The four new zones Blizzard has announced for World of Warcraft: Forever are Mount Hyjal in northern Kalimdor, the Riverglades on the east coast of the Eastern Kingdoms, Shen'dralas between Mulgore and Desolace, and Zephras Isle, the Skyborne starting zone, which belongs to neither continent. A new battleground, the Darkspear Islands, joins them. The level ranges and flight masters below come from the beta client we read, build 1.60.1.70009.
The new zones at a glance
| Zone |
Continent |
Group Finder levels |
Flight masters |
| Mount Hyjal |
Kalimdor |
55–60 |
2, both factions |
| Riverglades |
Eastern Kingdoms |
33–54 |
1 Alliance, 1 Horde |
| Shen'dralas |
Kalimdor |
not listed |
none |
| Zephras Isle |
none, its own map |
1–14 |
none |
The levels are the client's Group Finder brackets; Blizzard's own figures, where it gave any, follow. Blizzard also confirms that Forever has no flying mounts and no level scaling.
Mount Hyjal: levels 55 to 60
Mount Hyjal sits in northern Kalimdor, between Felwood and Winterspring, the two neighbours its map names. Blizzard invites players to explore the aftermath of Archimonde's defeat, journey through Darkwhisper Gorge (a subzone the client files under Winterspring) and help shape the future of a recovering land. The new 20-player raid shares the mountain's name, Hyjal Summit; Blizzard says new raids unlock on December 9 but has not said where its entrance will be.
Both flight masters serve the Alliance and the Horde:
- Tainted Foothills flies to Summit of Eternity and to Everlook in Winterspring, reaching each faction's flight master there.
- Summit of Eternity flies only to Tainted Foothills.
By air, the way in is always through Everlook; both flight masters are on our Mount Hyjal map.
The Riverglades: levels 33 to 54
The Riverglades lie on the east coast of the Eastern Kingdoms, east of the Burning Steppes, with the Badlands to the north-west and Redridge Mountains to the south-west. Blizzard describes a rugged frontier of rivers, grasslands, trade routes, struggling communities and old grudges, with more than 150 new quests covering much of the mid-30s to mid-40s levels. The Group Finder lists it from 33 to 54.
Each faction has one flight master:
- Alliance: Farholde Keep, in the south, flies to Lakeshire (Redridge), Morgan's Vigil (Burning Steppes) and Thelsamar (Loch Modan).
- Horde: Rog'mar, in the middle of the zone, flies to Stonard (Swamp of Sorrows), Kargath (Badlands), Flame Crest (Burning Steppes) and Hammerfall (Arathi Highlands).
The map also names Sunnyglade, Wheeler's Grange, Powderfuse Port, Bolder'ok and Twilight's Shroud; find them on our Riverglades map.
Shen'dralas: between Mulgore and Desolace
Blizzard presents Shen'dralas as "a long-hidden mystery between Mulgore and Desolace", tied to the Shen'dralar, Eldre'Thalas, Dire Maul and the centaur tribes of the region. The client's map agrees: Desolace to the north-west, Mulgore to the east, Feralas to the south-west. Inside are the Valley of Bones, Bristleback Retreat, the Magram Front and the Forlorn Gardens.
Neither the Group Finder nor Blizzard gives Shen'dralas a level range, and the beta client has no flight master there. The layout is on our Shen'dralas map.
Zephras Isle, the Skyborne starting zone
Zephras Isle is where Skyborne characters begin. It is not part of either continent: in the client, its map hangs directly off Azeroth's. Blizzard describes an elemental, skybound start from level 1 to 12. The Group Finder says 1 to 14, the bracket it gives every original starting zone. There is no flight master on the island. Our Zephras Isle map shows Valanaar, Shen'dar Village, Thendal Village, Falaath Village, the Shrine of Akir and the Ruins of Ban'aethal.
It has been playable since the beta opened on September 17, with a level cap of 20 that will later rise to 30. Blizzard says more zones and the new battleground will open for testing before the beta ends on October 21.
Darkspear Islands, the new battleground
Blizzard's Darkspear Islands is a 15 vs 15 battleground off the coast of Kalimdor, mixing strategic control points with Arathi Basin-style flag captures and defence. The client calls it the ceremonial islands of the Darkspear tribe and lists three goals: capture and hold objectives, capture the Darkspear relic, earn 1,500 resources. The client's Group Finder already lists six level brackets, from 10–19 to 60, the same as Warsong Gulch. Blizzard has not said whether it will be ready at launch.
Our atlas holds these five maps and every other one in the beta client, with a flight planner on each continent map. Levels, routes and flight masters can still change before launch on November 4.
