WoW Forever beta build 69977 is live: Mac and controller fixes, and a name lockout that took a realm restart

The first beta client update since launch week went out late on September 22. Restart your Battle.net client: the beta is now on WoW Forever 1.60.1 build 69977, up from 69913.

What is in the build

Community manager Kaivax listed the fixes testers can check:

• Mac: several display problems and stability issues are fixed;
• Controller: navigation in the character selection screen now works properly if you start the game with a gamepad active;
• Gamepad: you can now interact with objects that hand out quests.

The build also contains other fixes that cannot be tested in game. To get it, exit the beta, open the Battle.net app and let it update.

The bigger news is in the last line of the post: the next full weekly update is coming on September 24. That is the one to watch. A full update is where class tuning, new zones or a higher level cap would appear, and the beta is still capped at level 20.

Mac fixes came from very detailed bug reports

The Mac fixes have a story behind them. One tester posted eight separate graphics bugs, each isolated to a single setting, with steps to reproduce every one. Kaivax replied to thank them and said Blizzard has several analyses and potential fixes underway for Mac issues, and that reports like that are extremely helpful.

If you are on a Mac and still see broken lighting or shadows, our crash and graphics guide lists the settings that helped testers, and it is worth retesting them on the new build.

“Character with that name already exists”

The other event of the day was a lockout. After a restart on September 21, a group of testers could not log in: the game claimed their character name was taken, because their character was still stuck active on the server. One player reported being locked out for more than 12 hours, with no automatic logout freeing the character.

How it was handled is worth noting:

• Kaivax asked players to post the character name and the exact time they were last online, so the team could search the logs;
• when a player suggested simply restarting the servers, he replied that a senior game producer had just said he wanted to restart the beta realms that day;
• the restart worked. The player who opened the thread confirmed they could log in again.

Blizzard says it is still gathering information to be sure it understands both the problem and the fix, so the underlying bug is not closed. If it happens to you, post the name and the time rather than just the error.

What to watch next

• September 24: the next full weekly update.
• The level cap is still 20. Blizzard has said it will rise to 30 during the beta, but has not given a date.
• The beta runs until October 21, and launch is November 4.

Our beta hub tracks every build, and the talent calculator is updated when the trees change.