Druid in WoW Forever

BETA TEST NOTES · SOURCE REVIEW October 8, 2026

Check Bear Form armor before comparing gear

Suggested test procedure

This is a proposed comparison, not a completed test or a recommended armor value.

1. Record the client build, date, region, ruleset, level, talents and equipped items.
2. With the same gear, capture the displayed armor outside Bear Form and in Bear Form, with no armor buff active.
3. If an armor buff is available, record its name and tooltip. Repeat both captures with only that buff changed.
4. Attach the four screenshots and exact values. Record absent abilities or buffs as a test limitation; do not fill in expected numbers.
5. Repeat after a client update before reporting a fix. Armor display alone does not verify damage mitigation.

Record your session · Submit evidence for review · Follow the issue

Confirmed race choices

These are the new combinations named in the sources below, not a complete list of every Druid race.

Selected beta changes and issue history #

The cards retain their source dates. Read the current official summary below before using older class notes. Numeric client build and independent gameplay retests remain unavailable.

• November 6 hotfixes: Blizzard's November 6 hotfixes make Bloom heal the target correctly. Bear Form's health, Ravage's damage and Swiftmend's tooltips were wrong and are fixed; the abilities themselves didn't change.
• November 6 hotfixes: A bug let Night Elf Druids use Ravage and Pounce from Shadowmeld. Blizzard fixed it on November 6.
• November 5 hotfixes: Blizzard fixed Lotheluum Starbreeze on Zephras not offering training to Druids.
• November 2 development notes: Lacerate is now a Feral talent. Bear and Dire Bear Form threat bonus rises from 50% to 115%, to make up for Blessing of Salvation's removal. Shred, Claw and Ravage hit harder, Rip, Rake and Ferocious Bite gain about 25%, and Poised arrives at level 32.
• October 16 beta hotfix: Blizzard sent a beta hotfix on October 16 that fixes the bug stopping druids from looting the relics needed for Cat Form.
• October 15 beta update: High-rank Rejuvenation no longer blocks other Druids' Rejuvenation. Faerie Fire in Bear Form now makes threat and no longer triggers Omen of Clarity in forms. Shred is learned at 20. Moonkin Aura and Leader of the Pack are raid-wide and only raise spell or physical crit. Furor keeps your Cat Form Energy through Bear Form.
• October 8 beta update: Blizzard reports fixes to Rage gained from damage: Stamina, critical/crushing hits and absorbs no longer distort the calculation as before. Armor assumptions are retuned by level.
• October 8 beta update: October 8 increases Bear/Dire Bear threat bonus from 30% to 50% and critical-strike bonus Rage from 75% to 100%. Natural Instinct replaces Predatory Instincts and adds healing equal to 12/25% of Intellect. Shifting Power cannot be used at full Energy. Mana Potions work in forms, Cat Form’s maximum-health bug is corrected and Demoralizing Roar generates threat. Thorns returns to Vanilla base damage with a 6% spell-power ratio. Wolfshead Helm now grants 5 additional Energy when Shifting Power is used; its Rage effect is unchanged.
• September 24 development notes: Wrath’s base damage rises about 50%; Rejuvenation, Tranquility and Wild Growth can crit.
• September 24 development notes: Mangle becomes Primal Bite; Primal Fury becomes Blood Frenzy.
• September 24 known issues: The Bear Form bonus-armor issue remains listed.

Filter the full patch briefing →

Check later notices and pending fixes →

Current official class design and beta changes #

September 30 describes Revive at level 12, Nature’s Grasp at 10, Omen of Clarity at 20, indoor Entangling Roots and weapon effects while shapeshifted. November 2 makes Lacerate a 1-point Feral talent on row 4, replacing Primal Bite, instead of an ability every Druid learns.

The September 30 Feral article calls Shifting Power a next-build plan; October 1 reports its addition, replacing Tiger’s Fury/King of the Jungle. It grants 40 Energy for 55% base Mana on a 16-second cooldown, with Improved Shifting Power reducing that cooldown. November 2 moves Shifting Power to row 7 as the Cat-focused 31-point talent, after Predatory Discipline; Primal Bite becomes the row-7 Bear option. Independent comparisons remain pending.

October 7 says SD Skyborne characters and Druid forms are in development for early 2027; HD form refinements are also planned.

New forms for Skyborne Druids #

Blizzard’s panel recap shows Druid forms made specifically for Skyborne. Compare those images with the character appearance you want; the reveal does not assign extra combat bonuses to the forms.

Choose the faction your group will play #

High Order joins Alliance and Windshaper joins Horde at character creation. Both can be Druids and begin on Zephras Isle, the announced level 1–12 starting area.

October 26 tuning gives Skyborne 2% Haste through Wind-Blessed. Skysight gives 15% movement speed for 15 seconds, or 30% with Charged; Read Leyline gives 50% Health/Mana regeneration for 15 seconds, or 100% with Attuned. Using Skysight at an elemental convergence or Read Leyline at a Ley Line grants its one-hour modifier. October 27 clarifies that both modifiers persist through death and are removed on raid entry. Read Leyline cannot be used during Innervate and is replaced by that more powerful effect. These are announced values, not tested class strength or spell interactions.

Prepare a Skyborne Druid #

• Compare the new forms in Blizzard’s panel recap before settling on a character appearance.
• Agree on Alliance or Horde with friends before character creation.
• Check which WoW account has the Skyborne unlock. The race is included in the Heroic Pack, Epic Pack and Warcraft Forever Collection; ordinary subscription access does not include it.

Compare forms separately from equipment #

Blizzard’s Deep Dive combines spell, melee and ranged hit chance, and does the same for critical chance. Bonus healing also adds one third as much bonus damage. Read the whole tooltip when comparing equipment for a Druid that changes activities; this does not establish a shared best set for every form.

In beta, compare the activities you want to alternate between and record the available abilities in each form. The announced Skyborne forms establish appearance choices, not their damage, healing or tanking performance.

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