{
  "id": 16769275,
  "title": "The Big World of Warcraft Forever Interview: Blizzard Reveals Its Plan for the Next Great MMO",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/the-big-world-of-warcraft-forever-interview-blizzard-reveals-its-plan",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-27T17:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/world-of-warcraft-forever-launch-interview-blizzard-azeroth"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Blizzard has revealed its plans for the next major MMO, WoW Forever, following the successful beta of the World of Warcraft Forever beta. This alternative history version of the classic game will be launched on November 4. During an interview with principal game designer Kris Zierhut and lead Classic designer Tim Jones, the team discussed their unique approach to the game.\n\nZierhut explained that WoW Forever aims to create a single subscription experience with three pillars: Classic Era, Forever, and Modern. The Classic Era re-creates the game as it was from 2004 to 2008, serving as a museum for fans who cherished that time. Forever takes a different path, staying in the original world and continuing development, adding new quests, rare creatures, and Trade Skills.\n\nRegarding what remained unchanged from Classic, Zierhut mentioned their four major design pillars. The most important is \"the world is the main character,\" emphasizing the importance of exploring the game world and discovering local stories. The team focused on maintaining this philosophy throughout the Forever experience, ensuring that new content is added throughout the level-up journey, not just at max level.\n\nA significant difference between retail and Forever is the focus on delivering new content for all levels, rather than solely for max-level players. This approach aims to keep the world feeling full and engaging at any time. The team was also inspired by World of Warcraft Hardcore, striving to create an environment where players always have new characters to interact with, preventing empty zones.\n\nIn terms of approachability and familiarity, Zierhut mentioned that Blizzard aimed to make the game accessible to new players while retaining the familiar elements from the Classic era. This includes maintaining standard definition models and animations, as well as preserving the game's balance and core mechanics. By focusing on these aspects, Blizzard hopes to attract new players while providing a comforting experience for longtime fans.",
  "summary": "IGN interviews Blizzard on the past, present, and future of gaming's next great MMO: World of Warcraft Forever.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}