Gnome

5:00 Gnomes in World of Warcraft: Forever are an Alliance race whose racials at launch are Escape Artist, Eureka!, Expansive Mind and Engineering Specialization, and Eureka! is the one that changed most: since the beta build of Oct 15, 2026 it is an 8-second buff with no charges. Reading the list on his first BlizzCon session, Xaryu said he might have to be a Gnome, then saw the Gnome Priest. That is one of Forever's six new combinations, with two Priest spells made for it.

Quick facts

Eureka!

Blizzard rewrote it three times in the beta. At BlizzCon it reduced the cost of the next three abilities and raised their damage or healing by 10% (Warcraft Tavern). One note changed the discount to 10% on mana, rage or energy for every class. On Oct 1, 2026 it stopped benefiting periodic effects, channeled spells aside. On Oct 15, 2026 it became "an 8 second buff with no charges", with the same effect, and now also helps Power Word: Shield (Blizzard). It cannot be used in stealth or invisibility. Crix at Mobalytics gives it a two-minute cooldown and says losing periodic effects made it much less attractive for Affliction Warlocks.

Other racials

Escape Artist briefly grants immunity to roots and snares; Crix at Mobalytics says three seconds. Expansive Mind adds 5% to the maximum resource. Engineering Specialization makes engineering devices more reliable (Warcraft Tavern). The launch pass of Oct 26, 2026 does not mention the Gnome (Blizzard), so the Oct 15 versions stand.

Gnome Priest

Blizzard's Priest deep dive says "new ones have been added for Gnome Priests" (Blizzard). Confounding Flash, learned at level 10, confuses up to 5 nearby enemies for 3 seconds, broken by damage, with a 0.5-second cast and a 2-minute cooldown. Contingency Plan, learned at level 20, wards a friendly target for 30 seconds; if its health falls below 35%, the target instantly gets an absorb shield and a heal over time, which stack with Renew and Power Word: Shield, on a 5-minute cooldown. Beta notes let Contingency Plan land critical hits and gave Confounding Flash a Holy casting visual (Blizzard).

Blizzard's table also lists Mage, Rogue, Warlock and Warrior for Gnomes (Blizzard). More is on New Race and Class Combinations.

Where Gnomes start

10:03 Blizzard addressed "you dwarves and gnomes" when it described the new Stormwind Harbor to Auberdine ship, so they can play with human and night elf friends. Gnomes shared Dun Morogh with Dwarves in 2019 Classic; Blizzard's Forever text does not spell it out. See Starting Zones.

What players say

23:32 Sodapoppin, on Sep 24, 2026, said a Gnome is one he cannot hold with Nature's Grasp and that he expects to lose to it. Crix at Mobalytics ranks the Gnome just behind the top in PvP and strong but class-dependent in PvE. Icy Veins, on Sep 17, 2026, before Eureka!'s rewrite, picked it for Alliance Mages, Priests and Warlocks. See Best Race for Each Class.

What is not known yet

As of Oct 31, 2026 Blizzard's text has not confirmed the Gnome's starting area or named its new quests.

Frequently asked questions

Can Gnomes be Priests in WoW Forever? Yes, one of six new combinations, with Confounding Flash and Contingency Plan as their race spells.

How does Eureka work in WoW Forever? It is an 8-second buff with no charges, giving 10% more damage or healing and 10% lower cost. It does not help periodic effects.

Does Eureka help Power Word: Shield? Yes, since the beta build of Oct 15, 2026.

Did Gnomes change on Oct 26, 2026? No. Blizzard's launch pass does not list them.

Can Gnomes be Hunters? No. Blizzard's table lists Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock and Warrior. All races are on Races and Racials.

Sources

• WoW Forever Beta Development Notes - Updated October 26, Blizzard Entertainment (Kaivax), World of Warcraft forums, Oct 26, 2026, with additions on Oct 27, 2026
• WoW Forever Beta Development Notes, Blizzard Entertainment (Kaivax), World of Warcraft forums, Sep 24 to Oct 15, 2026
• Create the Hero You Want to Be in World of Warcraft: Forever, Blizzard Entertainment, Sep 22, 2026
• World of Warcraft: Forever Class Deep Dives - Priest and Warrior, Blizzard Entertainment, 2026
• All Racial Abilities in World of Warcraft Forever, Warcraft Tavern, Sep 12, 2026
• WoW Forever Racial Tier List: Best Races for PvE and PvP, Crix, Mobalytics, updated Oct 30, 2026
• Best Race for Every Class in WoW Forever, Anshlun, Icy Veins, Sep 17, 2026
• World of Warcraft: Forever - Found Photographs | BlizzCon 2026, World of Warcraft, Sep 15, 2026 (video)
• Xaryu's First Time ACTUALLY Playing WoW Forever, Xaryu, Sep 13, 2026 (video)
• I Switched to Horde in WoW Forever... Here's Why, Sodapoppin, Sep 24, 2026 (video)