WoW Forever Found Photos Panel: How Blizzard Is Expanding Original Azeroth

Blizzard’s Found Photos panel, hosted by Senior Game Designer Josh Greenfield and Lead Content Designer Evan Lee, explained the thinking behind the new 1–60 content in World of Warcraft: Forever. The short version: new stories should feel as if they were always part of Classic, tucked into the map corners players have wondered about for years.

What “found photos” means

The term comes from Chris Metzen, who used it in early discussions about adding story to Season of Discovery. The goal is to uncover places, characters and events that plausibly existed in the original game. According to Blizzard’s recap:

• Forever is set in the “Year 1” era, before Kazzak reopened the Dark Portal and before anyone set off for Northrend.
• The game lives in its own “time bubble”, so new stories can be added without rewriting established lore.
• The team prefers local mysteries, grounded conflicts and overlooked characters to sweeping campaigns.

Most additions either open up long-imagined places or add depth to existing settlements and factions. Only a handful introduce entirely new cultures or locations.

Starting zones and ship routes

Every starting area, including the Valley of Trials and Shadowglen, picks up new NPCs, quests, profession hooks and recipes meant to sit next to the original content rather than replace it.

Travel is changing as well, with new sea routes:

• Stormwind Harbor to Auberdine, linking the two continents early on.
• A Menethil, Southshore and Auberdine loop for more leveling flexibility.
• A Steamwheedle Cartel line from Tanaris out to the Riverglades.

Riverglades: new, but familiar

The Riverglades is a mid-level zone about as big as Stranglethorn Vale, carved from a part of the Classic map that players could never reach. It borders the Burning Steppes, Redridge Mountains, Swamp of Sorrows and Badlands, and holds nearly 200 quests for both factions. Its hub is Powderfuse Port. Expect gnoll camps, new ogre threats, the Powderfuse goblins, the Twilight’s Hammer and the Brotherhood of the Horse.

Old zones, new threads

• Wetlands receives extra quests that build on characters already there.
• Desolace sees its centaur faction quests expanded, with more rewards.
• Shen’dralas, reached south of Desolace via the Valley of Bones, explores stories tied to Eldre’Thalas.
• Mount Hyjal deals with the aftermath of the Battle for Mount Hyjal and introduces emerging factions.

Forsaken paladins

Forsaken paladins pick up from the new Warcraft III campaign, Forsaken Kingdom. Their journey centers on Bandarion Keep in the Whispering Wood of Tirisfal Glades, where they are distrusted by other Forsaken while still learning to wield the Light in undeath. At 60 they also get their own epic mount quest. Blizzard draws a contrast here: Alliance paladins earn their charger for Redemption, while Forsaken paladins ride for Retribution.

Zephras Isle and the Skyborne

The Skyborne, also called the shen’dorei, descend from rebels who fled Eldre’Thalas after the War of the Ancients and settled in Skywall. In Forever their home is in trouble: their elemental patrons have disappeared, the pylons holding the island together are failing, and the Windshapers, the High Order and the Al’Aketh are all competing for control. Blizzard describes the zone as a deliberately self-contained surprise.

What it means for players

Veterans rerolling at launch should find fresh quests even in familiar starting zones, and the extra ship routes should make it easier to meet up with friends on the other continent. Anyone eyeing a Forsaken paladin has a dedicated story path to look forward to. Beta begins September 17, with launch on November 4, 2026. For class-by-class advice on the road to 60, see our leveling guides.