On 20 October 2026 Blizzard published Claim Your World of Warcraft: Forever Character Names, with the detail that was missing from every earlier announcement: the time at which Early Name Reservation opens in each region. The reservation runs from 27 October to 3 November, before the launch on 4 November.
Opening times by region
| Region | Opens |
|---|---|
| Europe | 27 October at 18:00 CET |
| North America | 27 October at 1:00 p.m. PDT |
| Korea | 28 October at 07:00 KST |
| Taiwan | 28 October at 07:00 CST |
Europe switches back to standard time on 25 October, so 18:00 CET is 18:00 in Italy, Spain, Germany and France, 17:00 in the United Kingdom. The dates are on our calendar.
Three names in total
During the reservation period you can create and reserve names for up to three characters in total across all rulesets. Blizzard's example: if you create two on the PvP ruleset, you can only create one more on Normal or Roleplaying. The limit applies only to Early Name Reservation, not after launch. Names are unique per region and go to whoever claims them first: Blizzard repeats that "desired names cannot be guaranteed".
Who can reserve
Players who pre-purchase the Skyborne Heroic Pack, the Skyborne Epic Pack or the Warcraft Forever Collection (the article's footnote says "Digital Upgrade or Collector's Edition"). The benefit applies only to the WoW account the edition was bought for. What each edition contains is in our editions and prices guide.
How to do it
Blizzard's "Prepare to Launch" steps:
- Update your graphics drivers.
- Install the Battle.net desktop app and let it update.
- Select World of Warcraft from the list of games.
- In the Game Version menu above the Play button, select World of Warcraft: Forever, then Install.
- Press Play, choose your ruleset and create up to three characters with the names you want.
Name rules are in the earlier article "Create a Name of Your Own in WoW: Forever", summed up in our rulesets guide.
Roleplay-PvP too
Two days after this article, on 22 October, Blizzard announced a Roleplay-PvP ruleset for launch and said it is working to make it selectable, with name reservation, from 27 October as well. Details in our news on the Roleplay-PvP ruleset.
What we don't know yet
- Whether a reserved name can be changed or released before launch.
- What happens to reserved characters you do not log into after 4 November.
- Whether Roleplay-PvP will really be available on 27 October: Blizzard describes it as a goal.
Source
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
- What time does WoW Forever name reservation open in Europe?
- On 27 October 2026 at 18:00 CET, according to Blizzard's article of 20 October. In North America it opens the same day at 1:00 p.m. PDT; in Korea and Taiwan on 28 October at 07:00 local time.
- How many names can I reserve in WoW Forever?
- Up to three in total across all rulesets, with any paid edition, from 27 October to 3 November 2026. The limit only applies during Early Name Reservation.
Written by Pierluigi “Aldry” Cella · All authors
ForeverMeta is an unofficial fan site and is not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.
