World of Warcraft: Forever adds toggle to switch between Classic and Retail character models

GG Brief Editorial Desk · AI-assisted, source attributed

PC Gamer reported that World of Warcraft: Forever includes an in-game toggle that lets players switch between Classic's old-school character models and Retail's newer, higher-definition models. The PC Gamer piece by Mollie Taylor says the toggle is a visible option in the Forever client and includes a header comparison image showing a Forever Shaman in each model style. Taylor reported she personally uses the HD (Retail) models and highlighted the braided mohawk on trolls as an example of the difference. The article was published by PC Gamer on 21 September 2026.

What happened: PC Gamer reported that World of Warcraft: Forever has a toggle allowing players to switch between Classic-style models and Retail HD character models.
Why it matters: PC Gamer's author Mollie Taylor reported she prefers the HD models and pointed to the braided troll mohawk as a clear visual difference between the two styles.
Context: PC Gamer published the report on 21 September 2026 and included a header image illustrating the comparison between a Forever Shaman in Classic and Retail model styles.
What next: PC Gamer did not specify in the article whether the toggle applies to all model types, whether it is available across platforms, or any additional implementation details; those points are not confirmed by the report.

What changed

PC Gamer reported that World of Warcraft: Forever provides players with an in-client toggle to switch between Classic's older character models and Retail's newer, higher-definition models. The article describes the option as a visible feature in the Forever client and illustrates the effect with a comparison image.

Before and after

Before: Classic-style "old-school" models, as described by PC Gamer.
After: Retail's newer, shinier HD models, which PC Gamer's Mollie Taylor said she uses and cited the braided mohawk on trolls as an example of an improved detail.

Limits

PC Gamer's article does not specify platform availability, whether the toggle affects NPCs, mounts, animations, or other model categories, or any technical/rollout details. Those implementation specifics were not confirmed in the report.