’t bound until you learn it, so you can take extras for friends (Warcraft Tavern, September 28).
These lines come from the beta client (build 1.60.1.69893), not from an announcement. Text in a beta client changes, and some of it never ships.
Zephras Isle FAQ
What level is Zephras Isle?
It is the Skyborne starting experience and covers levels 1 to 12. After that, Blizzard has not said where Skyborne characters go next.
Do you have to pay extra for Zephras Isle?
Zephras Isle is where the Skyborne start, and playing a Skyborne needs the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher upgrade, so in practice yes.
Where is Zephras Isle?
It is not on the Classic map. The islands are anchored in the elemental plane, in the realm of air called Skywall, and their architecture is built in Skywall’s style.
Can other races go to Zephras Isle?
Blizzard has not said. The island is described as self-contained, and every mention of it so far is about the Skyborne starting there.
What classes can a Skyborne play?
Shaman for the Horde-aligned Windshapers and Mage for the Alliance-aligned High Order, plus Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid on both sides. Details are on the Skyborne race page.
Is Zephras Isle in the WoW Forever beta?
Yes. Skyborne characters start there in the WoW Forever beta, and players have already turned up its secrets, such as the Musical Gustjumper frog pet.
