How WoW Forever name reservations work

Current access: live since November 4 #

WoW Forever went live in all regions on November 4 at 3pm PST / 23:00 UTC. Blizzard closed the beta on October 23, and name reservations ended November 3. The dated beta instructions and observations below are historical, not a way to join the closed test or proof of launch behavior.

Prepare during the reservation window #

1. Check the correct Battle.net login and the specific WoW account that owns an edition listing early name reservations.
2. Pick a preferred name plus two or three alternatives with your group.
3. Read Blizzard’s current instructions for the ruleset, naming and account restrictions before the window opens.
4. Keep October 27–November 3 on your calendar. Blizzard’s October 20 article gives the opening times: North America October 27 at 1:00 p.m. PDT, Europe October 27 at 18:00 CET, and Korea and Taiwan October 28 at 07:00 local time. Blizzard repeated on October 23, as the beta closed, that character creation opens Tuesday, October 27, to choose a ruleset and a name.

Choose a unique two-part name #

Blizzard’s September 21 naming guide says the complete first-and-second-name pair must be unique within a region. Two characters can share a first name if their full names differ; its examples also reuse a family-style second name. Prepare alternative pairs, not just alternate first names.

If you prefer not to show the second name in the game world, Blizzard documents Game Menu (Escape) → Options → Nameplates → My Secondary Name. Turning off that checkbox leaves the second name visible in chat. Kingy has not checked this menu in the beta client.

Blizzard says prohibited words, impersonation and repeated-character patterns can be rejected, including a restricted word split across both names. The article does not give numeric component-length limits. Check the actual reservation form before relying on a spelling.

Same-first-name mail: a September 24 fix is listed #

September 18–21 player reports described a ‘cannot mail yourself’ error or misdirected mail between characters sharing a first name. Blizzard’s September 24 development notes now list a fix for mail ignoring surnames. The old reports explain the history; they are not evidence that the issue persists after that update.

Kingy has not independently retested mail. Confirm the full recipient in your current client and, if you choose to test, use a low-value message before valuable items. Do not delete a character as a workaround.

During reservations #

Reservations opened on October 27 and run through November 3. A preferred name is not guaranteed: the terms say first come, first served. Account-specific reservations should not be treated as transferable promises to friends.

Blizzard’s upgrade article says you can create and customize up to three characters during this window. Its October 20 article adds that the three are a total across all rulesets: two on a PvP ruleset leave one for Normal or Role-Play. Blizzard’s October 27 Oceanic post names Roleplay-PvP among the rulesets you can create on during reservations, though players report access problems (see the known problems below). That limit applies only to early reservation. The product terms separately tie early reservation access to the specific WoW account the pack was purchased for.

Enter a full two-part name. Blizzard says the complete combination is unique within the region, while each part can be reused in a different combination. The exact reservation form and numeric component-length limits still need checking.

Known problems during reservations #

Blizzard confirmed two bugs on October 27. The restricted-name list was too strict, for example on names containing “c-o-n”; once the realm-restart fix is in, try a refused name again. On Australian servers, create Roleplay and Roleplay-PvP characters before Normal or PvP ones, or those rulesets disappear for later characters.

Players also report Roleplay rulesets showing no realms (error WOW51900309), and Blizzard’s forum support said on October 31 that the Oceanic options were addressed on October 30. Since October 30, players report characters landing on the wrong ruleset; the same support agent says the team is aware and working on it, with no fix posted yet. If you get error WOW51900337, check which WoW license holds your pack. Kingy hasn’t tested any of this in the client.

If a PvP character fails with “This faction is currently unavailable on this realm due to population imbalance”, that isn’t a bug. Blizzard’s support article says creation is temporarily restricted for a significantly dominant faction and Customer Support can’t bypass it; its forum support says to wait a little and try again. Players report anything from a second try to hours of retries.

If your first choice is unavailable #

• Try the same first name with a different second name, or use another prepared pair; check both spellings carefully.
• Confirm the intended WoW account, region, ruleset and faction. Forever uses rulesets rather than named realms.
• Check the official instructions before assuming an existing Classic character reserves its name in Forever. Character transfer and automatic name carryover have not been established here.

Prepare one row for each of your three characters #

This is a preparation worksheet; Kingy has not inspected the reservation interface now open during October 27–November 3. Do not delete a reserved character to change its spelling until Blizzard documents how name release and reuse work.

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