Update, 21 October 2026: Kaivax published the stress test's end times on October 20 at 20:30 UTC, and extended the beta. The test is a four hour window in every listed timezone, and the beta now closes at 10:00 a.m. PDT on Friday, October 23 rather than October 21. The times table below now carries both ends, and the full detail is in our report.
Blizzard will run a World of Warcraft: Forever server stress test on October 21, and it is open to anyone. The company dated it October 19 in a post on October 15, then changed it on October 16: "The WoW: Forever Server Stress Test is moving to October 21 (previously October 19)."
The official terms are broad. No subscription, no Game Time, no invitation and no beta access are required. The beta is taken offline shortly before the test and is expected back shortly after it ends, and the window "may end earlier or run later as needed".
The times Blizzard published
| Region | Local time |
|---|---|
| North America | 2:00 p.m. PDT |
| Europe | 19:00 CEST |
| Korea | 06:00 KST, October 22 |
| Taiwan | 05:00 CST, October 22 |
How to get in
- Update your graphics drivers.
- Open the Battle.net desktop app and let it update.
- Select World of Warcraft in the game list.
- In the Game Version menu above Play, choose World of Warcraft: Forever Stress Test under In Development, then Install.
- When the test opens, choose Play, pick a test realm, create a new test character and enter.
What happens to your character
Nothing survives. Blizzard states that at the end of the test "all created characters, names, and guilds will be wiped from the Stress Test servers", ahead of early name reservation opening October 27. Reservation runs October 27 through November 3 for players who pre-purchased the Skyborne Heroic Pack, Skyborne Epic Pack or the Warcraft Forever Collection, three characters each, first come first served, with no guarantee of any particular name.
That wipe is the practical reason to care about the date even if you already have beta access: it is the last chance to test on a stressed realm for free, and it resets the naming field immediately before the reservation window opens.
SOURCES: Blizzard's own post "Join the World of Warcraft: Forever Stress Test", first published October 15 2026 and updated October 16 2026, read from the official news page on October 17 2026. The times, the access terms and the wipe are quoted or transcribed from it. Related: the launch calendar and the Forever roadmap.