World of Warcraft: Forever
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World of Warcraft: Forever out forSince Nov 4, 2026

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Race Pros and Cons

We rate the Human, Gnome and Orc S tier in World of Warcraft: Forever, and think the Human is the Alliance's biggest advantage: the only race with S on all four racial grades. The pros and cons of every race in World of Warcraft: Forever at launch: racials after Blizzard's final pass of Oct 26 and 27, 2026 and its first hotfixes, classes, PvE and PvP value, starting zones, faction and looks, with the Mobalytics and Icy Veins tier lists of Nov 2026 in one table.

We rate the Human, Gnome and Orc S tier in World of Warcraft: Forever, and we think the Human is the Alliance's biggest advantage: the only race graded S for PvE and PvP by both Mobalytics (Nov 5, 2026) and Icy Veins (Nov 2, 2026). The Tauren is lowest of the ten, and we think the Skyborne, the paid race, is the one players will argue about: S for PvE and C for PvP from the same author. Our tier for every race is under "Vi.ki's race tier list" below.

We think Blizzard changes at least one racial of a race we rate B before February 2027. Confidence: Possible. Check by: Feb 2027.

Every race in World of Warcraft: Forever has a real upside and a real downside: Blizzard gave each one two active and two passive racials, first aiming for equal offensive power, then deciding in its launch pass of Oct 26, 2026 that "some races will naturally be slightly more effective than others at certain combat roles". This page sets out the case for and against each of the ten choices (the eight original races plus the Skyborne on each faction) as they stand on Nov 6, 2026, two days after launch. The racial numbers are the ones on Races and Racials; which race suits which class is on Best Race for Each Class.

Quick facts

Races Ten choices: four original races and the Skyborne on each faction
Skyborne Not neutral: High Order (Alliance) or Windshapers (Horde), chosen at creation
Racials checked against Blizzard's launch pass of Oct 26 and 27, 2026, its Nov 2 notes and the Nov 5 hotfixes
Most classes Human and Troll, seven each
Fewest classes Tauren, four
Top of Mobalytics PvE, Nov 5 Human, Orc, Skyborne
Top of Mobalytics PvP, Nov 5 Human, Undead, Gnome
Top of Icy Veins PvE, Nov 2 Night Elf, Human, Gnome
Top of Icy Veins PvP, Nov 2 Gnome, Orc, Human
Lowest tiers PvE: Tauren alone in Mobalytics' C; PvP: Skyborne in Mobalytics' C, Dwarf and Tauren in Icy Veins' B
Paid race Skyborne, with the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher

At a glance

Tiers are from Mobalytics, updated Nov 5, 2026, and Icy Veins, updated Nov 2, 2026. Mobalytics ranks the Skyborne as one race; Icy Veins splits the two sides. Class counts are Blizzard's (Blizzard).

Faction Classes Biggest pro Biggest con Mobalytics PvE / PvP Icy Veins PvE / PvP
Human Alliance 7 Stun break plus 1% critical strike Few defensive tools against fear or snares S / S S / S
Dwarf Alliance 6 1% hit and Stoneform Big Game Hunter works only on beasts B / B B / B
Night Elf Alliance 5 Elune's Light burst Two passives do little in groups A / B S / A
Gnome Alliance 5 Escape Artist and Eureka! Eureka! no longer helps periodic effects A / S S / S
High Order Skyborne Alliance 5 2% haste, always on Paid; HD model only until early 2027 S / C A / A
Orc Horde 6 Blood Fury, Hardiness, pet damage Command helps only Hunters and Warlocks S / A A / S
Undead Horde 6 Will of the Forsaken Little steady PvE damage B / S B / A
Tauren Horde 4 Plainsrunning while leveling, War Stomp Almost nothing for endgame PvE C / B B / B
Troll Horde 7 Berserking now lasts 15 seconds Situational tools; middle of every list B / B A / A
Windshaper Skyborne Horde 5 2% haste plus a speed burst Paid; HD model only until early 2027 S / C A / A

Vi.ki's race tier list (Nov 10, 2026)

This is our own ranking, by a rule anyone can check: the average of the four grades in the table above, Mobalytics' and Icy Veins' for PvE and for PvP, scored S 4, A 3, B 2 and C 1. S is an average of 3.25 or more, A is 2.5 or more, and B is 1.75 or more, the same cut-offs as Class Tier List. Mobalytics grades the Skyborne as one race, so both sides share its grades.

Race Vi.ki tier Average Mobalytics PvE / PvP Icy Veins PvE / PvP
Human S 4.00 S / S S / S
Gnome S 3.75 A / S S / S
Orc S 3.50 S / A A / S
Night Elf A 3.00 A / B S / A
High Order Skyborne A 2.75 S / C A / A
Windshaper Skyborne A 2.75 S / C A / A
Undead A 2.75 B / S B / A
Troll A 2.50 B / B A / A
Dwarf B 2.00 B / B B / B
Tauren B 1.75 C / B B / B

Source: the tiers and averages are Vi.ki's own; the grades are those of Mobalytics, updated Nov 5, 2026, and Icy Veins, updated Nov 2, 2026.

We think the Alliance wins this table: it has two of the three S-tier races, and its weakest race, the Dwarf, is the only one that can be an Alliance Shaman. We think a racial grade matters less than the class it sits on, and that nobody should pick a faction for a racial; Alliance vs Horde has the things that should decide it.

Human

Xaryu read the Human racials aloud on his first BlizzCon session and noticed at once that they were new; at launch they are Will to Survive, Perception, Ruthless (1% critical strike chance) and The Human Spirit (10% Spirit) (Blizzard).

Pros

  • Ruthless works with any weapon, on every class, with nothing to time. Mobalytics calls it "universal".
  • Will to Survive removes stuns, which both tier lists rank among the best PvP buttons in the game.
  • The Human Spirit went from 5% to 10% in the launch pass; Icy Veins calls it "great news for all Healers".
  • Perception finds stealthed Rogues and Druids.
  • Seven classes, the most on the Alliance, including the new Human Hunter.
  • The new ship from Stormwind Harbor to Auberdine lets a Human level beside Night Elf friends.

Cons

  • Ruthless was halved from 2% at launch, and the Oct 15 build had already taken away the sword bonus.
  • No answer to fear, charm or snares, and no damage cooldown of its own.

Dwarf

Blizzard used the Dwarf as its example at the Deep Dive: Stoneform now reduces physical damage whatever the armor, and Find Treasure can stay on beside any other tracking. Its passives at launch are Big Game Hunter (5% to beasts) and Artisan's Precision (1% hit).

Pros

  • Artisan's Precision gives 1% hit with spells and attacks; Mobalytics calls it "massive" because hit matters to almost every class.
  • Stoneform removes bleeds, poisons and diseases and cuts damage, useful for tanks and against Rogues.
  • Find Treasure also finds extra items in most chests, a quiet leveling bonus.
  • The only Alliance Shaman, and one of only two Alliance Paladin races.
  • Hall of Thanes, a new dungeon for levels 13 to 18, sits under Ironforge, close to home.

Cons

  • Big Game Hunter only works on beasts.
  • Both tier lists put the Dwarf in their B tier for PvE and PvP.
  • Sodapoppin asked on Sep 24, 2026 why anyone would choose it when Gnome and Human are comparable.

Night Elf

The Night Elf's new active, Elune's Light, gives 10% critical strike chance for 15 seconds, and Xaryu read it out at BlizzCon. Shadowmeld, Quickness (1% dodge, 2% run speed that stacks) and Wisp Spirit (75% run speed while dead) complete the set, none changed by the launch pass.

Pros

  • Icy Veins calls Elune's Light "arguably the best active trait among all races" and ranks the Night Elf top for PvE.
  • Shadowmeld now also lowers threat in combat, and works in Druid forms.
  • Wisp Spirit shortens every corpse run while leveling.
  • Shadowglen has new quests, and the Auberdine ship reaches Stormwind.

Cons

  • Only five classes, and no new combination.
  • Quickness and Wisp Spirit do little in raids or dungeons, Icy Veins says.
  • Mobalytics puts it in B for PvP, for lack of a tool that swings a fight.

Gnome

Sodapoppin said on Sep 24, 2026 that a Gnome is one he cannot hold with Nature's Grasp and expects to lose to, which is the Gnome's case in short: Escape Artist, plus Eureka! (an 8-second buff of 10% more damage or healing at 10% lower cost), Expansive Mind (5% more mana, rage or energy) and Engineering Specialization.

Pros

  • S tier for PvP on both lists, for Escape Artist and Eureka!
  • Eureka! helps damage and healing, and Power Word: Shield since Oct 15, 2026.
  • The new Gnome Priest has two race spells of its own, Confounding Flash and Contingency Plan.
  • Engineering Specialization helps the profession many PvP players pick anyway.

Cons

  • Eureka! stopped helping periodic effects on Oct 1, 2026, which hurts Affliction Warlocks.
  • Five classes, with no Hunter, Paladin, Shaman or Druid.
  • Blizzard's text does not state a Gnome starting area for Forever.

Skyborne: High Order (Alliance)

"The Skyborne are not a neutral race," Blizzard said at BlizzCon: the High Order side the Alliance, work with the Kirin Tor and alone among Skyborne may be Mages. They share Walk on Air, Wind-Blessed (2% haste) and Elemental Insight with the Horde side, and add Read Leyline (50% more regeneration for 15 seconds, 100% while Attuned).

Pros

  • 2% haste all the time; Mobalytics puts the Skyborne in S tier for PvE.
  • Read Leyline helps mana users, and Attuned survives death.
  • Walk on Air (90-second cooldown) turns a fall into a glide, also in Druid forms.
  • Its own starting zone, Zephras Isle (levels 1 to 12), a crane mount and new Druid forms.

Cons

  • Only with the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher (Upgrades and Editions).
  • Mobalytics' C tier in PvP: haste counts for less there.
  • Attuned and Charged end on entering a raid.
  • HD models only until standard-definition ones arrive in early 2027.

Orc

Xaryu called Blood Fury "OP" when he read its 10% attack and spell power at BlizzCon. After a week at 3 minutes in the beta it is back on a 2-minute cooldown, beside Shatter Curse, Command (5% Hunter and Warlock pet damage) and Hardiness (stuns 20% shorter).

Pros

  • Blood Fury helps every class, Mage included.
  • Hardiness and Shatter Curse make it Icy Veins' only Horde race in S tier for PvP.
  • Command helps Hunters and Warlocks; Mobalytics ranks the Orc S for PvE.
  • Six classes, including the new Orc Mage.

Cons

  • Command does nothing for Mages, Rogues, Shaman or Warriors.
  • Shatter Curse now dispels Curses and Banes instead of granting immunity, and cuts magic damage by 5% (was 15%).
  • No stealth detection or fear break.

Undead

Blizzard admitted Will of the Forsaken "was a little bit too strong" and made it break charm, fear and sleep without immunity afterwards. Cannibalize, Underwater Breathing and Touch of the Grave (15-second internal cooldown since the launch pass) are the rest.

Pros

  • Will of the Forsaken still puts the Undead in Mobalytics' S tier for PvP, against Warlocks, Priests and Warriors.
  • Touch of the Grave adds damage and healing. Blizzard's Nov 2 notes fixed it not activating often enough and let Cannibalize be used again while immune to physical damage (Blizzard).
  • Cannibalize restores health and mana between fights.
  • The new Forsaken Paladin, with its own story at Bandarion Keep, and the Ruins of Lordaeron (levels 15 to 20) nearby.

Cons

  • B tier for PvE on both lists: little steady damage in boss fights without fear.
  • Will of the Forsaken no longer grants immunity, and cannot be used under Scatter Shot.
  • No Hunter, Druid or Shaman.

Tauren

Sodapoppin said he hated Cultivation and wanted War Stomp stronger; Blizzard later cut War Stomp to 90 seconds. Plainsrunning now reaches 60% movement speed, and Endurance is plain 5% health.

Pros

  • Icy Veins calls Plainsrunning "the best open-world racial trait to date", above all before a ground mount.
  • War Stomp is a 2-second stun every 90 seconds, Mobalytics' reason for its B tier in PvP.
  • 5% more health suits tanks, and Blizzard's Nov 2 fix gives Tauren Warriors the correct +5 strength over Human Warriors (was +2) (Blizzard).
  • Cultivation grows herbs every 15 minutes without Herbalism.

Cons

  • Mobalytics puts it alone in C tier for PvE, with "no real benefit" in endgame racials.
  • Plainsrunning no longer helps on a mount, and since the Nov 5 hotfixes it cannot be stacked in a battleground's preparation phase and drops its stacks when carrying a flag (Blizzard).
  • Four classes, the fewest of any race.

Troll

On Oct 8, 2026 Josh Greenfield named the Orc and Troll actives as ones the team feared were "a little too strong", yet Berserking ended the beta stronger: 10% attack and casting speed for 15 seconds (was 10). Rapid Regeneration, Beast Slaying (5% to beasts) and Regeneration (20% in combat) are the rest.

Pros

  • Seven classes, the most on the Horde, including the new Troll Warlock.
  • Berserking is a burst window for melee and casters alike.
  • Rapid Regeneration and Regeneration cut downtime while leveling and in open-world PvP.
  • Icy Veins places it in A tier for both PvE and PvP.

Cons

  • Mobalytics calls Berserking "much weaker than the Classic version" and puts the Troll in B on both lists.
  • Beast Slaying is niche.
  • Blizzard's text does not state a Troll starting area, or Berserking's cooldown.

Skyborne: Windshapers (Horde)

The Windshapers are the shamanistic leaders of Zephras Isle who side with the Horde, and only they may be Skyborne Shaman. Their own racial is Skysight: 15% movement speed for 15 seconds, 30% while Charged from an elemental convergence.

Pros

  • The same 2% haste and Walk on Air as the High Order.
  • Skysight helps dodge mechanics and chase or escape, Icy Veins says.
  • One of four Horde Shaman races, and the Horde's only Druid race besides the Tauren.
  • On leaving Zephras Isle they arrive near an Earthen Ring area in Mulgore.

Cons

  • The same price, raid and HD model limits as the High Order.
  • Mobalytics' C tier in PvP.

PvE or PvP

Sodapoppin argued on Sep 24, 2026 that PvE passives would "get evened out" and that players should choose for PvP unless they will never fight. Blizzard's launch pass went the other way, putting identity first, so the lists now split cleanly. For PvE the steady passives win: Human critical strike, Skyborne haste, Dwarf hit, Orc pet damage. For PvP the crowd control answers win: Human stuns, Undead fear, Gnome snares, Orc shorter stuns. Only Human sits in S for both on both lists. Cajato warns against picking a damage winner from tooltips alone.

Faction and leveling

Sodapoppin called the Horde's racials better for a duel tournament, one reason he switched, though the launch pass has since changed many of them. The faction now matters more than the class list: on the PvP ruleset a player's characters stay on one faction, and Horde and Alliance cannot group (Alliance vs Horde). Both sides have every class, but the Horde has one Paladin race and the Alliance one Shaman race.

For leveling with friends of another race, the new Stormwind Harbor to Auberdine ship joins Humans and Night Elves, and Dwarves and Gnomes. Every original start gains dozens of new quests, and Forsaken Paladins head to Bandarion Keep around level 10 (Starting Zones).

Looks

For the eight original races the choice of HD or standard-definition models is "completely toggleable gamewide", with Classic animations restored for the HD models. The Skyborne are HD only until early 2027, and Xaryu heard much of the early criticism aimed at their blue skin, though "less and less" as more people played (Graphics and Visuals). No source cited here compares race sizes or hitboxes for Forever.

What is not known yet

Nobody had reached level 60 when the two tier lists were last updated, and Mobalytics says so; raid mechanics, measured damage and racial cooldowns Blizzard has not printed (Berserking's, Will to Survive's) are not known as of Nov 6, 2026. Blizzard can still tune racials after launch.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best race in WoW Forever overall? No official answer. Human is the only race in S tier for both PvE and PvP on both Mobalytics' list of Nov 5, 2026 and Icy Veins' of Nov 2, 2026.

What is the worst race in WoW Forever? For endgame PvE, Tauren: Mobalytics puts it alone in C tier, and Icy Veins in B. In PvP Mobalytics puts the Skyborne last.

Are the Skyborne worth paying for? For PvE their 2% haste ranks them high on both lists; in PvP they rank low. They need the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher.

Are the Skyborne neutral? No. A Skyborne joins the Alliance (High Order) or the Horde (Windshapers) at character creation.

Which race is best for leveling? None is official. Tauren Plainsrunning and Night Elf Wisp Spirit save the most travel; Troll and Undead racials save downtime.

Did racials change after launch? Not their numbers as of Nov 6, 2026. Blizzard's Nov 2 notes fixed Touch of the Grave and Cannibalize and corrected base stats, and the Nov 5 hotfixes limited Plainsrunning in battlegrounds.

Sources

Moments

World of Warcraft: Forever - Deep Dive | BlizzCon 2026

World of Warcraft

  1. Every race in World of Warcraft: Forever has a real upside and a real downside: Blizzard gave each one two active and…
  2. Blizzard used the Dwarf as its example at the Deep Dive: Stoneform now reduces physical damage whatever the armor, and…
  3. Blizzard admitted Will of the Forsaken "was a little bit too strong" and made it break charm, fear and sleep without…

Xaryu’s First Time ACTUALLY Playing WoW Forever

Xaryu

  1. Xaryu read the Human racials aloud on his first BlizzCon session and noticed at once that they were new; at launch…
  2. The Night Elf's new active, Elune's Light, gives 10% critical strike chance for 15 seconds, and Xaryu read it out at…
  3. Xaryu called Blood Fury "OP" when he read its 10% attack and spell power at BlizzCon. After a week at 3 minutes in the…

I Switched to Horde in WoW Forever... Here's Why

Sodapoppin

  1. Sodapoppin said on Sep 24, 2026 that a Gnome is one he cannot hold with Nature's Grasp and expects to lose to, which…
  2. Sodapoppin said he hated Cultivation and wanted War Stomp stronger; Blizzard later cut War Stomp to 90 seconds…
  3. Sodapoppin argued on Sep 24, 2026 that PvE passives would "get evened out" and that players should choose for PvP…
  4. Sodapoppin called the Horde's racials better for a duel tournament, one reason he switched, though the launch pass has…

World of Warcraft: Forever - What's Next Panel | BlizzCon 2026

World of Warcraft

  1. "The Skyborne are not a neutral race," Blizzard said at BlizzCon: the High Order side the Alliance, work with the…
  2. For the eight original races the choice of HD or standard-definition models is "completely toggleable gamewide", with…

Dive into Dungeons with Devs ft. @hammerdancegaming | Episode 3 - The WoW: Forever Podcast

World of Warcraft

  1. On Oct 8, 2026 Josh Greenfield named the Orc and Troll actives as ones the team feared were "a little too strong", yet…

World of Warcraft: Forever - Found Photographs | BlizzCon 2026

World of Warcraft

  1. The Windshapers are the shamanistic leaders of Zephras Isle who side with the Horde, and only they may be Skyborne…
  2. For leveling with friends of another race, the new Stormwind Harbor to Auberdine ship joins Humans and Night Elves…

WoW Forever Hunter: Every Talent, Classic Changes & Racials

Cajato

  1. Cajato warns against picking a damage winner from tooltips alone.

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See also

Last updated Nov 10, 2026 by the Vi.ki team. Page text CC BY-SA 4.0.

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