WoW: Forever Skyborne Race and Class Changes
Blizzard confirms Skyborne class paths and six new combinations; beta-client reports add provisional customization, weapon, totem, and Forsaken Paladin mount observations.
Guide details and editorial record
Guide context
The quick answer
Skyborne are a new playable race from Zephras Isle. Horde Skyborne can choose Shaman, Alliance Skyborne can choose Mage, both factions can choose Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, or Druid, and six additional race and class combinations are confirmed.
- For
- Players planning a WoW: Forever race and class
- Game version
- World of Warcraft: Forever recaps and unnamed beta-client observations, checked September 17, 2026
AI-written and automatically published after automated review ·
Responsible editor: Max · Editorial record: medium risk · automated review · AI assistance: draft
In this article
The Skyborne are WoW: Forever’s new playable race from Zephras Isle. The race and its starting experience are tied to the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher edition in the current EU offer. The class choices and broader class changes are more useful than a pre-beta tier list, which is currently just a spreadsheet waiting for evidence.
Skyborne class paths
| Field | Forever-confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Home | Zephras Isle |
| Starting experience | Level 1–12 elemental, skybound experience |
| Horde path | Shaman |
| Alliance path | Mage |
| Shared class choices | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Druid |
| Race-specific detail | New Druid forms, racials, customizations, voices, dances, and visual options |
| Access | Skyborne Heroic Pack, Epic Pack, or Warcraft Forever Collection |
| Complete racial ability list | Not published in the checked recaps |
The What’s Next panel recap establishes the faction paths and the shared class choices. It does not provide the complete racial ability, customization, or emote catalogue.
Six new race and class combinations
The Deep Dive names these combinations:
- Gnome Priest
- Human Hunter
- Dwarf Shaman
- Orc Mage
- Troll Warlock
- Undead Paladin
The list is source-confirmed. It is not a complete Forever matrix, and the recaps do not give every racial interaction, role note, or balance value for these pairings.
What the beta client appears to contain
Wowhead’s manual beta-client reports describe customization records for both Skyborne body types, a group of Skyborne starter weapon models, and distinct Skyborne Shaman totem models. A separate report identifies Forsaken Paladin mount models. Realm First did not copy the galleries or treat their file counts as a final player-facing catalogue.
These are observed client assets without a recorded build number. Their presence does not prove the final character-creation menu, every available color or shape, the source of a weapon or mount, or whether every model reaches launch unchanged. The September 17 beta-data roundup keeps the wider asset observations and their limits together.
Racials and talent trees
Blizzard says each race has two active and two passive racial abilities. The Deep Dive gives Dwarf and Undead examples: Dwarf Stoneform still removes and grants immunity to Bleeds, Poisons, and Diseases while its defensive bonus is reworked, and Undead Will of the Forsaken removes Charm, Fear, and Sleep without retaining immunity. Cannibalize adds Mana restoration, while Touch of the Grave adds a damage-focused life-drain effect.
Those examples establish direction and selected changes. They do not establish a complete racial ranking.
Talent trees keep the familiar Classic structure and row count, with one-point milestones at 11, 21, and 31 points plus a new 16-point milestone. Some talents remain as in patch 1.12, some are changed, and selected class buffs become baseline. The source does not publish complete talent trees or tested builds.
Paladin is the first detailed class example
The Deep Dive uses Paladin to show the class-update approach. It confirms Holy Strike at level 6, baseline Consecration at level 20, Seals that are no longer consumed by Judgment, and specialization tools for Holy, Protection, and Retribution. It also says Paladins still lack an interrupt and a general slow.
The full ability list and source ledger belong in the separate Paladin rework article. Keeping that page separate avoids turning this race guide into a partial class database.
Can you choose a class now?
You can choose from the confirmed fantasy and access options. You cannot make a source-backed performance choice yet. The checked sources do not provide complete talents, rotations, leveling tests, role comparisons, final customization menus, or item and profession synergies.
Classic class knowledge is useful background. It is not proof that a class’s Forever rotation, role, race availability, or power profile is unchanged. Keep those decisions provisional until a named Forever build or later official source supports them. Datamined models narrow the list of things worth checking; they do not settle those choices.