WoW Forever: Blizzard's checklist before you log in at launch

Blizzard has published a guide for players returning to WoW: Forever, alongside a launch overview with login times for every region. In Europe the game opens at 23:00 London time on 4 November, which is midnight on 5 November in Central Europe.

Access comes with an active World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time. The Skyborne race and its starting experience on Zephras Isle need the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher upgrade. The game installs through the Battle.net app: pick WoW: Forever in the Game Version menu, then Install and Play. If you have more than one WoW account, you choose which one to play on during installation, and Blizzard suggests updating your operating system and graphics drivers first.

On first login you pick an Experience Preset, Classic or Enhanced, before you choose a ruleset. Blizzard says that if you are not sure, start with Enhanced, and the preset can be changed later in the Options menu under System. Each new character can also use High Definition or Standard Definition models, which only affect appearance.

Instead of realms there are rulesets: Normal, PvP, Roleplay and Roleplay PvP at launch, with more on each in our guide. Hardcore, where death is permanent, will follow some time after launch, and Blizzard says details are still to come. It advises agreeing a ruleset and faction with friends and guildmates before you start.

Early name reservations run until 3 November, after the window opened on 27 October. Level 60 players will be able to enter the first raids on 9 December.