WoW Forever Open: Warlockguy wins $50K; two Shamans make top 4

Who won the WoW Forever tournament?

• Champion: Warlockguy (Warlock), $50,000.
• Runner-up: Neepzen (Warlock), who takes the Warlock class prize.
• Third place: Cdewx (Shaman).
• Fourth place: Oddwaffletv (Shaman).
• Grand final: Warlockguy won 3-1 in a best of five, with no bracket reset. Neepzen had beaten him 2-1 in the semifinal, so it was a rematch.

The finals were played on Sunday, October 18, and streamed on Esfand’s and Xaryu’s Twitch channels.

Two Shamans in the top four: the story beyond the final

Cdewx, better known as Cdew, deserves more than a line in the standings. After losing 0-2 to Azzu, he dropped to the lower bracket and won four elimination duels in a row, against Luuxiå, Lamelol, Minpojke and Oddwaffletv. Warlockguy ended his run 2-0 in the lower bracket final.

The other Shaman earned his spot too. After losing to Azzu, Oddwaffletv won five consecutive elimination duels, including wins over Korleone, Jázggz and Azzu himself in their rematch. He finished fourth after losing to Cdewx.

Two Shamans in the top four is one of the official bracket’s standout results. Cdewx’s comeback and Oddwaffletv’s five elimination wins give Shaman a story of its own at this tournament.

Paladins have a case too: Azzu stopped Cdewx

A Warlock mirror final can overshadow Paladin’s results. Azzu beat Pshero, Oddwaffletv and Cdewx in the upper bracket before losing 1-2 to Neepzen. Oddwaffletv later eliminated him in the lower bracket. Lamelol also advanced through several rounds before losing to Cdewx.

In qualifiers, Icy Veins reports 15 undefeated Paladins and 14 undefeated Warlocks. Paladin had a strong qualifying showing and notable wins on Sunday, even though a Warlock took the title.

How The Forever Open worked

It was a 1v1 dueling tournament at level 30, the beta level cap. Qualifiers ran on Saturday and the top 4 players of each class advanced: 36 finalists in total. Having four players per class at the start was a format rule, not a measure of relative class strength.

The finals used double elimination: one loss sent you to the lower bracket and a second knocked you out. The grand final was a best of five with no bracket reset.

Class prizes

Alongside the champion’s $50,000, the advertised $100,000 prize pool included $5,555 per class. Warcraft Tavern lists these class prize winners:

Class	Prize winner
Warlock	Neepzen (the champion’s class prize goes to the next best)
Shaman	Cdewx / Cdew
Druid	Minpojke
Hunter	Fvp
Mage	Four-way tie: Allyana, Teleporter, Venruk and Yonezka
Paladin	Azzu
Priest	Nieze
Rogue	Justwoo
Warrior	Mag

The official prize rules state that class prizes are split evenly for tied placements. The Mage prize is therefore shared between the four tied players, rather than $5,555 each.

What it means for picking a class

Our reading: Warlock owned the final, Shaman put two players in the top four and Paladin earned notable wins. That is a reason to explore those classes. These were level-30 beta duels, with specific players, preparation and rules; they do not determine the best class for dungeons, raids or level-60 PvP.

To turn the results into your own character plan, try our tools:

• Explore the classes: Warlock, Shaman and Paladin guides, with suggested leveling talent routes.
• Plan your own build: the nine-class calculator lets you save and share routes. We do not present these as the finalists’ builds.
• Prepare for group content: the dungeon explorer brings together levels, bosses, loot and quests, with source status.

Check the October 15 class changes when comparing beta information. To try your pick, see the October 21 free stress test times.