Blizzard has changed the date of the World of Warcraft: Forever Stress Test. The free test was first announced for this Monday (October 19th), but Blizzard updated its official news post yesterday (October 16th) to say it is now happening two days later on Wednesday (October 21st). The test is open to anyone with a WoW account, and no subscription, Game Time, invitation, or beta access is required.
The original announcement went out on the official Warcraft X account earlier this week (October 15th) with the first date attached. Check it out below:
The update now sits at the top of Blizzard's news post, which reads "Update October 16: The WoW: Forever Server Stress Test is moving to October 21 (previously October 19)." Community manager Kaivax also edited the official forum thread with the same change. Blizzard did not give a reason for the move.
When The WoW Forever Stress Test Starts
Start times are different for each region, and players in Asia will be logging in early in the morning the next day. According to Blizzard, the test begins at:
- North America: 2:00 p.m. PDT on October 21st
- Europe: 19:00 CEST on October 21st
- Korea: 06:00 KST on October 22nd
- Taiwan: 05:00 CST on October 22nd
The forum post groups the Americas and Oceania together under the 2:00 p.m. PDT start. Blizzard says the test window could end earlier or run later than planned, depending on what the team needs. Kaivax's post says WoW Forever will be available on production realms for a few hours.
It Runs On The Real Launch Servers
The biggest detail in the forum post is where the test is happening. Kaivax wrote, "On that day, we will first take the WoW Forever Beta offline, and we will then open WoW Forever on the regional hardware that it will operate on when the game goes live." That means players in every region will be putting load on the same hardware they will be using once the game is live.
Blizzard is asking everyone who joins to actually play the game hard. The forum post tells players to make a character, do a few quests, trade some items, chat, and group up with others. Kaivax called it a highly valuable event, since problems found during the test are problems that would have otherwise shown up on launch day.
Nothing made during the test will carry over. Once the Stress Test shuts down, all characters will be deleted, and the forum post makes that very clear: "This is a complete wipe; names and everything else will be completely removed." The beta will come back online shortly after the test ends.
How To Join
Getting in only takes a few steps through the Battle.net app. Blizzard recommends updating your graphics drivers first, then opening Battle.net and letting it update. From there, select World of Warcraft, open the Game Version menu above the Play button, choose World of Warcraft: Forever Stress Test under In Development, and install it. Once the test goes live, hit Play, pick an available test realm, and create a new character.
The Beta Is Almost Over
The new date lands on the same day the WoW Forever beta is set to wrap up. Blizzard's pre-purchase page lists the beta as running from September 17th through October 21st, and the Warcraft account reminded players earlier this week that there were only seven days to go.
A few more dates are coming up around the test. Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes from qualifying purchases start going out by email next week (October 20th). Early Name Reservation opens later this month (October 27th) and runs through November 3rd for anyone who bought the Skyborne Heroic Pack, Skyborne Epic Pack, or the limited-time Warcraft Forever Collection. During that window, players can create and customize up to three characters, with names handed out on a first-come, first-served basis.
WoW Forever launches globally next month (November 4th) at 3:00 p.m. PST. Access is included with a regular World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time, so there is no separate base game to buy. The optional Skyborne Heroic Pack adds the new Skyborne race and their Zephras Isle starting experience, while the Skyborne Epic Pack included beta access and adds 30 days of Game Time starting on launch day.
Are you jumping into the Stress Test to help break the servers, or are you saving your energy for name reservations and launch?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.