Orc is the strongest race in WoW Forever for PvE, shares the top of PvP with Gnome, and Undead and Troll lead the way for leveling. Every race now has two active and two passive racials, and most of them were rebuilt for Forever, so the old Classic rules no longer apply: weapon skill bonuses are gone, Night Elves have a damage cooldown, and Humans get a stun break. The differences are still small, a few percent of damage at most, so the race you enjoy playing is never a wrong pick.
Below you will find three race tier lists for PvE, PvP and leveling, a tool to browse every race and racial, the best Alliance and Horde race for each of the nine classes, and the changes that can still reshuffle the list before launch.
Forever gives every race the same structure: two active abilities you press and two passives that are always on. Three changes matter most when you compare them.
Racials still decide less than your class, spec and gear. Pick a race from the top of the list if you want every edge, but do not reroll a character you like for one or two percent.
Each race is ranked in three lists, because a racial that wins raid fights can be useless on the way to 60. Choose the tab that matches how you plan to play.
Race Tier Lists by Activity
Ten races ranked for raids, PvP and the road to 60
PvE Race Tier List
Raids and dungeons at level 60
The PvE list ranks races by how much damage or healing their racials add over a boss fight, with defensive value as a tiebreaker.
S Tier PvE Races
A Tier PvE Races
B Tier PvE Races
C Tier PvE Races
PvP Race Tier List
Battlegrounds, world PvP and duels
The PvP list ranks races by how much their racials help you escape control, counter other classes and win a burst window.
S Tier PvP Races
A Tier PvP Races
B Tier PvP Races
C Tier PvP Races
Leveling Race Tier List
The road from 1 to 60
The leveling list ranks races by how much they cut downtime and travel time between quests.
S Tier Leveling Races
A Tier Leveling Races
B Tier Leveling Races
C Tier Leveling Races
Our WoW Forever best leveling class ranking shows how much more the class itself matters for leveling speed.
The tool below lists every race, the classes it can play and all four racials with their exact effects. Pick a race on the left to see its kit, and hover over a racial for the full tooltip.
The new Skyborne race has two branches with different racials, one for each faction. Our WoW Forever Skyborne race guide explains how to unlock it and what each branch is best at.
The best race depends on your class more than on the tier list, because some racials work only with certain weapons or resources. The table sums up our picks, and the sections below explain each one.
| Class | PvE Alliance | PvE Horde | PvP Alliance | PvP Horde |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Night Elf | Orc | Human | Orc |
| Paladin | Human | Undead | Dwarf | Undead |
| Hunter | Night Elf | Orc | Night Elf | Orc |
| Rogue | Night Elf | Orc | Gnome | Orc |
| Priest | Gnome | Troll | Human | Undead |
| Shaman | Dwarf | Orc | Dwarf | Orc |
| Mage | Gnome | Orc | Gnome | Undead |
| Warlock | Human | Orc | Human | Undead |
| Druid | Night Elf | Tauren | Night Elf | Tauren |
Every race can be a Warrior in Forever. For PvE, Night Elf on the Alliance and Orc on the Horde lead: Elune's Light adds 10% crit to every attack, and Blood Fury with Axe Specialization is the strongest Horde package. For PvP, Human takes the Alliance spot because Will to Survive frees you from the stuns that stop a Warrior cold, and Orc stays on top for the Horde with Hardiness.
The race table in our WoW Forever Warrior leveling guide compares all ten races for the road to 60.
Paladin is open to Human and Dwarf on the Alliance and, for the first time, to Undead on the Horde. Human is the PvE pick thanks to Sword Specialization and The Human Spirit, while Dwarf is the better tank with Stoneform and the better PvP pick against Rogues. Undead is the only Horde option, and Will of the Forsaken and Cannibalize make it a good one.
Our WoW Forever Paladin leveling guide explains which race to take for maces or swords.
Your pet now inherits your critical strike chance, so crit racials boost both of you. That makes Night Elf the best Alliance Hunter in PvE and PvP, with Elune's Light and Shadowmeld. On the Horde side, Orc wins both: Blood Fury raises Attack Power for you and your pet, and Hardiness helps in PvP.
The WoW Forever Hunter leveling guide explains why Tauren is the fastest Hunter to level 10.
For PvE, Night Elf leads the Alliance with Elune's Light, and Orc leads the Horde with Blood Fury and Axe Specialization, since axes are now Rogue weapons. In PvP, Gnome is the standout: Escape Artist breaks every slow, and Eureka! with Expansive Mind turns an opener into a kill. Orc keeps the Horde spot with Hardiness and Shatter Curse.
Poisons, weapons and builds are in our WoW Forever Rogue leveling guide.
Gnome joins the Priest races in Forever and becomes the Alliance PvE pick: Expansive Mind adds 5% mana, and Eureka! speeds up Shadow and Smite damage. Troll leads the Horde with Berserking for faster casts. In PvP, Human breaks stuns with Will to Survive, and Undead breaks fears with Will of the Forsaken, which decides most Priest mirror matches.
Priests also learn extra spells based on their race, and our WoW Forever Priest talents guide covers them in detail.
Dwarf is the only Alliance Shaman, and Stoneform with Mace Specialization suits it well. On the Horde, Orc is the pick for every spec: Blood Fury adds both Attack Power and Spell Power, and Shatter Curse helps in PvP. Tauren is the PvP alternative for War Stomp.
The WoW Forever Shaman leveling guide compares all five Shaman races for leveling.
Gnome is the best Alliance Mage for both PvE and PvP: Eureka! makes three spells cheaper and stronger, Expansive Mind adds 5% mana, and Escape Artist breaks roots. On the Horde, Orc leads PvE with Blood Fury, and Undead takes PvP with Will of the Forsaken. One catch for Undead: a Touch of the Grave drain can break your own Frost Nova.
For AoE leveling with any race, read our WoW Forever Mage leveling guide.
Human is the best Alliance Warlock in PvE and PvP. Sword Specialization adds 2% crit to every spell, damage over time included, and The Human Spirit makes Life Tap stronger. On the Horde, Orc leads PvE with Blood Fury, while Undead wins PvP because Will of the Forsaken breaks the fears of other Warlocks and Priests.
Demons, curses and builds are covered in our WoW Forever Warlock leveling guide.
Druid can be a Night Elf, a Tauren or either branch of the Skyborne. Night Elf is the Alliance pick for both PvE and PvP: Elune's Light adds crit, and Quickness makes you harder to spot in stealth. Tauren leads the Horde with Endurance for raids and War Stomp for PvP.
Forms, class quests and races are in our WoW Forever Druid leveling guide.
Racials are one of the systems Blizzard is still tuning, so expect this list to move. These are the open points:
For rankings of every class and spec, see our WoW Forever tier list.
These are the questions players ask most often before they pick a race.
Orc. It is the top PvE race thanks to Blood Fury and shares the top of PvP with Gnome.
Night Elf for PvE, because Elune's Light works for every class, and Gnome for PvP, because Escape Artist and Eureka! win fights.
Orc for PvE and PvP. Undead is the best Horde race for leveling and the strongest PvP choice for casters.
Blizzard has said that Orc and Troll racials will change in an upcoming beta build. The details are not out yet, and we will update this list when they are.
A little. The best racials add a few percent of damage or a strong PvP button, but class, spec and gear matter far more. Play the race you like.
Yes. Undead Paladin is one of the new race and class combinations in Forever, along with Gnome Priest, Orc Mage and the Skyborne classes.
These guides help you finish your character choice:
