WoW Forever respecs already cost 5 gold at level 20, and beta testers say it stops them testing

WoW Forever reworked every talent tree, added new talents and moved old ones around — and then kept Classic’s way of charging you for changing your mind. After the first weekend, that combination is one of the most repeated complaints on the beta forums.

What a respec costs

A level 20 Mage who tried the new Arcane Blast talent reports the prices: 1 gold for the first reset, then 5 gold for the next. That is the Classic pattern, where each reset costs more than the last, and players expect it to keep climbing towards the old cap of 50 gold. For comparison, a level 20 character in the beta is doing well to have a few gold in total after buying spell ranks.

The Mage’s experience is the reason the thread exists: they took Arcane Blast to see how it played, found its mana cost too much for low-level play, and then faced 5 gold to try Fire or Frost instead.

What players are asking for

Four threads with more than 6,000 views between them ask for the same thing in different forms:

• Free or flat-price respecs for the beta. The most common request, including from players who want Classic prices at launch. The argument: the beta exists to test the new trees, and the price discourages exactly that. Several point out it will matter more when the cap rises to 30 and there are more points to move.
• A lower curve for launch. One proposal starts at 10 silver and caps at 10 gold, keeping 50 gold only at max level; another suggests a 5 gold cap until 60.
• Partial refunds. Instead of paying for a full reset to move a single point, remove points one by one for a smaller fee.
• Free spec swapping, retail-style. The oldest thread, with more than 5,000 views, asks for free switching or even three specs. It gets the most pushback: the top replies say that is retail, not Classic.

The case for cheaper respecs is not only about testing. Players argue that expensive resets push people to copy a meta build from a website rather than experiment — the opposite of what Blizzard said it wanted from the new trees — and that Hunters, who already pay for ammunition, feel it most. Druids and Paladins testing both tanking and damage say swapping roles is “really rough”.

The case against is Classic’s: a respec should be a decision, not a menu. Even some supporters of cheaper beta resets want the full price back at launch.

Dual spec is in the interface

One thing players spotted: the Forever talent window appears to support a second specialization. Blizzard has not said when it unlocks, and guesses on the forums range around level 40. If it arrives, the respec argument changes a lot — most players only need to switch between two builds.

Until then: plan before you pay

No developer has replied to any of the threads. Until something changes, the cheapest respec is the one you do not need:

• try a build in our talent calculator before you spend points in game — it uses the Forever trees, including the new talents;
• the level 20 beta guides give a tested 11-point path for every class, updated with this weekend’s findings;
• if you want to test two roles, level with the one you will play most and respec once at the cap.

We will report any change to respec prices when the next beta build lands.