World of Warcraft: Forever lets you play Azeroth with a controller from November 4

OFFICIAL Written by GPN · Nov 6, 2026, 1:40 PM ET · World of Warcraft: Forever · Gaming

World of Warcraft is getting a console-style way to play. World of Warcraft: Forever, which returns players to a version of Azeroth close to the game that launched in 2004, adds Gamepad (Alpha) support, and PC players can return to the world from November 4.

Turning it on takes one checkbox: open Options from the main menu and enable "Gamepad (Alpha)", and on-screen icons switch to match your controller's buttons. Xbox Wire recommends a modern Xbox Wireless Controller, since every on-screen icon maps to it.

Forever is not a straight re-run of 2004. It keeps the classic feel of the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor while adding new stories and places, including the Skyborne, a new race of elves on the floating Zephras Isle, plus new areas in the Riverglades and Mount Hyjal, improved lighting and graphics, and new class combinations such as a Forsaken Paladin.

The controller support also opens up handheld play: the game runs on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally through Windows 11 and Battle.net, though that is not officially supported yet and needs the touchscreen and on-screen keyboard to reach the menu. Forever is included in the current World of Warcraft subscription, with no additional purchase required.

Facts gathered from

Xbox Wire

World of Warcraft: Forever lets you play Azeroth with a controller from November 4

Facts gathered from

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