WoW: Forever Free Stress Test Next Week: What You Need to Know

Ever wanted to try WoW: Forever without dropping $60 on a beta code? Next week, you can.

Blizzard just announced a stress test for WoW: Forever that's completely free. No subscription, no beta access needed. It kicks off October 19 at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET, and the goal is simple: put the servers through their paces before launch. "This is a highly valuable event, since you'll participate in our discovering of issues that would have otherwise happened on launch day," Blizzard said in a post.

To join, you'll need the Battle.net launcher and an account. Once you're in, select WoW: Forever from your game list, then choose the stress test from the "Game Version" drop-down menu. Easy enough.

But here's the catch: the stress test only runs for a "few hours." Blizzard hasn't said exactly how long, and the window "may end earlier or run later as needed." During the test, the closed beta will be offline, but it'll come back once the stress test wraps. Oh, and all characters you make during the test will be deleted afterward.

So it's a brief taste, but for curious players who didn't want to buy the $60 Skyborne Epic Pack, it's a chance to dip your toes in. Just don't get too attached to your character.

Speaking of the beta, it's winding down too. It'll run until October 21, then shut down and wipe characters to make way for early name reservations on October 27. WoW: Forever launches the following week on November 4.

All signs point to a massive launch. Blizzard devs have said the beta broke records, and the hype is real. But it hasn't been all smooth sailing—controversies over streamers, illicit gold-buying, and one streamer trying to dominate the sole PvP server have stirred up the community. Blizzard even cracked down with new in-game restrictions and warnings. In a recent GameSpot interview, the team shared more about the game's future and how it's trying to "push the envelope" on what players expect.

Will you be jumping into the stress test next week? Let us know in the comments!