WoW Forever beta hit by queues, US servers frustrate players

Blizzard opened the paid World of Warcraft Forever beta on Sept. 18 for players who purchased the Epic Edition, a $60 / £52 package that guarantees access. At launch tens of thousands of players encountered long login queues, and many who reached the front were disconnected and returned to the back of the line.

Players who created characters reported severe in-game lag and repeated disconnects while exploring the game world. Server performance improved for some later in the day but remained uneven for parts of the player base.

Community Manager Randy “Kaivax” Jordan posted on the official forums that the team was aware of the login problems and working to resolve them. “We’re seeing a lot of people waiting to get into the beta,” he wrote. The post noted engineers were addressing final issues and aiming to open access more broadly.

Several players outside North America reported high ping and slow response times. A European player who paid €60 for Epic Edition posted that no EU server was available and contrasted the paid test with a free public test. Multiple purchasers reported they were seeking refunds for the package.

Some players used workarounds to reduce lag. Several reported lower ping when using a VPN set to a US location. Others found that turning off the game’s “Optimize Network for Speed” option reduced latency. Both approaches add steps for players who paid for beta access.

Blizzard has run tests focused on US servers in the past. The company described the beta as a chance to find and fix issues before the full launch, scheduled for Nov. 4, 2026. The test continues with some users able to play and others still experiencing connectivity issues.