World of Warcraft Forever sets free stress test before launch

World of Warcraft Forever will hold a free stress test on October 19, ahead of its November 4 release. No subscription, game time, invitation or beta access will be required.

The test will temporarily open Blizzard’s ongoing beta to players in North America and Europe. It will begin at 2 p.m. PT and 5 p.m. ET in North America, and at 6 p.m. BST and 7 p.m. CEST in Europe. Blizzard has not set an end time and may finish the test earlier or extend it.

Players can download the stress-test client through the Battle.net app. After selecting World of Warcraft, they can find the client in the game-version list. The beta will go offline shortly before the test begins and is expected to return after it ends.

Blizzard has not specified how long the stress test will run. The beta is scheduled to close on October 21, so the free access period will take place shortly before the end of testing.

All characters, names and guilds created on the stress-test servers will be deleted after the event. Name reservations will open on October 27 for players who purchased the Skyborne Heroic Pack, Skyborne Epic Pack or Warcraft Forever Collection. Blizzard will assign names on a first-come, first-served basis.

The test will measure server performance with a large number of players before launch. A standard World of Warcraft subscription will include World of Warcraft Forever after its November 4 release.