Skyborne: who they are, which classes they can play and how to unlock them

The Skyborne (they call themselves shen'dorei, "the hidden people") are WoW Forever's only new race and the most lore-heavy piece of the whole announcement. Here's what we know.

Where they come from

They're windswept elves, descendants of rebels who fled Eldre'Thalas after the War of the Ancients. They found refuge in Skywall, where wind spirits anchored their home — Zephras Isle — in the elemental plane.

When Forever begins, the isle is in crisis: its elemental benefactors have vanished and the pylons holding it together are failing. Three factions fight over its future: the Windshapers, keepers of elemental tradition; the High Order, heirs to an arcane legacy; and the Al'Aketh.

One race, two factions

Here's the big twist: Skyborne choose a faction at character creation.

Both can also be Warriors, Hunters, Rogues and Druids. Skyborne druids get their own forms: bear, cat, a bird travel form and moonkin. Every combination at a glance in the race and class matrix.

Racials

Blizzard confirmed every Forever race gets two active and two passive racials. The Skyborne ones were seen in the BlizzCon demo and aren't official text yet:

• Walk on Air (active): glide downward for 10 seconds. It isn't flight — you can't climb.
• Read Ley Line (active, High Order): +100% health and mana regeneration.
• Skysight (active, Windshapers): an elemental blessing for 10% run speed.
• Wind Blessed (passive): +1% haste.
• Elemental Insight (passive): +5% damage against elementals.

How to get them

Forever comes with the subscription, but the race and its starting zone require the Skyborne Heroic Pack or a higher edition. Wowhead reports a $29.99 price. The Epic Pack and the Warcraft Forever Collection also include beta access, starting September 17.

What's missing

Official racial text, and the full Zephras Isle journey (levels 1 to 12). We'll update each faction's page — High Order and Windshapers — as soon as the beta confirms it.