Blizzard will open a stress test for World of Warcraft: Forever on October 19 at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET. According to GameSpot, players won’t need a WoW subscription or beta access to join. Blizzard said the test is meant to put the game’s servers under load before launch.
Up to now, the main way into the beta has been buying the $60 Skyborne Epic Pack, which includes a beta code. The stress test gives other players a brief chance to try the game without paying.
There are limits. Blizzard said the test will run for a “few hours” and has not given an exact length. The window could also close early or run longer, depending on what the team needs. The closed beta will go offline while the test is running and come back once it ends. Blizzard will delete every character made during the stress test after it closes.
Blizzard described the test as “a highly valuable event” because players will help find problems that would otherwise show up on launch day.
Joining requires a Battle.net account and the Battle.net launcher. Select WoW: Forever from the list of games, then choose the stress test from the “Game Version” drop-down menu to install it.
The closed beta is also nearly over. It runs until October 21, then shuts down, and its characters will be wiped. Early name reservations for the full game open on October 27, and WoW: Forever launches on November 4.
GameSpot reports that Blizzard developers have said the beta’s popularity has broken records. The beta has also had problems, including gold-buying scandals that led Blizzard to add new in-game restrictions and warnings.
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