WoW Forever Skyborne Race Guide: Racials, Classes and Access

By Marc · Updated October 12, 2026

Built on the WoW Forever beta. Items, talents and stats can still change before launch on November 4, 2026, and for some new items it isn't known yet where they come from.

The Skyborne are WoW Forever's new race, the first new playable race in vanilla Azeroth. There are two of them, one for each faction: the High Order Skyborne (Alliance) and the Windshaper Skyborne (Horde). They share most of their racial abilities, and each has one of its own.

According to Blizzard's launch announcement they come with the Skyborne Heroic Pack (also part of the Epic Pack), together with their own starting experience on Zephras Isle.

Classes

Skyborne	Faction	Classes	Not available
High Order Skyborne	Alliance	Druid, Hunter, Mage, Rogue and Warrior	Paladin, Priest, Shaman and Warlock
Windshaper Skyborne	Horde	Druid, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman and Warrior	Paladin, Priest, Mage and Warlock

So if you want a Skyborne Mage you play Alliance, and a Skyborne Shaman means Horde.

Racial abilities

Both Skyborne

Elemental Insight. Damage dealt versus Elementals increased by 5%.
Walk on Air. Glide downward through the air for 10 sec while controlling your direction of travel.
Wind Blessed. Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 1%.

Only the High Order Skyborne

Read Ley Line. Attempt to tap into the power of a nearby ley line, increasing your Health and Mana regeneration by 100%. Lasts 15 sec if no ley line is nearby, and 15 min if one is found.

Only the Windshaper Skyborne

Skysight. Attempt to draw power from a convergence of elements and receive its blessing, increasing your movement and mounted movement speeds by 10%. Lasts 30 sec if no elemental convergence is nearby, and 15 min if one is found.

What the racials mean while you play

Elemental Insight: 5% more damage against elementals, like the Troll and Dwarf bonuses against beasts. Handy in elemental-heavy zones and dungeons, but situational.
Walk on Air: A 10-second glide you can steer: a way down from cliffs and ledges without fall damage, and sometimes a shortcut.
Wind Blessed: Always on, and useful for every class and spec: 1% haste speeds up casting, melee and ranged attacks alike. Few racials help every spec this evenly.
Read Ley Line: Doubles your health and mana regeneration: for 15 seconds anywhere, or for 15 minutes when there is a ley line nearby. That means less time eating and drinking between pulls, worth most to mana users and to anyone leveling alone.
Skysight: 10% more movement and mounted speed: for 30 seconds anywhere, or 15 minutes near an elemental convergence. Faster travel while leveling, and a quicker way out of a bad pull.

The real choice between the two is the one between regeneration and speed, after the faction and class you want: the High Order's Read Ley Line saves time between fights, the Windshaper's Skysight saves time between places.

Plan a Skyborne character

Both Skyborne are in the WoW Forever helper's character setup: pick one to see your gear upgrades in the gear and leveling helper, and how every race compares on the WoW Forever racials page.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Skyborne race Alliance or Horde?

Both. The Skyborne come in two versions: the High Order Skyborne for the Alliance and the Windshaper Skyborne for the Horde.

What classes can the Skyborne play in WoW Forever?

High Order Skyborne: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Rogue and Warrior. Windshaper Skyborne: Druid, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman and Warrior. Neither can be a Paladin, Priest or Warlock.

Do you have to pay for the Skyborne race?

Yes. According to Blizzard's launch announcement, the Skyborne and their starting experience on Zephras Isle come with the Skyborne Heroic Pack, which the Skyborne Epic Pack also includes.

What are the Skyborne racials?

Both Skyborne have Elemental Insight, Walk on Air and Wind Blessed. The High Order Skyborne also have Read Ley Line. The Windshaper Skyborne also have Skysight.