Blizzard has been asking players what they want next for World of Warcraft: Forever, and the answers include a Bard, a Witch, and a Necromancer. A survey of proposed new classes has surfaced online, and it shows Blizzard is seriously considering adding classes fans have wanted for years.
PC Gamer’s survey appeared on Blizzard’s Battle.net launcher last week, asking players about future additions to WoW: Forever. Someone posted the full survey online, and it lists several proposed classes along with brief descriptions of their roles, gear, and abilities. The survey warns participants not to share its contents publicly, but the warning appears to have been ignored.
The Survey’s Full List
The survey proposes ten new classes, each with a short description of what they do, what they wear, and how they fit into a group. Here is the full list:
- Monk
- Demon Hunter
- Tinker
- Illusionist
- San’layn
- Necromancer
- Rune Knight
- Bard
- Warden
- Witch
- Death Knight
Each class gets a short role description, a gear type, and a few example abilities. The survey also includes a note that some familiar abilities from other versions of WoW would not appear in WoW: Forever.
What the Classes Actually Do
The Witch stands out as a ranged damage dealer and support class that wears cloth armor. Its example abilities include a cauldron ability that buffs anyone who drinks from it, and a ranged attack called Voidbolt that drains the caster’s own life.
Bard and Tinker are two classes that keep coming up whenever anyone discusses new classes for the game. The survey suggests both would fit the roster well. The Tinker description says they would climb into their own mech to fight; Bards would perform songs to heal and buff their allies.
Demon Hunter and Monk are returning classes, and they sound close to the versions that exist in other versions of WoW today. The survey specifically calls out familiar abilities that they would not have in WoW: Forever, and clarifies that Demon Hunters would start at level one, rather than level eight as they do in WoW’s Midnight expansion.
The Survey’s Role Descriptions
The survey breaks down each class by role, gear, and abilities. The Witch is a ranged damage-dealer and support that wears cloth armor. The Bard performs songs to heal and buff allies. The Tinker climbs into their own mech to fight.
Here is a quick comparison of three of the proposed classes:
| Class | Role | Gear | Example Ability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witch | Ranged damage-dealer / support | Cloth armor | Voidbolt (drains the caster’s own life) |
| Bard | Support | Not specified | Songs to heal and buff allies |
| Tinker | Combat | Not specified | Climbs into their own mech |
Why Players Are Watching Closely
The survey already has some players worried that any additional classes might come out considerably more powerful than the others and ruin the throwback experience. They could be right, but it is still unclear how far WoW: Forever will veer away from the oldest version of the MMO.
The survey outlines feel considered, which makes the idea seem almost inevitable. The classes are described with care, and the descriptions suggest Blizzard has spent time thinking through how each one would work in the game.
The Money Question
Plenty of people shelled out the money to play the new elves in the beta, judging from how many I see running around every time I log in. Blizzard may start selling classes, and if they do, there should be a way to unlock them for free by playing the game. I am doubtful that Blizzard would give away anything that would likely prove lucrative.
Blizzard has a history of monetizing content, and the survey’s existence suggests they are planning for a long-term roadmap. Whether those plans include paid classes remains to be seen.
What Comes Next
The full release of WoW: Forever is scheduled for November 4. That date will hopefully provide some insight into what the future holds for Blizzard’s retro spinoff.
The survey is a sign of what Blizzard is thinking about. The company has not announced any of these classes, and the survey itself is a tool for gauging player interest. The question now is whether any of them actually make it into the game.
The survey is a fun look at Blizzard’s design thinking, and it offers a glimpse of what the company might have in store for WoW: Forever. The classes are whimsical, varied, and clearly thought out. Whether they ever see the light of day remains to be seen.
Source material: “World of Warcraft: Forever survey pitches new classes to players, including Bard, Witch, and more,” PC Gamer.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.