World of Warcraft: Forever beta flooded by players, dev reports 'craziest numbers'

GG Brief Editorial Desk · AI-assisted, source attributed

IGN reported that World of Warcraft: Forever's beta was flooded with players and experienced disconnects and severe lag, and developer Josh Greenfield said on X/Twitter the test is putting up "the craziest numbers" he's seen in 17 years at Blizzard. Blizzard announced Forever at the BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony and described it as a "Classic Plus" title set during World of Warcraft's first year; the full game is due November 4. Players who accessed the beta encountered disconnects and extreme lag affecting looting and quest acceptance, making play difficult, IGN reported. IGN also reported that the beta's popularity surprised Blizzard and suggested the game could be a smash hit.

• What happened: IGN reported that World of Warcraft: Forever's beta was overrun by players, causing disconnects and extreme lag with looting and accepting quests; developer Josh Greenfield said on X/Twitter it is putting up "the craziest numbers" he's seen in 17 years at Blizzard.
• Why it matters: IGN reported the unexpected demand and technical issues suggest exceptionally high interest in Forever and noted that Blizzard was surprised by the beta's popularity, which IGN said could indicate the game might be a smash hit.
• Context: IGN reported Forever was announced during BlizzCon 2026 as a "Classic Plus" MMO set in WoW's first year, the beta was made available this week, and the full game is scheduled to launch November 4.
• What next: IGN did not report any confirmed timeline for server fixes, expanded beta access, or other mitigation steps from Blizzard; the announced launch date remains November 4.