World of Warcraft: Forever has set WoW launch records for peak concurrent players and returning players, Blizzard announced on November 7. The new, permanent take on original Azeroth launched worldwide on November 4, alongside modern WoW and WoW Classic.
In its announcement through the official Warcraft account, Blizzard credited players with both milestones but disclosed no totals. The records concern the highest simultaneous audience at a WoW launch and the number of players coming back, not copies sold or the franchise's overall subscriber count.
That distinction limits comparisons with earlier expansion launches. Forever's announcement does not give a numerical margin over previous releases, identify their respective concurrent peaks or define how long a player must have been away to count as returning.
A permanent return to level 60 Azeroth
Forever expands the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor while retaining a level cap of 60. Blizzard's launch overview describes more than 1,000 new quests, new and reimagined zones and nine new five-player dungeons spanning levels 13 to 60. It is a separate home alongside the existing versions of WoW, not a replacement for either.
Returning players can access Forever with their existing World of Warcraft subscription or game time, according to Blizzard's explanation of how it fits alongside modern WoW. Friends should coordinate before creating characters: grouping, guilds, dungeons and raids require the same Ruleset and faction.
The launch is also only the start of its endgame schedule. Blizzard has dated three level-60 raids, Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia's Lair, for December 9. A Hardcore ruleset is planned for after launch, but the launch overview gives no date for it.