Blizzard confirmed the full schedule for the October 21 free test. It lasted four hours in the Americas and eight in Europe. This article preserves the announcement as an archive.
What this post adds
Until now Blizzard had only given start times and said the test would last “a few hours”. The new post from Community Manager Kaivax adds three things:
- End times. The test lasts four hours in the Americas, Oceania, Taiwan and Korea, and eight hours in Europe.
- One closing moment. Every region shuts down at the same time: 01:00 UTC on October 22. Europe simply opens earlier.
- The beta’s last day. After the stress test the beta comes back, then closes for good at 10:00 a.m. PDT on Friday, October 23.
Full schedule
| Region | Date | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americas (Pacific) | October 21 | 2:00 p.m. PDT | 6:00 p.m. PDT |
| Americas (Central) | October 21 | 4:00 p.m. CDT | 8:00 p.m. CDT |
| Americas (Eastern) | October 21 | 5:00 p.m. EDT | 9:00 p.m. EDT |
| Europe (Central) | October 21 | 19:00 CEST | 03:00 CEST |
| UK and Ireland | October 21 | 18:00 BST/IST | 02:00 |
| New Zealand | October 22 | 10:00 a.m. NZDT | 2:00 p.m. |
| Australia (Sydney) | October 22 | 8:00 a.m. AEDT | Noon |
| Taiwan | October 22 | 5:00 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. |
| Korea | October 22 | 6:00 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. |
Players in Latin America use the Americas window: 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Mexico and Central America, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. in Argentina and Chile.
Who can join
Any player with a WoW account. No active subscription, Game Time or beta invite is needed. Install the client before Wednesday: in Battle.net, choose World of Warcraft: Forever Stress Test under In Development in the Game Version menu and click Install. Step-by-step instructions are in our stress test guide.
When the test ends, every stress test character and name is deleted. Do not spend the four hours chasing a name: real name reservation starts October 27.
The beta closes October 23
Once the stress test shuts down, Blizzard reopens the beta for its last two days. It closes at 10:00 a.m. PDT on Friday, October 23 (1:00 p.m. EDT, 19:00 CEST). From then until the November 4 launch, the only way in is an Invite-A-Friend code, and those only work from launch day.
How to use four hours
- Pick one class and stick with it. Four hours is enough for the first zone and a few levels. If you are undecided, read the best class to start with.
- Load a talent route first. Open the talent calculator so you know where your first points go.
- Check your PC. Watch your frame rate in a crowded starting zone; compare with the system requirements.
About this story
Times come from Kaivax’s post on the official WoW Forever beta forums (October 20). The Latin America times are our conversion. If Blizzard changes the schedule, we will update this page.
Sources and data status
Sources from the original publication, reviewed October 20, 2026. This article preserves the context of a test that has ended.