Quick answer: Blizzard starts emailing WoW Forever Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes on October 20, 2026 (Pacific time). The Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99) gives 1 code, the Skyborne Epic Pack ($59.99) and Warcraft Forever Collection ($79.99) give 3 codes in total, and gift purchases get none. You copy the code from the email and send it privately to a friend, who redeems it on their own Battle.net account. The friend can then play Forever from November 4 through November 11, 2026 with no subscription or Game Time. The code is not a beta key and doesn't include name reservation or the Skyborne race.
The codes have started going out, and the same questions keep coming up on Reddit: how many do I get, when will the email arrive, does it get my friend into the beta, and what happens after the week ends. Here are the answers from Blizzard's own pre-purchase article, with the parts Blizzard hasn't published yet clearly marked.
How many Invite-A-Friend codes do you get in WoW Forever?
It depends only on which upgrade edition you pre-purchased. Blizzard's pre-purchase announcement lists the counts:
| Edition | Price (US) | Launch codes | Beta access | Early Name Reservation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base game (subscription or Game Time) | Included | 0 | No | No |
| Skyborne Heroic Pack | $29.99 | 1 | No | Yes |
| Skyborne Epic Pack | $59.99 | 3 total | Yes (through Oct 21) | Yes |
| Warcraft Forever Collection | $79.99 | 3 total | Yes (through Oct 21) | Yes |
| Any edition bought as a gift | — | 0 | — | — |
Two details people get wrong:
- Epic is 3 codes, not 4. Blizzard writes that the Epic Pack includes "Two more Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes" on top of everything in the Heroic Pack, and then confirms that the Epic Pack and Collection "include three total codes."
- Gift purchases are excluded. The fine print says "Excludes gift purchases. Other restrictions apply." If you bought a pack for someone else, don't expect a code from that order.
Blizzard hasn't said whether buying several packs on one account stacks codes, so don't buy a second pack hoping it will. The physical Collector's Edition has its own product terms; check those rather than assuming the digital table applies.
When will the WoW Forever friend code email arrive?
Delivery starts October 20, 2026, Pacific time. Blizzard's wording is "Codes will be delivered by email beginning October 20," and beginning is the important word. It is a rollout, not a single moment, so some players will get the email hours or days after others.
If yours hasn't arrived:
- Check the email tied to the Battle.net account that made the purchase. If you have more than one Battle.net account, check the right inbox.
- Look in spam and promotions folders. Promotional emails from Blizzard often end up there.
- Confirm the order wasn't a gift. Gift orders aren't eligible, even if the pack is otherwise identical.
- Give it time before contacting support. The rollout started today. If nothing has arrived after it has clearly finished, go through Blizzard Support, which has the offer-specific article.
How do you send and redeem a WoW Forever launch code?
The process from Blizzard's announcement:
- Open the email and copy the code. Blizzard: "Once received, copy the code from the email and send it directly to the friend you want to invite."
- Send it privately. Use a DM, not a guild Discord channel or a Reddit comment. Anyone who sees a posted code can redeem it before your friend does.
- Your friend redeems it on their own account. Per Blizzard, "Eligible invitees can redeem the code through Battle.net." They should sign in to their own Battle.net account and use the code-redemption option there. Never ask for, or give out, a Battle.net login to "activate" a code for someone.
- On November 4 your friend launches Forever and plays through November 11 without a subscription.
One caution: Blizzard calls recipients "eligible invitees" and says "other restrictions apply," but the announcement doesn't list who is ineligible. The details are in the linked support article, which requires sign-in. If redemption fails, have your friend read that article on their own account before assuming they mistyped the code.
Does a WoW Forever invite code give beta access?
No. This is the most common mistake in the threads. Blizzard says it plainly in the pre-purchase article:
"These Invite-A-Friend Launch Codes do not include beta access." (Blizzard, WoW Forever pre-purchase announcement)
The timing makes it moot anyway. The beta runs through October 21, 2026, the day after codes start arriving, and it was capped at level 30. In an r/MMORPG thread on beta keys, one player told someone hunting for a key to just wait for launch: with only a few days of beta left and a level-30 cap, there isn't much to see.
If your friend wants to try Forever before launch, there's a route that needs no code: the free Stress Test on October 21. Blizzard says "Anyone can take part and no subscription, Game Time, invitation, or beta access is required." It runs at 2:00 p.m. PDT / 19:00 CEST, and every character, name and guild is wiped afterwards (Blizzard News). Our Stress Test guide has the install steps.
What does your friend get with a launch code, and what don't they get?
The code grants access. It doesn't grant the pack. Here's what Blizzard's wording supports:
| Your friend gets | Your friend does NOT get |
|---|---|
| WoW Forever access Nov 4–11, 2026 | Beta access |
| No subscription or Game Time needed that week | Early Name Reservation (Oct 27–Nov 3) |
| The same launch-day world as everyone else | The Skyborne race and Zephras Isle start (a pack benefit) |
| Pack cosmetics, the Cerulean Prideclaw mount or 30 days of Game Time |
The name-reservation line catches people out. Early Name Reservation (October 27 to November 3, up to three characters) is "included with any upgrade purchase," so it's tied to the pack, not the invite. A friend on a code makes their character on November 4 with everyone else, after pack owners have reserved names for a week. If your friend wants a particular name, they should have a backup ready. Our name reservation guide explains how the window works.
The same applies to Skyborne. Blizzard lists "Access to the new Skyborne race and their Zephras Isle starting experience" as a Heroic Pack benefit, and the code is described only as access to Forever. Unless your friend buys a pack, plan for them to roll one of the classic races. Is the race worth $30 on its own? We covered that in is the Skyborne race worth $30.
What happens when the invite week ends on November 11?
The free access ends. In Blizzard's words, the code gives access "from November 4 through November 11, 2026, PST." After that, World of Warcraft, including Forever, "requires World of Warcraft Subscription or Game Time."
Two things to know:
- Forever is free with a normal WoW subscription. No separate box price exists. If your friend likes the week, a standard subscription covers Forever, Retail and the other Classic versions together. Our is WoW Forever free? breakdown covers the cost.
- Blizzard hasn't said what happens to a trial character after November 11. The announcement only says access ends. It doesn't say characters are deleted or kept. Don't promise your friend either way.
One timing note: Blizzard's pre-purchase article gives launch as November 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. PST, while another Blizzard article says 3:00 p.m. PDT. The date is firm, but because the two articles disagree on the time zone, we're not converting the hour here. The invite week starts whenever servers open on November 4.
How do you make the most of your friend's free week?
A single launch week goes fast in a game that starts everyone at level 1. These steps keep the invite from being wasted:
- Agree on a ruleset before November 4. Forever has no realms, only rulesets (Normal, PvP, Roleplaying, with Hardcore later), and Blizzard's ruleset article says groups can't cross rulesets. If you're on PvP and your friend picks Normal, you can't group.
- Agree on a faction. Horde and Alliance still can't group in Forever. On the PvP ruleset you can only create characters of one faction, per Blizzard's ruleset article. If you reserved an Alliance name on PvP, your friend must roll Alliance there too. Our Horde or Alliance guide covers the trade-offs.
- Skip the Skyborne start for the duo. Skyborne players begin on Zephras Isle (levels 1 to 12). If you roll Skyborne and your friend can't, you'll spend those first levels apart. For a short trial, pick races that start together.
- Install early. Have your friend download the client and update their drivers before launch day. Queues and patching eat into a one-week window.
- Use the week to decide, not to finish. No one levels to 60 in a casual week. The goal is to find out whether they enjoy the Forever pace before they subscribe. Our leveling explainer shows what the early game looks like.
In the r/wow thread about the Collection, one player asked what the three codes are actually for. The answer they got sums it up: the codes let your friends play without a subscription for a few days. That's all they are, and it's a good deal if you have people to bring along.
How are these different from Recruit-A-Friend or "free code" giveaways?
- Not Recruit-A-Friend. Retail WoW has a separate, long-running Recruit-A-Friend referral program with its own rewards. The Forever launch code is a one-off pre-purchase bonus with a fixed one-week window. Blizzard hasn't announced a Forever version of Recruit-A-Friend.
- Not a public giveaway. Codes go only to buyers of qualifying packs. Sites or Discord bots offering free Forever codes in exchange for a login or a "verification" step are scams. Don't enter your Battle.net credentials anywhere except Blizzard's own pages.
- Not a beta key. Covered above, but it bears repeating because the autocomplete suggests it: there's no such thing as a "beta friend code" for Forever.
What else is on the launch calendar?
| Date (2026) | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct 20 | Invite-A-Friend codes start emailing |
| Oct 21 | Beta ends; free Stress Test (2:00 p.m. PDT) |
| Oct 27 – Nov 3 | Early Name Reservation, up to 3 characters (pack owners) |
| Nov 4 | WoW Forever launches; invite week starts |
| Nov 11 | Invite-A-Friend access ends |
| Dec 9 | Raids unlock: Barrow Deeps (10), Hyjal Summit (20), Onyxia's Lair (40) |
The Warcraft Forever Collection is a limited-time bundle, available only through January 11, 2027, so a friend who decides to upgrade after the trial week still has time to get it. For the full sequence, see our beta-ending roadmap and launch day checklist. If you're still choosing a pack, which WoW Forever pack to buy compares all three.
Bringing a friend for launch week? timesaver.gg runs WoW Forever services on US and EU from November 4, so a short trial week can still reach the content you both want to play.
- WoW Forever Power Leveling to 60: get your main to 60 by hand on the quest route, so you're ready when raids open on December 9.
- WoW Forever Gold: fund riding, training and your first Auction House trips on a fresh economy.
- All WoW Forever services: leveling, gold, dungeons, raids, reputation and PvP.
Want the background on how Forever grew out of the Classic+ talk? Our older Classic+ vs Season of Discovery vs Classic Era breakdown covers it.
FAQ
When do WoW Forever Invite-A-Friend codes come out? Blizzard began emailing them on October 20, 2026, Pacific time. It's a rollout, so they don't all arrive at once.
How many friend codes does the Epic Pack give? Three in total. The Skyborne Heroic Pack gives one, and the Warcraft Forever Collection also gives three. Gift purchases give none.
Can my friend use the code to get into the WoW Forever beta? No. Blizzard states the codes "do not include beta access." For a pre-launch look, use the free Stress Test on October 21 instead.
How long does a WoW Forever invite code last? It gives access from November 4 through November 11, 2026, Pacific time, with no subscription or Game Time needed. After that, Forever needs a normal WoW subscription or Game Time.
Can an invited friend reserve a name on October 27? No. Early Name Reservation comes with an upgrade purchase, not with the invite code. Invited friends create characters at launch on November 4.
Can an invited friend play Skyborne? Blizzard lists the Skyborne race as a pack benefit and describes the code only as access to Forever, so plan on your friend using a classic race unless they buy a pack.
Sources: Blizzard News pre-purchase announcement (article 24301508), Stress Test update (24302072), ruleset article (24302070), Blizzard Support article 000385883. Paraphrased player comments from r/wow and r/MMORPG. Verified October 20, 2026.
