There are places in the original World of Warcraft that have spent more than twenty years looking suspiciously important without ever giving players a particularly good reason to visit them.
Locked gates in Azshara. The ruined streets above Undercity. A mysterious prison on Alcaz Island. And, of course, that enormous magical dome in the Alterac Mountains, which once suggested that Dalaran's inhabitants were either performing spectacularly dangerous experiments or simply had no interest in receiving visitors.
World of Warcraft: Forever is finally opening those doors.
Blizzard has published a detailed overview of all nine new five-player dungeons arriving with Forever, revealing their locations, intended level ranges, stories and several unusual mechanics. The adventures stretch from level 13 to 60, giving players new reasons to explore both Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor when the game launches on November 4.
We already knew about the nine dungeons from Forever's original announcement, and the beta has allowed players to explore several of the early instances. Blizzard's latest preview is different. It finally explains what lies behind some of Azeroth's most intriguing old landmarks.
And in several cases, those landmarks are hiding considerably more than another collection of dungeon trash.
Dalaran Returns – And Getting Inside Is Part of the Adventure
The City of Dalaran might be the most immediately fascinating addition, particularly for players who remember the strange purple dome that occupied the Alterac Mountains during Vanilla.
Forever transforms the city into a level 28–33 dungeon. The protective barrier has fallen, but things inside are going rather badly. Magical constructs are running wild, enchantments have become unstable, and the Kirin Tor are dealing with the consequences of whatever has gone wrong with their restoration efforts.
More importantly, players cannot simply stroll through the front gate.
Alliance characters begin their required attunement with An Alarming Request from Emissary Jacques in Southshore. Horde players instead receive Key to the City and Prison Break-In from Magus Wordeen Voidglare in Tarren Mill.
Once the Kirin Tor trusts your group, the adventure begins through the city's sewers, eventually opening into multiple routes and encounters.
It is a wonderfully old-fashioned approach to dungeon design. The preparation becomes part of the adventure, rather than another administrative obstacle standing between the player and a convenient entrance.
There is also something satisfying about exploring this version of Dalaran before its later history turned it into one of Warcraft's most familiar floating cities. For players following Forever's attempt to expand original Azeroth without simply recreating later expansions, Dalaran may be one of the clearest examples of that philosophy.
And it is not the only dungeon where an old mystery finally becomes playable.
From Alcaz Island to a City Beneath the Sea
Alcaz Prison, designed for levels 48–53, takes players to the notorious island in Dustwallow Marsh. Long associated with rumors about King Varian Wrynn's captivity, Alcaz was one of those locations that practically begged for a proper adventure.
Forever finally opens the prison, revealing a struggle between the Defias Brotherhood and naga. Blizzard is promising additional discoveries connected to the island's familiar mystery, although the complete story remains under wraps.
The Drowned City sounds even stranger.
Located underwater off the coast of Stranglethorn Vale, this level 35–40 dungeon sends adventurers through ancient troll ruins that have risen from the sea. Naga, trolls and the remains of an unfortunate pirate expedition occupy the area, but the environment itself is part of the encounter design.
The dungeon is open to the sky, and its weather changes as players progress. Mist rolls in, rain intensifies, and a storm builds toward the final confrontation.
That is a particularly interesting choice for a Classic-inspired game. Rather than simply adding more elaborate boss abilities, Blizzard is using the world around the players to create tension.
Then there is Blackmaw Hold, the level 55–60 dungeon hidden behind a sealed gate in Azshara.
We previously covered Forever's expanding beta dungeon lineup, but the new official preview gives us a clearer idea of what awaits players at the opposite end of the leveling journey.
Blackmaw Hold opens an enormous furbolg city threatened by a spreading corruption. Its groves, mountain tunnels and branching routes promise a substantial adventure, with Blizzard hinting that the deepest chambers may lead somewhere even farther beneath Azeroth.
Elsewhere, Shaper's Terrace takes level 58–60 adventurers into an ancient titan complex overlooking Un'Goro Crater. Players are encouraged to bring power crystals gathered throughout the zone, using them to operate consoles inside the dungeon.
That connection between outdoor exploration and dungeon progression is exactly the sort of design that could make Forever feel like a coherent world rather than a collection of isolated instances.
Nine Dungeons, and a Reason to Explore Azeroth Again
The remaining dungeons complete an unusually varied lineup.
Hall of Thanes, for levels 13–18, takes players beneath Ironforge into the burial chambers of ancient dwarven rulers, where suspected Dark Iron intruders have disturbed the dead. Ruins of Lordaeron, for levels 15–20, explores the remains of the human kingdom above Undercity as the Forsaken confront a growing necromantic threat.
Both were available during Forever's opening beta phase, and they have already demonstrated how much mileage Blizzard can get from locations that existed in the background of original Warcraft.
Excavation Site, intended for levels 24–29, expands the mysteries surrounding Whelgar's Excavation in the Wetlands. Strange mist, flashes of light and ancient titan constructs suggest that the Explorers' League has once again found something that probably should have remained underground.
Krol'dok Stronghold, meanwhile, sends level 40–45 players into an ogre fortress in the Riverglades. Travelers have been disappearing, nearby settlements are being attacked, and strange chanting can be heard after nightfall. None of those developments traditionally improves the resale value of a property in Azeroth.
Together, these nine dungeons cover almost the entire leveling journey, and their importance goes beyond the additional bosses and loot.
Blizzard is also changing how players earn dungeon experience. As we examined in our coverage of Forever's dungeon XP overhaul, ordinary enemy kills have become less rewarding while dungeon quests carry greater importance. The intention is to encourage players to complete an adventure, collect its rewards and return to the wider world rather than endlessly farming the same instance.
That approach makes considerably more sense when the journey contains genuinely new places worth discovering.
There are still plenty of unanswered questions about boss mechanics and final loot tables. Blizzard has also been unusually protective of its hidden item data, something we explored when thousands of Forever items were found to be concealed from dataminers.
But the locations alone make a convincing argument for what Forever is trying to accomplish.
Classic Azeroth was memorable partly because it felt bigger than the content players could actually access. Strange structures appeared on distant hillsides. Locked doors suggested adventures that never materialized. Entire pieces of Warcraft history were hidden just beyond the playable world.
Forever is returning to those forgotten corners and asking a rather delightful question: what if the adventure had continued?
For veterans who spent years wondering what was behind Azshara's sealed gates or inside Alcaz Island's prison, November 4 may finally provide some answers.
Although, knowing World of Warcraft, getting those answers will probably require finding a tank first.
Source: Blizzard Entertainment – Explore the New Dungeons of World of Warcraft: Forever, October 20, 2026.
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