The WoW Forever beta is live · level cap 20 (30 announced for later in the beta)

Beta guide
The short answer

Damage-over-time caster with a demon pet and Life Tap for mana; a strong, low-downtime solo class. In WoW Forever the Warlock has three talent trees (Affliction, Demonology, Destruction); 22 of its 52 talents are new compared with Classic and 26 were changed. 5 race options can play it, including new ones: Troll.

Recommended Warlock leveling build

Affliction leveling (31/20/0)

Damage-over-time solo leveling with a pet · capstone at level 60 · Theorycraft

Improve Corruption and your drains first, reach Siphon Life and Wrack, then add a sturdier demon from Demonology.

  • Improved Corruption cuts 2 seconds off Corruption's cast time and adds 10% damage, so you can tag targets quickly.
  • Nightfall gives Corruption and your drains a chance to trigger Shadow Trance for a fast, free follow-up Shadow Bolt.
  • Siphon Life and Shadow Mastery increase damage and self-healing, keeping downtime low.
  • Demonic Embrace, Improved Voidwalker and Fel Vitality make your demon tank longer.

Warlock talent trees

Affliction

17 talents · 8 new

Capstone: Wrack — Tears the target apart from within, dealing 36 Shadow damage every 1 sec and increasing the damage they take from your other Shadow damage over time effects by 10%. Lasts 6 sec.

Demonology

19 talents · 8 new

Capstone: Demonic Pact — Your Demonic Sacrifice effect is no longer cancelled by summoning a different Demon pet. Resummoning the sacrificed pet will still cancel the effect.

Destruction

16 talents · 6 new

Capstone: Incinerate — Deals 97 Fire damage to your target and an additional 25% damage if the target is afflicted by Immolate.

New Warlock talents in WoW Forever

Talents that do not exist in Classic Era, from beta build 70009 (Sep 24, 2026).

Malediction · Affliction, row 2, 5 ranks

Increases all periodic damage done by your Warlock spells by 5%.

Soul Harvesting · Affliction, row 2, 2 ranks

You gain Soul Harvest for 10 sec if a victim is killed while afflicted with your Drain Soul. Soul Harvest allows your Mana to regenerate at 100% of normal speed while you are casting spells, and grants a 100% increase to your Mana regeneration.

Improved Drains · Affliction, row 2, 3 ranks

Increases health drained or damage done by your Drain Life, Drain Soul, and Wrack spells by 20%.

Improved Bane of Agony · Affliction, row 3, 2 ranks

Increases the damage done by your Bane of Agony by 10%.

Pandemic · Affliction, row 3, 3 ranks

Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Corruption, Bane of Agony, Bane of Doom, Drain Soul, Drain Life, Siphon Life, and Wrack spells by 100%.

Malevolence · Affliction, row 4, 5 ranks

Increases the critical effect chance of your Shadow spells by 5%.

Soul Siphon · Affliction, row 5, 3 ranks

Increases the damage done or health drained by your Drain Life, Drain Soul, and Wrack spells by 12% per each of your other Affliction effects active on the target, up to a maximum increase of 36%.

Wrack · Affliction, row 7, 1 rank

Tears the target apart from within, dealing 36 Shadow damage every 1 sec and increasing the damage they take from your other Shadow damage over time effects by 10%. Lasts 6 sec.

Demonic Aegis · Demonology, row 2, 2 ranks

Increases the effectiveness of your Demon Skin and Demon Armor spells by 30%.

Fel Vitality · Demonology, row 2, 3 ranks

Increases the maximum health and Mana of your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter by 15%, and increases your maximum Mana by 15%.

Demonic Energies · Demonology, row 2, 2 ranks

You heal your pet for 15% of all spell damage you deal. When you gain Mana from Life Tap, your summoned demon gains 100% of the Mana you gain.

Decimation · Demonology, row 4, 2 ranks

Reduces the cooldown of your Soul Fire spell by 90%. When you cast Shadow Bolt or Searing Pain on an enemy below 35% health, they deal 6% increased damage, and for the next 10 sec your Soul Fire spell has its cast time reduced by 40% and costs no Soul Shards.

Demonic Brand · Demonology, row 4, 3 ranks

Your Searing Pain generates 50% less threat and brands the target for 10 sec. Your pet's next 6 attacks against the target generate high threat and deal extra Fire or Shadow damage based on the pet.

Improved Felhunter · Demonology, row 5, 3 ranks

Increases the Attack Power reduction of your Felhunter's Tainted Blood, the healing of its Devour Magic, and the detection level of its Paranoia by 30%, and reduces the cooldown of its Spell Lock by 6 sec.

Demonic Knowledge · Demonology, row 5, 3 ranks

Increases your spell damage and your Demon pet's spell damage by up to 100% of your level while you have a summoned Demon pet active.

Demonic Pact · Demonology, row 7, 1 rank

Your Demonic Sacrifice effect is no longer cancelled by summoning a different Demon pet. Resummoning the sacrificed pet will still cancel the effect.

Molten Skin · Destruction, row 2, 5 ranks

Reduces all damage taken by 10%.

Agonizing Flames · Destruction, row 4, 3 ranks

Increases the critical strike chance of your Searing Pain spell by 10% and the damage done by all your Destruction spells by 10%.

Bane of Havoc · Destruction, row 5, 1 rank

Afflicts the target for 5 min, causing 15% of all damage done by the Warlock to other targets to also be dealt to the cursed target. Bane of Havoc is limited to 1 target, and only one Bane per Warlock can be active on any one target.

Fire and Brimstone · Destruction, row 5, 3 ranks

Increases the critical strike chance of your Conflagrate spell by 25%.

Shadow and Flame · Destruction, row 6, 5 ranks

Hitting an enemy with Conflagrate increases all Shadow damage you deal by 10% for 20 sec, and hitting an enemy with Shadowburn increases all Fire damage you deal by 10% for 20 sec. In addition, Conflagrate has a 100% chance not to consume Immolate, and Shadowburn has a 100% chance to instantly refund a Soul Shard.

Incinerate · Destruction, row 7, 1 rank

Deals 97 Fire damage to your target and an additional 25% damage if the target is afflicted by Immolate.

See all 26 changed talents with their Classic versions

Which races can play Warlock?

RaceFactionRacial abilities
HumanAlliancePerception, Sword Specialization, The Human Spirit, Will to Survive
GnomeAllianceEscape Artist, Expansive Mind, Engineering Specialization, Eureka!
OrcHordeBlood Fury, Hardiness, Axe Specialization, Shatter Curse
UndeadHordeUnderwater Breathing, Will of the Forsaken, Cannibalize, Touch of the Grave
TrollNEWHordeBerserking, Regeneration, Beast Slaying, Rapid Regeneration

Warlock FAQ

What races can be Warlocks in WoW Forever?

Human (Alliance), Gnome (Alliance), Orc (Horde), Undead (Horde), Troll (Horde).

What are the Warlock capstone talents?

Wrack (Affliction), Demonic Pact (Demonology), Incinerate (Destruction). Each needs 30 points spent in its tree first.

Is Warlock good for leveling in WoW Forever?

Damage-over-time caster with a demon pet and Life Tap for mana; a strong, low-downtime solo class. The recommended build below is a theorycraft starting point from the beta talent data; we will update it with tested advice after launch.

Next steps