Forever keeps the road to 60 long and dangerous on purpose: there is no level scaling, no flying and no dungeon finder. What it adds is more than a thousand new quests, four new zones and nine new dungeons spread across the whole climb, so the old bottlenecks in the 30s and 40s are gone.
Level ranges below come from the game's quest and creature data. Zones overlap, so treat the bands as a guide and move on when the quests turn green.
The route at a glance
The world map shows every zone on one level ladder, colored by faction, with the new zones marked.
1 to 12: your starting zone
Every race starts where it did in Classic, except the Skyborne, who begin on Zephras Isle, a floating island in the elemental plane of Skywall. It runs to level 12 for both factions and teaches the race's story before you set foot on Azeroth. The Skyborne guide covers it.
Dun Morogh was updated for Forever, and the way into The Hall of Thanes lies beneath old Ironforge.
10 to 20: the first dungeons
This band is where Forever first feels different. Two new dungeons open in the mid-teens:
- The Hall of Thanes (13 to 20), the burial vaults of Ironforge's ancient thanes, broken open by Dark Iron looters. The quest chain starts with Earthseer Farsen by Gol’Bolar Quarry, and most of its quests so far are for the Alliance.
- Ruins of Lordaeron (15 to 22), the shattered capital above the Undercity. It has quests for both factions.
Both hand out blue weapons from their quests that carry you into the 20s. If you are Horde, The Barrens is still the backbone of this band, and Ragefire Chasm and Wailing Caverns are close by.
20 to 30: Wetlands and Dalaran
Whelgar’s Excavation (26 to 33) sits at a titan dig site in the Wetlands. It has a dozen quests for both factions and thirteen blue quest rewards. Alterac's City of Dalaran (28 to 35) is a nine-encounter dungeon inside the fallen barrier, and its quests introduce the Kirin Tor as a reputation.
Your first Legacy point usually lands at 25, when your first character reaches that level. It opens the Legacy system for the whole account.
30 to 45: the new middle
The 30s were Classic's slowest stretch. Forever fills them with two new zones:
- Riverglades (about 36 to 44) on the eastern coast of the Eastern Kingdoms, with more than 150 quests and the outdoor dungeon Krol’dok Stronghold. There is no instance portal: the ogre fortress is open to everyone in the zone.
- Shen’dralas (about 38 to 45, estimated) between Mulgore and Desolace, with a Highborne and centaur storyline.
Stranglethorn Vale still carries both factions through the 30s, and The Drowned City adds a dungeon off its coast.
45 to 60: the long road to Hyjal
From the mid-40s, Tanaris, Feralas and The Hinterlands lead into Un’Goro Crater, Felwood and the Plaguelands, as in Classic. The new endgame zone is Mount Hyjal (55 to 60), on the slopes of the World Tree. It is home to the Hyjal Summit raid and an entrance to the Barrow Deeps.
The last three new dungeons fill the gaps: Alcaz Prison off Dustwallow Marsh, Blackmaw Hold in Azshara, and The Shaper’s Terrace above Un’Goro.
Things that make leveling faster
- Use your talent order as a plan. Every build in the talent calculator has a point order. It shows the level each point unlocks and which talent to take.
- Legacy perks. They add convenience rather than raw power: Well Rested raises your rested experience cap, Thrill of Adventure restores health and mana after kills, Field Medicine shortens Recently Bandaged, Frequent Flier makes flights cheaper and faster, and Talented unlocks talent points five levels early. See the Legacy planner.
- Camping. Pitch a camp to share profession stations and give your group buffs. Placing camping features has a one-hour cooldown, which the Field Guide perk shortens.
- Class tools. Warriors have Victory Rush at 20, druids can Revive out of combat from 12, and shamans drop all their totems in one cast from 20.
- Dungeons pay. Every new dungeon has quest rewards that last ten levels. Clearing the final boss in every dungeon of a level band also earns a Legacy point.
- Plan your gear. The gear planner and the leveling tool show the best items you can wear at each level.