World of Warcraft: Forever will not have flying mounts or level scaling, and the team is not planning around future level cap increases, according to the design pillars laid out at the World of Warcraft: Forever What’s Next panel at BlizzCon 2026.
The panel opened with what the team called its promise: the next chapter stays in the original Azeroth rather than moving on to Outland. The focus is the Eastern Kingdoms, revisiting “regions that existed on the map but never had the chance to become adventures of their own.”
Three slides followed, titled Core Pillars. The first, Approachable and Familiar, is where the hard rules landed. “We believe the world should still feel like Classic,” the speaker said, adding that every addition is measured against the spirit of the original game. “That’s why you won’t find flying mounts. You won’t find level scaling.” Azeroth should stay dangerous, with preparation, communication and cooperation mattering, but not difficult for its own sake.
The second pillar, World as Main Character, puts leveling on the same footing as endgame, with new zones, quests and rewards planned across all levels of play. Not every story, the team said, needs to be about saving the world.
The third, Journey Before Destination, frames Forever as a long-term home. “We’re not planning around future level cap increases that invalidate your accomplishments,” the speaker said, and professions you invest in are meant to keep mattering.
The speaker was not named on screen during this section. Zones, dungeons and raids were still to come at the time of writing.
