The Skyborne are the new playable race of World of Warcraft: Forever, elves from Zephras Isle, a floating island anchored in Skywall. They pick the Horde or the Alliance at character creation: Horde Skyborne join the Windshapers and can be Shamans, Alliance Skyborne join the High Order and can be Mages, and both can play Warriors, Hunters, Rogues and Druids.
The race costs extra. The Skyborne and their Zephras Isle starting experience need the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher edition, which puts the entry price at $29.99, while the rest of WoW Forever comes with a normal subscription. WoW Forever launches on November 4, 2026, and pre-purchase is already open.
The faction chosen at character creation decides two things at once: the side the Skyborne fight for and the fifth class they can play.
| Path | Faction | Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Windshapers | Horde | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Druid, Shaman |
| High Order | Alliance | Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Druid, Mage |
Both paths come from one people whose shared ancestry has led to very different visions for the future. The Windshapers are the island's shamanistic spiritual leaders and embrace its elemental traditions, while the High Order descend from Highborne magisters, pursue the arcane legacy of their ancestors and see the wind spirits' departure as a chance at independence.
After that pick, a Skyborne plays like any other Horde or Alliance character, so the race is not neutral in the world. Priest, Paladin and Warlock are on neither list.
Skyborne follow the rule every race in WoW Forever follows, two active racials and two passive ones, but three of their five are shared and the fourth depends on the faction. The BlizzCon demo lists them as:
| Racial | Who gets it | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Walk on Air | Both factions | Glide downward through the air for 10 sec |
| Wind Blessed (Passive) | Both factions | 1% increased melee, ranged, and spellcasting Haste |
| Elemental Insight (Passive) | Both factions | Damage to Elementals increased by 5% |
| Read Ley Line | High Order (Alliance) | Activate a ley line to gain 100% increased Health and Mana regeneration |
| Skysight | Windshaper (Horde) | Receive an Elemental Blessing increasing run speed by 10% |
Read Ley Line doubles Health and Mana regeneration for the High Order, which suits a Mage between pulls, while Skysight gives Windshapers 10% run speed. The shared pair is simple: 1% melee, ranged and spellcasting Haste, and 5% more damage against Elementals.
Honestly, Walk on Air is the most fun racial on the list.
WoW Forever Class Changes and Racials
WoW Forever itself comes with your subscription. The Skyborne do not: they need the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher edition, and the Heroic Pack at $29.99 (29,99 EUR) is the cheapest way in. All three editions are on the Battle.net Shop for pre-purchase now:
| Edition | Price | Skyborne race | Beta access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skyborne Heroic Pack | $29.99 | Yes | No |
| Skyborne Epic Pack | $59.99 | Yes | Yes |
| Warcraft Forever Collection | $79.99 | Yes | Yes |
The physical Collector's Edition carries a Warcraft Forever Collection code, so it unlocks the race too. Keep two limits in mind. The Skyborne unlock applies only to the WoW account the pack was bought for, and none of the in-game pack items work in WoW Classic.
Any edition also opens Early Name Reservation from October 27 to November 3, 2026, when you can create and customize up to three characters before launch.
The Heroic Pack wraps the race in a set of Skyborne-themed rewards, and four of them work in both WoW Forever and modern World of Warcraft:
| Reward | Type | Works in |
|---|---|---|
| Cerulean Prideclaw | Ground mount | WoW Forever and modern WoW |
| Shen'dorei Skyseer's Garb | Transmog set | WoW Forever and modern WoW |
| Veteran Adventurer's Rucksack | Back transmog | WoW Forever and modern WoW |
| Shen'dorei Windwell | Toy | WoW Forever and modern WoW |
| Skyborne housing decor | Housing decor | Modern WoW (player housing, needs Midnight) |
Cerulean Prideclaw
Shen'dorei Skyseer's Garb
Shen'dorei Windwell
Skyborne housing decor
Veteran Adventurer's Rucksack
The Cerulean Prideclaw is a ground mount, so you still need to buy the riding skill in game before you can use it. The decor is for player housing in modern WoW. That needs Midnight. Shen'dorei is the Skyborne's own name for their people, and the Skyborne Epic Pack, the next edition up, adds a Shen'dorei tabard next to a Lordaeron one. The Heroic Pack also includes one Invite-A-Friend Launch Code.
The Collector's Edition has two Skyborne pieces in the box as well: a Skyborne Elven Crest collectible pin and a Zephras Isle mousepad with Rohashi Spire concept art.
The Skyborne are also the shen'dorei. Their history begins with rebels who fled Eldre'Thalas after the War of the Ancients and eventually found refuge in Skywall, where wind spirits anchored their island home in the elemental plane. The panel told the same story in more detail: the rebels rose against Prince Tortheldrin, the rebellion was defeated and the survivors fled Kalimdor by sea, until wind spirits lifted a large part of an undiscovered island into the sky.
WoW Forever finds them in crisis. Their elemental benefactors have vanished, the pylons that hold Zephras together are failing, and portions of the island have begun falling into ruin and darkness. Several groups are vying for control, among them:
The segment closed on Chris Metzen's original sketch of the island's map.
Zephras Isle is the Skyborne starting zone for levels 1 to 12, a floating island that blends Classic Warcraft aesthetics with architecture inspired by Skywall. It is meant to be self-contained. It is not a place you return to every week to raid or to farm materials.
The BlizzCon demo let visitors play its opening minutes. The zone starts with an intro voiceover and flyover, and instead of one opening quest it hands out several at once, tracked on the map.
Zephras Isle towers
Zephras Isle with an airship
Zephras Isle village
Zephras Isle falling into ruin
Zephras Isle road
Zephras Isle gate
Druids get the flashiest perk. Their Bear, Cat, Travel and Moonkin forms come in their own sky-blue look, created specifically for the race. Customization runs deep beyond that, with numerous skin tones and hair styles plus eye and marking options, and the race has its own voices and dances.
Skyborne Bear Form
Skyborne Cat Form
Skyborne Travel Form
No. The Skyborne and Zephras Isle need the Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99) or a higher edition. WoW Forever itself is included with a subscription or game time.
Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid on both factions, plus Shaman for the Horde and Mage for the Alliance.
Either. You choose at character creation: Horde Skyborne are Windshapers, Alliance Skyborne belong to the High Order. After that choice the character belongs to that faction.
No. Priest is not on the Skyborne class list, and neither are Paladin and Warlock.
On Zephras Isle, their own starting zone for levels 1 to 12.
Walk on Air, Wind Blessed and Elemental Insight for both factions, Read Ley Line for the High Order and Skysight for the Windshapers.
No. Beta access comes with the Skyborne Epic Pack and the Warcraft Forever Collection.
Descendants of rebels who fled Eldre'Thalas and found refuge in Skywall, where wind spirits anchored their island. They also call themselves the shen'dorei, the hidden people.
