The Skyborne are the newest playable race in WoW: Forever, and they arrive with a full origin story rather than a thin stat package. Blizzard describes them as the shen’dorei, meaning “the hidden people.” Thousands of years ago, a group of Highborne exiles struck a pact with elemental spirits and built a civilization inside the elemental plane of Skywall. More recently the Skyborne were summoned out of that sky-bound home and into Azeroth, where they intend to investigate missing elemental mentors and restore the spirits. The Alliance-side High Order are presented as descendants of the ancient Highborne scholars of Eldre’Thalas, which ties the race to a much longer arcane history than most starting zones imply.
Two Factions, One Ancestry
Skyborne players pick a faction during character creation, and the two halves disagree about what the race should become. The Windshaper Skyborne represent the Horde. They hold fast to elemental tradition, they want to bring the spirits back, and they are committed to protecting the way of life their ancestors built around elemental guardianship. That outlook maps onto the Shaman class.
The High Order Skyborne represent the Alliance. They chase the arcane inheritance of their ancestors, they are less interested in depending on elemental guardians for guidance, and they would rather make the Skyborne self-sufficient. That outlook maps onto the Mage class.
Both groups descend from the same people and share the same bloodline; they simply want different futures. Because the faction is chosen in the character creator, it locks in your class options on the race. Blizzard’s launch coverage notes that a separate source lists a slightly different set of Skyborne classes than the original race reveal, so treat the character creator as the final word.
What You Can Become
According to the Skyborne reveal, Windshaper Skyborne can become Druids, Hunters, Rogues, Shamans, or Warriors, while High Order Skyborne can become Druids, Hunters, Mages, Rogues, or Warriors. The classes both factions share are Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, and Druid. That overlap is generous enough that faction rarely dictates your role-play fantasy, and Druid sits on both sides with a dedicated Skyborne Druid form, plus fresh customisation options for appearance, voice, and visual flourishes such as dances.
Not every class is open to every faction, though. Paladins and Priests are the notable gaps, and anyone planning a Paladin or Priest hero should check the character creator before committing. If your heart is set on the Mage or the Shaman, your faction choice decides it. The class breakdowns in our Mage and Shaman class overview and Priest and Warrior class overview are worth reading alongside this list.
There is also an access consideration. A separate Blizzard note states that Skyborne require the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher digital upgrade, so budget for that before planning a Skyborne character. More on what those packages contain in our upgrade packs guide.
Shared Racial Abilities
Every Skyborne carries the same three baseline traits, regardless of faction. Walk on Air is a shared ability that grants a controlled glide downward for ten seconds, invaluable for shortcuts and escaping a bad pull in open terrain. Wind Blessed is a passive that increases melee, ranged, and spellcasting Haste by one percent. Elemental Insight is another passive, giving you a five percent increase in damage dealt to elemental creatures.
These are deliberately modest. A one percent haste passive never wins a solo comparison but quietly adds up across a full rotation, and Elemental Insight rewards players who commit to elemental enemies.
Faction-Specific Traits
The fourth trait depends on which side you chose. Windshaper Skyborne gain Skysight, which grants increased movement speed of ten percent when blessed by the elements. High Order Skyborne gain Read Ley Line, which increases health and mana regeneration by one hundred percent after activating a ley line.
Zephras Isle and Levels 1 to 12
Skyborne characters start on Zephras Isle, a starting zone covering levels one through twelve. The island is in crisis: the elemental spirits have vanished, the ancient architecture has fallen into disrepair, and separate communities have drifted out of contact. Its visual design blends classic Warcraft art direction with elemental construction, which is the first thing most players notice. Inside the city you can visit a barbershop and change your appearance for a fee in gold.
Your first dozen levels are therefore a self-contained introduction rather than a tutorial, and choosing a faction at creation is the only moment the decision is available.
Editorial Advice on Picking a Faction
Some suggestions, offered as editorial advice rather than as Blizzard rules. Decide your class before your faction, because the class list is the part that hard-locks. If you are still torn between Mage and Shaman, read the Mage and Shaman class guide and the Paladin and Holy healing guide to see whether a class open on both sides would suit you better. Plan to finish the Zephras Isle quest chain before you swap characters.
What is the weakest part of the Skyborne kit?
Nothing in the reveal reads as weak in isolation, but the shared abilities are small numbers rather than defining features. The faction ability is the one that changes how a character plays on the ground.
Do I need a paid upgrade to play a Skyborne?
Yes. Blizzard’s note on the race states that Skyborne requires the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher digital upgrade. Always confirm the current store listing before buying, since bundles rotate.
Can a Skyborne be a Paladin or a Priest?
Based on the published class lists, no. Skyborne access Druid, Hunter, Rogue, and Warrior on both sides, plus Shaman for Windshaper and Mage for High Order. Confirm in the character creator, since launch coverage lists the set slightly differently.
Can I switch faction later on a Skyborne?
Official material describes faction as a choice made at character creation and does not outline a faction-change path. If you are unsure, test it in the character creator before you commit to a character you intend to level for years.
[…] by your faction choice, which in turn shapes which tree you are looking at from level one. Our Skyborne race abilities guide lays out those class restrictions in full, and it is worth reading before you plan a […]