What are the new race and class combinations in WoW Forever?

Forever adds six to the existing races: Gnome Priest, Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock, Undead Paladin. The Skyborne, the new race, add six more on top of that. Blizzard has said more combinations are planned after launch.

Can Undead be Paladins in WoW Forever?

Yes. Undead Paladin is one of the six new combinations Blizzard confirmed at BlizzCon 2026. It was not possible in Classic, where the Forsaken had no access to the Light, and Blizzard has not yet published the in-world explanation.

Can Humans be Hunters in WoW Forever?

Yes. Human Hunter is new in Forever. In Classic, Humans could play Warrior, Paladin, Rogue, Priest, Mage and Warlock, but not Hunter.

What classes can the Skyborne play?

Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid on either faction, plus Mage if you take the Alliance and Shaman if you take the Horde. You cannot have both: the faction you pick at character creation decides which of those two you get. The Skyborne require the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher.

How many classes are in WoW Forever?

Nine, the same nine as Classic. Death Knight, Demon Hunter, Evoker, Monk are not in the game, because they belong to expansions Forever is not built on.

Which race has the most class options in WoW Forever?

Human and Troll, with 7 of the nine classes available.

Reference

Every race and class combination in WoW Forever

Forever ships nine races and nine classes, which works out to 52 playable combinations. 12 of those are new: six added to races that already existed, and six more that arrive with the Skyborne. The full grid is below, and every star in it is something you could not roll in Classic.

Which classes each playable race can be in World of Warcraft: Forever. A tick means the combination also existed in Classic; a star means it is new in Forever.
Class	Human	Dwarf	Night Elf	Gnome	Orc	Undead	Tauren	Troll	Skyborne
Druid	Not available	Not available	Available, also in Classic	Not available	Not available	Not available	Available, also in Classic	Not available	New in Forever
Hunter	New in Forever	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Not available	Available, also in Classic	Not available	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	New in Forever
Mage	Available, also in Classic	Not available	Not available	Available, also in Classic	New in Forever	Available, also in Classic	Not available	Available, also in Classic	New in ForeverAlliance only
Paladin	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Not available	Not available	Not available	New in Forever	Not available	Not available	Not available
Priest	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	New in Forever	Not available	Available, also in Classic	Not available	Available, also in Classic	Not available
Rogue	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Not available	Available, also in Classic	New in Forever
Shaman	Not available	New in Forever	Not available	Not available	Available, also in Classic	Not available	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	New in ForeverHorde only
Warlock	Available, also in Classic	Not available	Not available	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Not available	New in Forever	Not available
Warrior	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	Available, also in Classic	New in Forever

Also in ClassicNew in ForeverSkyborne only, locked to that factionScroll the table sideways on a phone.

The six added to existing races

These need no purchase. They come with the game, and they are the ones that will change what your old main could have been.

Gnome Priest

Alliance

Gnomes got the shortest class list in vanilla at four. Priest takes them to five and finally gives the race a healer.

Human Hunter

Alliance

Fills the oldest hole in the Alliance roster. Humans could do almost everything except hold a bow, which never had a good reason behind it.

Dwarf Shaman

Alliance

Dwarves already dug into the earth and the Wildhammer line had a storm connection, so this is the least surprising of the six and the most obviously overdue.

Orc Mage

Horde

Arcane magic was the thing orcs gave up, so an Orc Mage is a deliberate statement rather than a gap-filler.

Troll Warlock

Horde

Trolls had every class except Warlock and Paladin. This closes one of the two and leaves them the only Horde race with Mage, Priest, Shaman and Warlock.

Undead Paladin

Horde

The one that will start the most arguments. Paladins channel the Light and the Forsaken are undead, which vanilla treated as mutually exclusive. Blizzard has not published the in-world justification yet.

The reads above are ours, not Blizzard’s. Blizzard confirmed the six and said more are planned for later updates; it has not published a design rationale for any of them, and the Undead Paladin in particular has no stated lore justification yet.

The Skyborne, where your faction decides two of it

The Skyborne are neutral, so you choose Alliance or Horde at character creation. Four classes are open either way. The other two are locked to one side each, and that choice is made once.

Either faction

Warrior
Hunter
Rogue
Druid

Alliance only

Mage

Horde only

Shaman

The Skyborne are the one part of this page you cannot reach on a subscription alone. They need the Skyborne Heroic Pack at $29.99 or a higher tier. Our Skyborne guide covers their racials, Zephras Isle, and whether the pack earns the money.

Every race, and what it can be

The same grid read the other way, for when you have already picked a race.

Human

Alliance · 7 classes

Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior

Dwarf

Alliance · 6 classes

Hunter, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior

Night Elf

Alliance · 5 classes

Druid, Hunter, Priest, Rogue, Warrior

Gnome

Alliance · 5 classes

Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior

Orc

Horde · 6 classes

Hunter, Mage, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior

Undead

Horde · 6 classes

Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior

Tauren

Horde · 4 classes

Druid, Hunter, Shaman, Warrior

Troll

Horde · 7 classes

Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior

Skyborne

Either faction · 6 classes

Druid, Hunter, Mage (Alliance only), Rogue, Shaman (Horde only), Warrior

Requires an upgrade pack

The four classes that are not here

Death Knight, Demon Hunter, Evoker, Monk do not exist in Forever and are not planned for it. They belong to expansions Forever is not built on: this is Classic’s combat model with new content on top, not a Retail fork. If you want any of those four, Retail is where they live, and our Forever vs Classic vs Retail comparison lays out the rest of that trade.

Paladin and Shaman are also no longer faction-exclusive in the way Classic enforced. Paladin reaches the Horde through the Undead, and Shaman reaches the Alliance through the Dwarves, which means both sides can now field the full set of raid buffs without a specific race being mandatory.

Questions people keep asking

What are the new race and class combinations in WoW Forever?: Forever adds six to the existing races: Gnome Priest, Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock, Undead Paladin. The Skyborne, the new race, add six more on top of that. Blizzard has said more combinations are planned after launch.
Can Undead be Paladins in WoW Forever?: Yes. Undead Paladin is one of the six new combinations Blizzard confirmed at BlizzCon 2026. It was not possible in Classic, where the Forsaken had no access to the Light, and Blizzard has not yet published the in-world explanation.
Can Humans be Hunters in WoW Forever?: Yes. Human Hunter is new in Forever. In Classic, Humans could play Warrior, Paladin, Rogue, Priest, Mage and Warlock, but not Hunter.
What classes can the Skyborne play?: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid on either faction, plus Mage if you take the Alliance and Shaman if you take the Horde. You cannot have both: the faction you pick at character creation decides which of those two you get. The Skyborne require the Skyborne Heroic Pack or higher.
How many classes are in WoW Forever?: Nine, the same nine as Classic. Death Knight, Demon Hunter, Evoker, Monk are not in the game, because they belong to expansions Forever is not built on.
Which race has the most class options in WoW Forever?: Human and Troll, with 7 of the nine classes available.

Picked a combination?

The classes page covers what changed in each of the nine since Classic, including the new 16-point talent milestone and the Paladin rework. The beta guide covers how to try one before November 4, and the packs matter only if you want the Skyborne or a reserved name.

Last verified 2026-09-15. The six new combinations and the Skyborne class list come from Blizzard’s BlizzCon 2026 reveal and Deep Dive panel recap. Everything marked as also available in Classic is the original 2004 to 2006 roster, which is settled and not something Blizzard announced in September. The Skyborne were shown in a playable BlizzCon build and their class list could still change before launch.