On November 3 at 03:20 UTC, Blizzard posted its last development notes before WoW Forever's launch. "WoW Forever Beta Development Notes – Updated November 2" sums up every change made since the beta's last full update on October 15: damage goes up for every class, and higher-level creatures get more health to match. Talent trees are reworked in all 9 classes, some racial traits change, and so do quests, bags and gamepad support. Apart from bugs and serious outliers, Blizzard plans no big tuning changes before the new raids open on December 9.
These notes announce more than the game's files hold yet. Our talent calculator shows the client Blizzard serves in the Americas and Europe today, build 1.60.1.70707. The next client, 1.60.1.70753, already served in China, carries the new talent trees of Druids, Paladins and Priests and some of the Mage, Hunter and Warlock changes: our calculator, spell pages and gear lists switch to it the day Blizzard serves it in the Americas and Europe. The changes for Rogues, Shamans and Warriors, the higher damage numbers, the new training costs and the races' new base stats are in neither client yet. Until the game's files carry them, our calculator keeps the current trees, and the sections below mark them as announced.
For every class
Talents no longer lose part of their chance to trigger when you cast a low rank of a spell. The exception is the Mage spell Blizzard: a rank learned more than 12 levels below yours still has a lower chance to trigger Arcane Concentration, Frostbite and Fingers of Frost.
Spells you learn are no longer added to your action bars on their own.
Training costs change: abilities learned at the same level cost the same, except the Priest's racial spells, and training from 1 to 60 costs between 206 and 207 gold for every class. Warlocks pay less, by about what their pets' Grimoires cost.
Every race now gets its correct base stats: a Tauren Warrior starts with 5 more Strength than a Human Warrior, not 2. The fix also covers the High Order and the Windshaper Skyborne.
Roots that come from procs now have diminishing returns: Frostbite, Entrapment, Improved Wing Clip, Counterattack and Improved Hamstring.
Throw now has its 0.5-second windup instead of the thrown weapon's attack speed.
The Replica Ironforge Air Rifle, a Legacy reward, now works on allies who also have one; its quitter debuff lasts 40 seconds (was 5 minutes) and its stun 2.5 seconds (was 3).
Bear Form and Dire Bear Form generate 115% more threat (was 50%), since Salvation is removed.
Poised, a new passive learned at level 32: out of combat at full Energy, your next Energy ability costs 10 less.
Ferocious Bite gets a new rank 1 at level 24; every other rank moves up by one.
Lacerate becomes a Feral talent instead of a spell every Druid learns.
Weapon damage: Shred 200% (was 155%), Claw 140% (was 110%), Ravage 435% (was 350%). Rip, Rake, Ferocious Bite and Pounce deal about 25% more, and Starfire about 40% more.
Balance: Genesis now gives 2 to 10% more periodic damage and healing. Moonkin Form's critical strike bonus applies again to every kind of critical strike, and does not stack with Leader of the Pack.
Feral: Heart of the Wild swaps places with Restoration's Furor. Lacerate takes Primal Bite's place in row 4, and the new Predatory Discipline takes Shifting Power's: Ferocious Bite no longer converts extra Energy, but still deals extra damage for it. Berserk is removed: Primal Bite takes its place in row 7, after Leader of the Pack, and Shifting Power moves to row 7 too, so Feral gets one 31-point talent for Bears and one for Cats. Rend and Tear rises to 3 to 15%, and Predatory Strikes, Natural Instinct and Rend and Tear change columns.
Restoration: Naturalist now gives 2 to 10% more damage and shortens Wild Growth's cast by up to 0.5 seconds. Reflection and Subtlety swap rows. Gift of the Earthmother is removed and replaced by Bloom: when your Rejuvenation or Regrowth runs its course, the target is healed for 100% of your Spirit, or 50% if it is dispelled. Swiftmend now needs your own Rejuvenation or Regrowth on the target, and Wild Growth has a 3-second base cast.
Arcane: Missile Barrage is consumed when Arcane Missiles starts, and moves to row 2. Arcane Resilience moves to row 1 and now takes up to 3 points, for armor equal to up to 75% of your Intellect. Clearcasting is no longer spent on Arcane Missiles while Missile Barrage is active. Arcane Focus is removed, merged into Frost's Precision. Arcane Blast's mana cost grows by 100% per stack (was 175%), it gives 12% of your Intellect as spell damage per stack (was 15%), and it lasts 18 seconds.
Fire: Incineration goes up to 5 points, for 10% critical strike chance. Improved Fireball is renamed Accelerant, and also shortens Arcane Wrath's cast by up to 0.5 seconds. Critical Mass goes back to 3 points (6%). Improved Fire Blast moves to row 3, and Ignite now applies to all of Flamestrike's damage.
Frost: Piercing Ice is removed. Ice Barrier now also increases your Frost damage by 15% for 1 minute, and by another 5% while the barrier holds. Frost Warding increases what Ice Barrier and Frost Ward absorb, and Frost Ward can now fully negate a spell's damage instead of reflecting it. Elemental Precision is renamed Precision and goes back to 3 points: 2, 4 and 6% chance to hit with all spells. Ice Lance has an 8-second cooldown shared with Fire Blast, and deals 300% damage to frozen targets again. Winter's Chill gives Cone of Cold 20% more damage per stack.
Righteous Fury is learned at level 10 (was 16). It increases all your threat by 33% and the threat of your Holy damage by another 90%, and it is free with the Legacy talent The Quick and the Dead.
Salvation, Mass Salvation, Revoke and Blessing of Light are removed. Judgement of Fury lasts 3 seconds (was 4).
Holy: Spiritual Focus, Reverence, Purifying Power, Divine Favor, Illumination and Divine Precision move up a row. Spiritual Focus and Improved Seals now take 5 points, Reverence and Divine Precision 2, and Divine Precision gives 4 and 8% chance to hit with Holy spells. Holy Power now raises the critical healing of your Holy spells by 10 to 50%. Voice of Truth is removed, and Light's Vigil now only works on allies. Holy Conduit comes from Retribution, and Unyielding Faith leaves for it. New talents: Oath of Light (row 4) and Boundless Light (row 5).
Protection: Divine Intellect comes from Holy. Sacred Duty moves to row 2 and no longer gives Stamina; Templar's Bulwark moves to row 3 and can be dispelled. Improved Righteous Fury rises to 3, 6 and 9% damage reduction, and Shield Specialization takes 2 points. Toughness and Anticipation move down. Swift Judgement now unleashes your active Seal instead of resetting Judgement. Improved Seal of Fury and One-Handed Weapon Specialization are removed, Holy Shield moves to row 5 and Iron Creed takes 3 points. New talents: Stoicism (row 5) and Shieldsworn (row 7), which makes Holy Strike strike with your shield.
Retribution: Sanctified Judgement and Conviction move to row 2, and Conviction gives 2, 4 and 6% critical strike chance to all spells and attacks. Vindication no longer gives attack power. Two-Handed Weapon Specialization moves to row 4, raises Holy and Physical damage by 2 to 6% and lowers your threat with a two-handed weapon. Champion of the Light now gives spell damage equal to 12 to 60% of your Intellect and shortens Hammer of Wrath's cast by up to 1 second. Vengeance stacks up to 5 times and now requires Seal of Command. Instrument of Law and Twist of Light are removed. New talents: Turn Evil (row 5) and Unsealed Wrath, the new 31-point talent, which requires Repentance.
Shadow Word: Death deals 30% of your maximum health to you when it fails to kill (was 10%), and nothing when it misses.
Power Word: Shield can now be replaced by one of equal or higher rank.
Dark Sacrifice, the Undead Priest's spell, no longer breaks crowd control.
Holy: Binding Heal is removed and replaced by Holy Binding: half the healing of a Flash Heal on someone else also heals you.
Shadow: Vampiric Embrace's healing can no longer be a critical, Devouring Contagion no longer spreads from critters, and Cure Disease and Abolish Disease no longer take you out of Shadowform.
Announced by Blizzard, not yet in the game's files except Poised: the calculator still shows the current Rogue trees.
Shank, a new spell at level 24: an off-hand strike that costs 5 Energy, deals 50% of your weapon damage, cannot miss and gives back 15 Energy, on a 10-second cooldown. Rank 2, at level 44, gives back 25.
Poised, a new passive at level 18: out of combat at full Energy, your next Energy ability costs 10 less.
Deadly Poison and Instant Poison take twice as much of your attack power.
Assassination: Murder is removed. Lethality takes 2 points (10 and 20% critical damage), Relentless Strikes 5 points (a 4 to 20% chance per combo point to restore 25 Energy), and Seal Fate 3 points (up to a 100% chance). Venom becomes a passive tied to Shank. Mutilate moves to row 7 and deals 90% of weapon damage, and Improved Expose Armor and Vigor move up. New talent: Blood Splatter (row 3).
Combat: Improved Eviscerate is renamed Coup de Grace, and Improved Sinister Strike is renamed Efficient Strikes and also discounts Hemorrhage. Flawless Execution saves 15 Energy. Aggression now raises Sinister Strike and Eviscerate by 5 to 15%, and Dual Wield Specialization takes 2 points, for 25 and 50% off-hand damage. New talents: Composure (row 3) and Flash of Steel (row 6), both built on Poised and Shank.
Subtlety: Setup, Opportunity, Camouflage and Hemorrhage change, and Ghostly Strike also lets your next Ambush or Garrote within 7 seconds be used without Stealth. Improved Distract, Quietus, Cutthroat and Thousand Cuts are removed. New talents: Quick Getaway (row 4), Boot Knife (row 6) and Death Mark (row 7).
Announced by Blizzard, not yet in the game's files: the calculator still shows the current Shaman trees.
Lightning Bolt deals more at every rank, up to 80% more at the highest. Chain Lightning casts in 2.5 seconds, hits its first target for about 145% of a Lightning Bolt of the same rank, and costs about 225% of its mana.
Shocks go back to Classic Era damage, higher than in the beta.
Totemic Projection is renamed Totemic Call: it brings your totems to you, on a 30-second cooldown.
Elemental: Lightning Overload rises to a 10, 20 and 30% chance. Lava Burst is removed and replaced by Call of Thunder, which adds 5% critical strike chance to Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning. Elemental Mastery is renamed Lightning Mastery.
Enhancement: Stormstrike deals 150% normalized weapon damage on a 6-second cooldown, Maelstrom Weapon triggers twice as often, Mental Dexterity gives up to 150% of your Intellect as attack power, and Flurry up to 30% attack speed. Improved Ghost Wolf moves to row 4.
Restoration: Riptide costs about 40% less mana, has a 12-second cooldown and only heals over time.
Pets get 2 health per point of your Stamina (was 7.5).
Spellstones now only increase Shadow damage, and Drain Soul gives a Soul Shard much less often when it deals damage without killing.
Affliction: Amplify Curse now affects Curse of Exhaustion and Bane of Agony. Improved Drains no longer raises Wrack's damage, and Wrack takes twice as much of your spell damage.
Destruction: Shadow and Flame raises Fire or Shadow damage by 4 to 20% (was 2 to 10%).
Announced by Blizzard, not yet in the game's files: the calculator still shows the current Warrior trees.
Defensive Stance generates 80% more threat (was 30%), and Slam's cooldown drops to 15 seconds.
Arms: Improved Tactical Mastery takes 3 points (up to 15 Rage kept), Two-Handed Weapon Specialization rises to 2, 4 and 6%, Bloodthrill takes 2 points, and Improved Slam shortens Slam's cooldown by 2.5 and 5 seconds.
Fury: Enrage moves to row 3 and Gore Drinker to row 5. Flurry takes 3 points (10 to 30% attack speed for 3 swings) and no longer needs Death Wish, while Bloodthirst now does. Booming Voice also cheapens Piercing Howl. New talents: Reckless Swings (row 4) and Improved Whirlwind (row 6).
Protection: Defiance rises to 7, 13 and 20% threat.
Races
Dwarf: Earth Fury is removed, and Artisan's Precision adds 1% chance to hit with spells and attacks.
Human: Ruthless gives 1% critical strike chance (was 2%), and The Human Spirit 10% Spirit (was 5%).
Orc: Savage is removed, and Command returns, with 5% more damage for Warlock and Hunter pets. Blood Fury has a 2-minute cooldown.
Skyborne: Wind Blessed gives 2% Haste. Read Leyline gives 50% more health and mana regeneration for 15 seconds, 100% while Attuned at a ley line, and Skysight 15% movement speed, 30% while Charged.
Tauren: Plainsrunning gives 2% movement speed per stack, up to 60%, no longer while mounted, and Endurance only gives 5% health.
Troll: Berserking lasts 15 seconds. Undead: Touch of the Grave has a 15-second internal cooldown, and Cannibalize works again while you are immune to Physical damage.
Quests, bags and the rest
Respawn rates change in many areas to support crowds at launch, and some quests change their experience, prerequisites or levels. All the quests of the Ruins of Lordaeron now require level 15.
Bags no longer go into a free bag slot on their own: you equip them yourself.
Gamepad support is complete: movement, spells, interaction and the interface all work with a controller, set up in Edit Mode and the Options menu.
In the Darkspear Islands battleground, dropping the flag no longer gives you the "Recently Dropped Flag" debuff.
On November 3, 2026 at 03:20 UTC, the evening of November 2 in Pacific time, as the November 2 update of the beta development notes on Blizzard's forums.
02Does your talent calculator show the new talent trees?
Not yet. It shows build 1.60.1.70707, the client Blizzard serves in the Americas and Europe. The next client, 1.60.1.70753, already served in China, carries the new Druid, Paladin and Priest trees: our calculator switches to it the day Blizzard serves it in the Americas and Europe.
03Which changes are not in the game's files yet?
The Rogue, Shaman and Warrior changes, the higher damage numbers, the new training costs and the races' new base stats: neither the client served in the Americas and Europe nor the one served in China carries them yet.
04Will Blizzard change the classes again before the raids?
Apart from bugs and serious outliers, Blizzard plans no big tuning changes before the new raids open on December 9.
Read in the server's hotfix data on October 23, not in Blizzard's notes: Righteous Fury at level 10, a reworked Frost tree, Hunter's Mark and Lava Burst.
Every WoW Forever beta update, newest first: the Oct. 15 build and its new racials, the Oct. 21 stress test, City of Dalaran, the level 30 build and Sept. 24.
All WoW Forever racial abilities from the beta client, Skyborne included: two actives and two passives per race, what is new and what Blizzard changed.
