When can you reserve a name?

Early Name Reservation runs from October 27 through November 3, 2026. It is a benefit of eligible upgrade purchases (the Skyborne packs and the Warcraft Forever Collection; see editions), and it applies only to the Battle.net account the upgrade was bought for. A plain subscription lets you play from November 4 but does not include early reservation.

Names are handed out first come, first served, and a reservation does not guarantee any particular name. A name you used on the beta is not reserved for launch.

How do two-part names work?

Instead of one name per realm, every Forever character has two names, like a first name and a surname. The full combination has to be unique within your region, not just on one server, because Forever has no realm list.

That means a first name someone else already uses can still be yours: “Arlen Oakvale” and “Arlen Reedmoor” are different characters. Blizzard suggests using the second name for families or guilds, such as Asha, Thalen and Mira Brightvale.

You can hide your own second name in the world: Escape › Options › Nameplates › My Secondary Name. It still appears in chat.

Which names get refused?

Blizzard’s usual naming code of conduct still applies. Names that could cause confusion, impersonate Blizzard or the WoW team, or use certain words, spellings or repeated-character patterns can be restricted. The filter checks both parts together, so splitting a blocked word across the two names will not get it through.

How to prepare

  1. Check that your upgrade is on the account you will play on.
  2. Agree on a ruleset and faction with your friends; names are regional, but groups are not cross-ruleset.
  3. Write down five or six complete name combinations in order of preference. The name generator can help.
  4. On October 27, follow Blizzard’s reservation instructions and wait for the confirmation in the interface before moving on.

How many names can I reserve?

Blizzard has not published a per-account limit yet. If you plan names for several alts, reserve your main first and keep the rest as a ranked list. We will update this page when the limit is announced.

If a name is refused at character creation, see name already exists. The rest of the prep list is on the launch checklist.