Blizzard opens World of Warcraft: Forever stress test to all on 19 October
Anyone can join the World of Warcraft: Forever stress test on 19 October. No subscription needed.
Blizzard announced the test on 15 October in a post titled "Join the World of Warcraft: Forever Stress Test" Blizzard. No invitation, Game Time or beta access is required. No invite needed.
The start time is staggered by region. It is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. PDT on 19 October in North America, and for 19:00 CEST on 19 October in Europe. In Korea it is scheduled for 06:00 KST on 20 October, and in Taiwan for 05:00 CST on 20 October.
A stress test is a short load check, where a studio opens unfinished servers to a large crowd to see how they cope. To take part, players open the Battle.net desktop app, the launcher for Blizzard games, and select World of Warcraft: Forever Stress Test under In Development in the Game Version menu. Then they install and log in.
The current Forever beta, an unfinished test version that began on 17 September, will go offline shortly before the stress test begins. Blizzard said it is expected to return shortly after it ends.
Nothing from the stress test carries over. All characters, names and guilds created on the stress test servers will be wiped after the test. That clears the way for Name Reservations opening on 27 October.
For players, this means the test is a trial run, not a head start. Anyone keen on a particular name will still need to reserve it later.
21 October is the last full day of beta testing ahead of global launch on 4 November. Players who pre-purchase the Skyborne Heroic Pack, Skyborne Epic Pack or Warcraft Forever Collection will have access to Early Name Reservation from 27 October through 3 November.
