The WoW: Forever end-of-beta podcast: data mining, hidden items and the two-week wait, checked against the client

2026-10-22 · ForeverDB

Blizzard's fifth WoW: Forever podcast sends off the beta: a level 30 cap, four of nine new dungeons, thousands of items and secrets held back, and an updated look over the Classic art style. We line up what the devs said against the beta client, and list the class changes the episode skipped.

This is an official World of Warcraft video. Blizzard's words are quoted from the podcast. Ability and talent numbers come from the WoW Forever beta client (build 1.60.1.70450), with Classic Era shown only for comparison. Beta data can change before launch on November 4, 2026.

The fifth WoW: Forever podcast is the beta send-off, recorded as the beta wraps up. Host Josh Corbett is joined by Josh "Aggrend" Greenfield, Clay Stone, Ana Resendez, Michael Nuthals and guest Meeix. They talk through data mining, why Blizzard ran a beta at all, the items and secrets held back, the updated look, the 30 to 60 journey and the raids. Here is what they said, checked against our copy of the client.

The short version

• This is the final beta episode. The beta ends as it goes out, and launch is November 4th.
• Blizzard's reason for a beta was to test the servers and core systems, not to show everything. The beta capped players at level 30 and opened four of nine new dungeons, with no raids.
• Thousands of items and secrets were held back, including items hidden until a player finds them, so data miners and map explorers could not reach them.
• The look is updated with new lighting, water and weather, without changing the Classic art style.
• We also list, class by class, the changes the podcast skipped.

Claim by claim

Checked against site/data/dungeons.json and world.json. Dungeon and zone pages link through.

Data mining, and why Blizzard sometimes stays quiet

Clay Stone opened with a note on data mining. The team watches community threads, lets players course-correct themselves, and only steps in when a wrong conclusion starts to harden. The caution he gave: a lot of datamined material is shared code or assets from other versions of WoW, not things built for Forever.

super proud of the team and the way that we have uh obfuscated so much. Blizzard, End of Beta Special | Episode 5 - The WoW: Forever Podcast (4:28)

Hidden items and the unsolved game

The team wants the game to launch unsolved. Items stay hidden until a player finds them, and dungeon and raid maps were held back so explorers could not preview them. Michael Nuthals gave Scarlet Monastery as an example, and Clay Stone recalled the Deadmines pants that speed up smelting, which he said he had only now seen drop on beta.

I'm going to do Scarlet Monastery. I don't I don't know what drops from Herod, right? Blizzard, End of Beta Special | Episode 5 - The WoW: Forever Podcast (16:50)

The torch was the opposite case: a light-source item held back, then switched on mid-beta to test the tech. It caused performance issues, which were fixed.

the quest and the spawn from the guy you get it from in Duskwood was turned off for the first week of beta. Blizzard, End of Beta Special | Episode 5 - The WoW: Forever Podcast (19:36)

The beta: level 30, four dungeons, no raids

Aggrend explained the limited beta was about testing the foundations, classes, camping and the server infrastructure, rather than unlocking everything. The content above level 30, the other dungeons and the raids were tested internally, not by the public.

It only allowed players to go up to level 30. They were only able to experience four of our nine new dungeons. Blizzard, End of Beta Special | Episode 5 - The WoW: Forever Podcast (8:45)

Ana Resendez added the reason for the two-week gap: the live game runs on different hardware from the beta, so the real servers, the realmless rule set and the configuration all have to be stood up. Epic edition name reservations start the following week.

Updated visuals

The team built a "beautiful corner" around Northshire Abbey to try new lighting, water and weather, then spread it across the world. Aggrend said the aim was to keep the Classic look, not replace it.

we're not taking away from the classic art style. We're just embellishing it even more. Blizzard, End of Beta Special | Episode 5 - The WoW: Forever Podcast (22:49)

30 to 60, mostly untested

The higher-level journey is where the big untested gaps are: the new race and class combos like undead paladins, the reworked questing, and the new zone Riverglades. A few players reached Riverglades in beta, but did not see its quests or dungeons.

we know some players have made their way into Riverglades so far Blizzard, End of Beta Special | Episode 5 - The WoW: Forever Podcast (29:41)

The abilities the hosts named

The class discussion touched several abilities and talents by name. Here is what our copy of the client shows for each, with the in-game names. Classic Era is the comparison only.

Hunter

• Charge Charge is a pet ability trained at level 1, ranking up to Rank 6 at level 60. Unchanged from Classic Era.
• Mine! Mine! is new in Forever: the pet "Grabs an enemy's weapon with its talons, causing 10 to 12 damage and disarming them for 3 sec" at rank 1. See the Hunter changes.

Rogue

• Opportunity Opportunity: Subtlety tier 1 (level 10). 2 ranks in Forever (5% then 10%) where Classic had 5, and it now boosts Backstab, Garrote, Ambush and Mutilate.
• Initiative Initiative: Subtlety tier 3 (level 20). Top rank now gives a 100% chance to add a combo point with Ambush, Garrote or Cheap Shot, up from Classic's 75%.
• Kick Kick: trained at level 12, unchanged; it interrupts and locks that spell school for 5 sec. See the Rogue changes.

Priest

• Feedback Feedback: trained at level 20. It costs less mana in Forever, 230 Mana at rank 5 instead of 580. See the Priest changes.

Mage

• Critical Mass Critical Mass: Fire tier 5 (level 30). 5 ranks in Forever, up to 10% fire spell crit, where Classic had 3.
• Frost Nova Frost Nova: trained at level 10. Slightly less damage at the top (rank 4 is 69 to 77 instead of 71 to 79); rank 1 has a higher spell power coefficient.
• Blizzard Blizzard: trained at level 20. The Forever client carries no damage number for its ranks, so the server works it out. We can't check that number yet (Classic Era's rank 6 did 1192 over 8 sec). See the Mage changes.

Warlock

• Cataclysm Cataclysm: moved to Destruction tier 2 (level 15). 3 ranks in Forever, cutting Destruction mana cost by up to 10%, where Classic had 5. See the Warlock changes.

Druid

• Reflection Reflection: Restoration tier 3 (level 20). Top rank lets 50% of your mana regeneration continue while casting, up from Classic's 15%.
• Wrath Wrath: trained at level 1. Most ranks do less damage (rank 8 is 86 to 96 instead of 236 to 264) and every rank costs less mana. See the Druid changes.

What the video didn't mention

Paladin

Holy

• Voice of Truth Voice of Truth, tier 3, level 20: immunity to Silence and Interrupt for 6 sec.
• Reverence Reverence, tier 3, level 20: up to 30% of your mana regen continues while casting.
• Divine Precision Divine Precision, tier 5, level 30: up to 18% more Holy spell hit.
• Consecrated Ground Consecrated Ground, tier 5, level 30: Holy spells hit 10% harder on the first 4 enemies in your Consecration (replaces Lasting Judgement).
• Light's Vigil Light's Vigil, level 40, above the cap.

Protection

• Seal of Fury Seal of Fury, new ability, level 10: a new tanking seal.
• Sacred Duty Sacred Duty, tier 3, level 20: +4% Stamina and shorter Divine Shield and Divine Protection cooldowns.
• Improved Seal of Fury Improved Seal of Fury, tier 3, level 20.
• Templar's Bulwark Templar's Bulwark, tier 5, level 30: an absorb shield worth 100% of your max health for 8 sec (replaces Blessing of Sanctuary).
• Judgement of Fury Judgement of Fury, new ability, level 25; Revoke Revoke, new ability, level 26.

Retribution

• Holy Conduit Holy Conduit, tier 2, level 15: cuts the mana cost of Consecration, Holy Wrath, Exorcism and Hammer of Wrath by 40% at rank 2 (replaces Improved Seal of the Crusader).
• Sanctified Judgement Sanctified Judgement, tier 3, level 20: Judgement returns 60% of the judged seal's mana.
• Holy Strike Holy Strike, new ability, level 6.
• Sanctity Aura Sanctity Aura is gone from Forever.
• Champion of the Light Champion of the Light, level 35, and Twist of Light Twist of Light, level 40, both above the cap.

All 95 Paladin changes, rank by rank →

Hunter

Beast Mastery

• Focused Fire Focused Fire, tier 2, level 15: 2% more damage for you and your pet while the pet is up (replaces Improved Eyes of the Beast).
• Summon Hawk Summon Hawk, tier 4, level 25: a dive-bombing hawk that shares Arcane Shot's cooldown.
• Thick Hide Thick Hide is gone from Forever.

Marksmanship

• Careful Aim Careful Aim, tier 2, level 15: attack power equal to 100% of your Intellect at rank 5.
• Improved Stings Improved Stings, tier 2, level 15.
• Lone Wolf Lone Wolf, tier 3, level 20: 20% more damage with no pet out.
• Rapid Recuperation Rapid Recuperation, tier 5, level 30.
• Sniper Shot Sniper Shot, level 40, above the cap; Improved Hunter's Mark Improved Hunter's Mark is gone.

Survival

• Improved Tracking Improved Tracking, tier 1, level 10: renamed from Monster Slaying, now 5 ranks, 5% more damage to the tracked type.
• Predator's Edge Predator's Edge, tier 4, level 25.
• Expose Prey Expose Prey, tier 5, level 30 (replaces Killer Instinct).
• Strider Kick Strider Kick and Survivalist's Discipline Survivalist's Discipline, tier 5, level 30.
• Lacerate Lacerate, new ability, level 30 (a Season of Discovery spell, now a class ability).

All 85 Hunter changes, rank by rank →

Rogue

Assassination

• Mutilate Mutilate, tier 5, level 30: now a talent (the SoD version); rank 2 costs 60 Energy.
• Coup de Grace Coup de Grace, new ability, level 30.
• Malice Malice: top rank now also raises crit with Poisons.
• Expose Armor Expose Armor: stronger, rank 5 strips 450 armour per combo point instead of 340.
• Rupture Rupture: less damage (rank 6 is 105 over 6 sec instead of 180).

Combat

• Puncturing Wounds Puncturing Wounds, tier 2, level 15 (replaces Improved Backstab).
• Flawless Execution Flawless Execution, tier 4, level 25: Eviscerate costs 10 less energy (replaces Dagger Specialization).
• Improved Eviscerate Improved Eviscerate: moved to Combat tier 1, now 20% instead of 15%.
• Hack and Slash Mace Specialization is gone from Forever.

Subtlety

• Dirty Tricks Dirty Tricks, tier 2, level 15: Sap and Blind cost 50% less energy.
• Improved Distract Improved Distract, tier 3, level 20.
• Camouflage Camouflage: moved to tier 1.
• Distract Distract: now lasts 10 sec.
• Quietus Quietus, level 35, and Thousand Cuts Thousand Cuts, level 40, both above the cap.

All 56 Rogue changes, rank by rank →

Priest

Discipline

• Power in Light Power in Light and Twin Disciplines Twin Disciplines, tier 1, level 10.
• Holy Precision Holy Precision, tier 2, level 15 (replaces Improved Power Word: Fortitude).
• Penance Penance, tier 5, level 30: the Season of Discovery beam, now a talent.
• Contingency Plan Contingency Plan, new ability, level 20; Confounding Flash Confounding Flash, level 10.

Holy

• Divine Grace Divine Grace, new ability, level 10; Chastise Chastise, new ability, level 20.
• Litany of Light Litany of Light, tier 5, level 30 (replaces Improved Prayer of Healing).
• Lesser Heal Lesser Heal: more healing (rank 3 is 151 to 175 instead of 135 to 157).
• Smite Smite: lower listed damage (rank 8 is 160 to 180 instead of 371 to 415) and usable in Shadowform.

Shadow

• Improved Mind Flay Improved Mind Flay, tier 3, level 20.
• Dark Inspiration Dark Inspiration, tier 4, level 25.
• Devouring Contagion Devouring Contagion, tier 5, level 30 (replaces Improved Vampiric Embrace).
• Dark Sacrifice Dark Sacrifice, new ability, level 20.
• Shadow Word: Death Shadow Word: Death, level 32, above the cap (a SoD spell, now a class ability).

All 86 Priest changes, rank by rank →

Mage

Arcane

• Missile Barrage Missile Barrage, tier 1, level 10.
• Arcane Blast Arcane Blast, tier 3, level 20: the stacking SoD nuke.
• Arcane Wrath Arcane Wrath, new ability, level 25.
• Arcane Intellect Arcane Intellect: now lasts 1 hour instead of 30 min.
• Teleport: Dalaran Teleport: Dalaran, level 50, above the cap.

Fire

• Heating Up Heating Up, tier 4, level 25.
• Fireball Fireball: lower listed damage (rank 12 is 425 to 541 instead of 596 to 760).
• Fire Blast Fire Blast and Flamestrike Flamestrike: lower listed damage.
• Frostfire Bolt Frostfire Bolt, level 40, above the cap (a SoD spell, now a class ability).

Frost

• Ice Lance Ice Lance, tier 3, level 20 (a SoD spell, now a talent).
• Fingers of Frost Fingers of Frost, tier 5, level 30.
• Frost Blast Frost Blast, new ability, level 24.
• Frostbolt Frostbolt: lower listed damage (rank 11 is 457 to 493 instead of 515 to 555).
• Detect Magic is gone from Forever.

All 71 Mage changes, rank by rank →

Warlock

Affliction

• Improved Drains Improved Drains, tier 2, level 15.
• Soul Harvest Soul Harvest, tier 2, level 15 (replaces Improved Drain Soul).
• Pandemic Pandemic, tier 3, level 20.
• Malevolence Malevolence, tier 4, level 25: +5% Shadow crit.
• Wrack Wrack, level 40, above the cap (replaces Dark Pact).

Demonology

• Demonic Aegis Demonic Aegis and Demonic Energies Demonic Energies, tier 2, level 15.
• Decimation Decimation and Demonic Brand Demonic Brand, tier 4, level 25.
• Demonic Knowledge Demonic Knowledge, tier 5, level 30.
• Improved Felhunter Improved Felhunter, tier 5, level 30 (replaces Improved Subjugate Demon).

Destruction

• Molten Skin Molten Skin, tier 2, level 15: 10% less damage taken at rank 5.
• Bane of Havoc Bane of Havoc, tier 5, level 30: spreads 15% of your damage to a cursed target (replaces Improved Immolate).
• Fire and Brimstone Fire and Brimstone, tier 5, level 30.
• Shadow and Flame Shadow and Flame, level 35, and Incinerate Incinerate, level 40, both above the cap.
• Devastation Devastation is gone from Forever.

All 92 Warlock changes, rank by rank →

Druid

Balance

• Genesis Genesis, tier 1, level 10.
• Nature's Majesty Nature's Majesty, tier 2, level 15 (replaces Natural Weapons).
• Nature's Splendor Nature's Splendor, tier 3, level 20.
• Eclipse Eclipse, tier 5, level 30.
• Moonfire Moonfire: lower listed damage (rank 10 is 124 to 146 plus 240 over 12 sec instead of 189 to 221 plus 384).

Feral Combat

• Primal Bite Primal Bite, tier 4, level 25.
• Shifting Power Shifting Power, tier 4, level 25.
• Natural Instinct Natural Instinct, tier 5, level 30.
• Improved Shifting Power Improved Shifting Power, tier 5, level 30.
• Lacerate Lacerate, level 42, above the cap (a SoD spell, now a class ability).

Restoration

• Gift of the Earthmother Gift of the Earthmother, tier 3, level 20.
• Living Spirit Living Spirit, tier 5, level 30.
• Revive Revive, new ability, level 12.
• Mark of the Wild Mark of the Wild: stronger (rank 7 is 385 armour instead of 285) and lasts 1 hour.
• Healing Touch Healing Touch: slightly less healing (rank 11 is 2139 to 2525 instead of 2267 to 2677).

All 90 Druid changes, rank by rank →

Sources

• End of Beta Special | Episode 5 - The WoW: Forever Podcast (World of Warcraft, YouTube)
• WoW: Forever official site
• Scarlet Monastery in the WoW Forever client (ForeverDB)