September 14, 2026 — The Forever beta opens Thursday, September 17 (level 20 cap, rising to 30). Our coverage carries a running set of flagged claims. This is the consolidated hit list — what to check first when the client is dataminable, in priority order.
Settle on day one
- Onyxia's Lair date. Zierhut named it as the 40-player third raid; only the December 9 placement rests on transcription. Beta client (raid journals, calendars, loading screens) may confirm or deny.
- Beta close: Oct 21 vs 22. Purchase terms say 21, roadmap graphic 22. In-client messaging or server broadcasts should resolve it.
- Skyborne subtype names. "Windshaper" (Horde) and "High Order" (Alliance) come from fan transcription of footage, explicitly unofficial. Character creation will show the real names.
- Legacy perk ranks. All 17 perk effects and ranks (0/1 through 0/5) rest on captured pre-release tooltips. Beta talent/legacy UI confirms each rank.
Verify within the first week
- Dungeon roster and entrances. Nine destinations are official; the Whelgar's-site dungeon is unnamed and Timbermaw Hold rests on Inven reporting. Zone maps and dungeon entrances settle both.
- Spearing Strike. Warrior anti-mount talent known only from Xaryu's creator footage (40% weapon damage, dismount, 15 Rage/20s). Talent calculators and tooltips confirm or kill it.
- Heroic $29.99. Storefront reporting (Icy-Veins), never Blizzard-quoted. The live shop on beta week either prints prices or doesn't.
- Racial leftovers. Dwarf/Undead entries are now official; remaining question is which Classic-only racials (Command, Diplomacy, weapon specs) survived. Creation screens answer it.
- Forsaken Paladin mount. "Retribution" mount quest is Found Photos-recap official; the mount model itself (Icy-Veins first look) wants in-client confirmation.
Lower priority (beta can't fully answer)
- Spring/Summer 2027 fine print. Roadmap-graphic transcription only; beta contains launch content, not 2027 plans. This one waits on Blizzard, not datamining.
How we'll work it
As each item resolves, the Forever hub updates same-day and flags come off. Anything the beta contradicts gets corrected with the old claim struck through, not silently rewritten.
Related: Deep Dive + Found Photos recap, Q&A questions we're asking Sep 17.