If you plan to play WoW: Forever as something more than a single subscription, the digital upgrade packs are where the permanent content lives. Blizzard’s purchase page and the Carve a New Path announcement between them describe three tiers: the Skyborne Heroic Pack, the Skyborne Epic Pack, and the time-limited Warcraft Forever Collection. Prices are not published in the pages we used, so always confirm the current listing in the official store before you buy.
The Skyborne Heroic Pack
The Heroic Pack is the entry tier, and its headline item is the Skyborne race itself along with the Zephras Isle opening experience. Blizzard’s note on the race states that Skyborne requires the Heroic Pack or a higher digital upgrade, so this is the pack that unlocks the race.
The rest of the pack is a mix of character and account content. It includes Early Name Reservation, the Azure Paw ground mount, Shen’dorei Pathfinder apparel, the Veteran Adventurer backpack, the Shen’dorei Windwell toy, Shen’dorei housing decorations usable in modern WoW, and one Invite-A-Friend launch code.
One detail worth noting: the mount includes the ground mount itself, but you still have to buy the riding skill in game before you can actually ride it.
The Skyborne Epic Pack
The Epic Pack contains everything in the Heroic Pack and adds several things on top.
Access to the Beta from September 17 is included, along with thirty days of WoW game time added to the account starting November 4. You also get an additional Veteran Adventurer-themed appearance, a cloak, a WoW: Forever collection pet, and two further launch invite codes, bringing the total to three across the Epic tier.
The thirty days of game time is the piece most people misread. It is a fixed allowance, not a subscription. Blizzard is explicit that apart from those thirty days, continued play still requires an active subscription or additional purchased game time.
The Warcraft Forever Collection
The Collection is a time-limited bundle that includes everything in the Epic Pack and then some. It adds Warcraft III: Reforged, the Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom campaign, and Undead and Human statues designed for housing decorations in modern WoW.
The bundle is on sale until January 11, 2027, which makes it the one purchase with a real deadline attached. The same page also carries a Collector’s Edition section, but that section contains only images, with no verifiable price or item list published, so treat it as a teaser rather than something you can purchase with confidence.
Worth noting separately: the page has no pack named “Digital Upgrade” among its listed products, even though footnotes elsewhere refer to buying a Digital Upgrade. Check the live store page for the current naming.
Invite Codes and the Launch Week
Invite-A-Friend codes are sent by email starting from October 20, 2026 PST, and can be used during launch week from November 4 to November 11. Eligible invitees can enter the game during that window without a subscription or game time, which makes them genuinely useful for bringing a friend in for a specific session.
Codes do not include Beta access. And an invite code is not a substitute for ongoing access: only the listed thirty days of game time comes with the Epic Pack, and anything beyond that needs a subscription or more purchased time.
A Note on the Timeline
The Carve a New Path announcement confirms a global launch on November 4, 2026 at 15:00 PST, with the Beta opening on September 17. It also confirms the setting sits in the time period after Warcraft III: Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before the molten core era, and that the Epic Pack and the Collection include Forsaken and Human housing decorations.
For background on what is actually in the game at launch, our launch announcement breakdown covers the new content, and the Skyborne race guide covers what the Heroic Pack unlocks.
Editorial Advice on What to Buy
Some suggestions, offered as editorial advice rather than as Blizzard rules. If you only want the race, the Heroic Pack is the minimum. If you want both the race and the launch invite codes, the Epic Pack is the better value, but only if you would otherwise buy game time anyway. The Collection is the pick if the Warcraft III content and the housing statues matter to you, and its January 11, 2027 end date is the only hard deadline in this list. Finally, if you are planning to play the subscriber bonuses guide route instead, note that subscription time is what covers ongoing access, and packs are what cover permanent extras.
Which pack do I need for the Skyborne race?
The Skyborne Heroic Pack, or a higher digital upgrade. Blizzard’s note on the race states Skyborne requires the Heroic Pack or higher.
Does the Epic Pack include a subscription?
No. It includes thirty days of WoW game time from November 4. Beyond that, you still need an active subscription or more purchased game time.
How many invite codes do I get?
One with the Heroic Pack, three with the Epic Pack. Codes are emailed from October 20, 2026 PST and can be used during launch week from November 4 to 11.
Is the Collector’s Edition purchasable?
The official page shows a Collector’s Edition section containing images only, with no published price or item list. Check the official store page for the current status.
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