Alliance and HordeThe Skyborne, also called the shen’dorei or hidden people, descend from Highborne exiles who made a pact with elemental wind spirits. Those spirits have vanished, and a new generation must decide what the Skyborne become without them.
From the published client snapshot, build 1.60.1.69977. A class marked new is one Blizzard names as a new combination for Forever.
Descendants of the ancient Highborne scholars of Eldre’Thalas. When the wind spirits vanished, the High Order saw how dependent on them the Skyborne had become, and set out to reclaim lost arcane knowledge.
Client build 1.60.1.69977 matches Blizzard’s 22 September class table for this race.
Descendants of the first shen’dorei to receive the wind spirits’ gift of elemental skysight. The Windshapers keep the elemental traditions and have come to Azeroth to find their missing mentors.
Client build 1.60.1.69977 matches Blizzard’s 22 September class table for this race.
Names and descriptions are read from the client build 1.60.1.69977. Blizzard says some traits were updated for Forever, and its own wording from 22 September is shown underneath where the names match. Neither has been checked in game.
Attempt to tap into the power of a nearby ley line, increasing your Health and Mana regeneration by 100%. Lasts 15 sec if no ley line is nearby, and 900 sec if one is found.
Blizzard, 22 September: “Activate a ley line to gain 100% increased Health and Mana regeneration.”
Glide downward through the air for 10 sec while controlling your direction of travel.
Blizzard, 22 September: “Glide downward through the air for 10 seconds.”
Damage dealt versus Elementals increased by 5%.
Blizzard, 22 September: “Damage to Elementals increased by 5%.”
Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 1%.
Blizzard, 22 September: “1% increased melee, ranged, and spellcasting Haste.”
Attempt to draw power from a convergence of elements and receive its blessing, increasing your movement and mounted movement speeds by 10%. Lasts 30 sec if no elemental convergence is nearby, and 900 sec if one is found.
Attempt to tap into the power of a nearby ley line, increasing your Health and Mana regeneration by 100%. Lasts 15 sec if no ley line is nearby, and 900 sec if one is found.
Glide downward through the air for 10 sec while controlling your direction of travel.
Blizzard, 22 September: “Glide downward through the air for 10 seconds.”
Damage dealt versus Elementals increased by 5%.
Blizzard, 22 September: “Damage to Elementals increased by 5%.”
Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 1%.
Blizzard, 22 September: “1% increased melee, ranged, and spellcasting Haste.”
Attempt to draw power from a convergence of elements and receive its blessing, increasing your movement and mounted movement speeds by 10%. Lasts 30 sec if no elemental convergence is nearby, and 900 sec if one is found.
Blizzard, 22 September: “Receive an Elemental Blessing increasing run speed by 10%.”
“Thousands of years ago, a group of Highborne exiles forged a pact with elemental wind spirits and built a civilization within Skywall.”
Blizzard’s Skyborne article describes a civilisation built within Skywall, one of the elemental planes. When you arrive on Zephras Isle, that civilisation is in crisis: the air spirits that protected the island have vanished, old structures are failing, communities are growing isolated, and the Skyborne are divided over what comes next.
Skyborne choose a faction at character creation. Horde Skyborne keep the elemental traditions and can be shamans; Alliance Skyborne pursue the arcane legacy of their ancestors and can be mages. Both can be warriors, hunters, rogues and druids, and Blizzard says Skyborne druids have their own forms.
Sources: WoW: Forever Meet the New Skyborne (opens in a new tab), 22 September 2026; World of Warcraft: Forever What's Next panel recap (opens in a new tab), 12 September 2026; Create the Hero You Want to Be in World of Warcraft: Forever (opens in a new tab), 22 September 2026.
The Skyborne are one race with two cultural paths. Blizzard lists them as separate races in its faction tables, and the client does the same, so this page keeps both records side by side rather than counting them as two new races.
Sources: WoW: Forever Meet the New Skyborne (opens in a new tab), 22 September 2026; Create the Hero You Want to Be in World of Warcraft: Forever (opens in a new tab), 22 September 2026.
Zephras Isle is the Skyborne starting experience, for levels 1–12. Blizzard’s beta article of 17 September also listed Skyborne and Zephras Isle for the first beta week.
Sources: WoW: Forever Meet the New Skyborne (opens in a new tab), 22 September 2026; World of Warcraft: Forever beta announcement (opens in a new tab), 17 September 2026.
Zephras Isle, above Azeroth, is where the Skyborne story begins.
