World of Warcraft: Forever has eight Classic Era races plus the new Skyborne, and the racial abilities were reworked: according to Warcraft Tavern's list, each race has four racials, two active and two passive. The list below comes from the BlizzCon demo as reported on September 12, 2026, so it is demo-state information that can still change; Icy Veins reported updated racial abilities for a later beta build. Blizzard's own panel recap only confirms that the Skyborne get new racials. Release is November 4, 2026.
How racials work in Forever
Compared with Classic Era, several racials are new, several were folded away, and Warcraft Tavern's guide lists these removals: Gun Specialization and Frost Resistance (Dwarf), Arcane Resistance (Gnome), Nature Resistance (Night Elf and Tauren), Command (Orc), Bow and Throwing Specialization (Troll) and Shadow Resistance (Undead). Diplomacy is described as a universal Legacy talent now, and Fear Ward is no longer a Dwarf-only racial: according to Warcraft Tavern it is baseline for all Priests at level 20. Names, numbers and cooldowns can change, so this page does not give cooldown values.
Alliance races
| Race | Active racials | Passive racials |
|---|---|---|
| Dwarf | Stoneform (immunity to bleeds, poisons and diseases, less physical damage taken, 8 sec); Find Treasure | Mace Specialization (+1% spell/ability crit with maces); Big Game Hunter (+5% damage to Beasts) |
| Gnome | Escape Artist (brief root/snare immunity); Eureka! (reduced cost and +10% damage or healing on the next 3 spells/abilities) | Expansive Mind (+5% maximum Mana, Rage or Energy); Engineering Specialization |
| Human | Will to Survive (removes stuns); Perception (detects stealthed enemies, 20 sec) | Sword Specialization (+2% spell/ability crit with swords); The Human Spirit (+5% Spirit) |
| Night Elf | Elune's Light (+10% crit chance, 15 sec); Shadowmeld (stealth while immobile) | Quickness (+1% dodge, +2% run speed); Wisp Spirit (+75% run speed while dead) |
| Skyborne (High Order) | Walk on Air (glide downward, 10 sec); Read Ley Line (+100% Health and Mana regeneration) | Wind Blessed (+1% Haste); Elemental Insight (+5% damage to Elementals) |
Horde races
| Race | Active racials | Passive racials |
|---|---|---|
| Orc | Blood Fury (+10% Attack Power and Spell Power, 15 sec); Shatter Curse (immunity to curses and banes, less magical damage taken, 8 sec) | Axe Specialization (+1% spell/ability crit with axes); Hardiness (-20% stun duration) |
| Tauren | War Stomp (2 sec stun nearby); Cultivation (bonus herbs without Herbalism) | Plainsrunning (speed builds while moving); Endurance (+5% Health, +1% hit) |
| Troll | Berserking (+10% casting and attack speed, 10 sec); Rapid Regeneration (50% of max Health over time) | Beast Slaying (+5% damage to Beasts); Regeneration (10% of Health regeneration in combat) |
| Undead | Will of the Forsaken (removes Charm, Fear, Sleep); Cannibalize (35% Health and Mana from corpses) | Underwater Breathing (+300%); Touch of the Grave (sometimes drains health with attacks) |
| Skyborne (Windshapers) | Walk on Air; Skysight (+10% run speed from an Elemental Blessing) | Wind Blessed; Elemental Insight |
Which race can play which class
| Race | Faction | Classes in Forever |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Alliance | Warrior, Paladin, Hunter (new), Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock |
| Dwarf | Alliance | Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman (new) |
| Gnome | Alliance | Warrior, Rogue, Priest (new), Mage, Warlock |
| Night Elf | Alliance | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Druid |
| Orc | Horde | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Mage (new), Warlock |
| Troll | Horde | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock (new) |
| Undead | Horde | Warrior, Paladin (new), Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock |
| Tauren | Horde | Warrior, Hunter, Shaman, Druid |
| Skyborne | Both | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue (announced), Druid; Mage (Alliance); Shaman (Horde) |
This matrix is the same as in the new race and class combinations guide. The Skyborne are the only race that needs a purchase; see the Skyborne guide.
Priest racials
Priests get their own racial abilities. In the demo-state list: Dwarf has Chastise and Desperate Prayer, Gnome has Confounding Flash (area crowd control on up to 5 enemies within 8 yards) and Contingency Plan (a protective ward that heals an ally falling below 35% Health), Human has Divine Grace and Feedback, Night Elf has Elune's Grace and Starshards, Troll has Hex of Weakness and Shadowguard, and Undead has Dark Sacrifice and Touch of Weakness. Blizzard's Priest notes, as reported by Warcraft Tavern on October 1, give level 10 for Confounding Flash and Divine Grace and level 20 for Contingency Plan, Chastise and Dark Sacrifice.
What this means for choosing a race
Racials are small compared with class choice, so treat them as a tiebreaker. Warcraft Tavern's reading is that several races bring a burst window (Blood Fury, Berserking, Elune's Light, Eureka!), while Human, Orc and Dwarf add weapon-specific crit bonuses. Whether those effects matter in practice will only be clear once real tuning and raid content are out. Not yet known to us: final numbers, cooldowns and any level requirements for most racials.