WoW Forever Skyborne is a new race coming with the release of the game. They are available to both Alliance and Horde, but the faction you choose changes one of the available classes and gives you different racial abilities. In this WoW Forever Skyborne Guide, we will cover their starting location, how the Alliance and Horde split works, their confirmed classes and racial abilities, as well as how you can unlock them.
WoW Forever Skyborne Key Takeaways:
- The Skyborne, also called the Shen’dorei or “hidden people,” descend from Highborne rebels who fled Eldre’Thalas after the War of the Ancients.
- They struck a pact with the wind spirits of Skywall, who raised their home, Zephras Isle, into the elemental plane.
- At character creation, Skyborne choose Alliance (the High Order) or Horde (the Windshapers), which locks in one exclusive class and racial ability.
- Both variants can be Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, or Druid. Additionally, High Order get access to Mage, and Windshapers to Shaman.
- Skyborne have no access to the Paladin class on either faction.
- Skyborne Druids get unique sky-blue Bear, Cat, Travel, and Moonkin forms that are not available to any other race.
- Unlocking the Skyborne requires the Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99) or a higher upgrade edition. It is not included with the base subscription.
4.9WoW Forever Skyborne Race Explained
WoW Forever Skyborne race is the descendant of the Highborne elves and is exclusive to this version of the game. Skyborne starting zone in WoW Forever is Zephras Isle, which contains quests that take you to around level 12, although it’s possible to leave the area earlier. Here are all the main WoW Forever Skyborne features:
- Starting Zone: Zephras Isle;
- Available Factions: Alliance and Horde;
- Shared Classes: Warrior, Rogue, Hunter, Druid;
- Faction-Specific Classes: Mage for Alliance, Shaman for Horde;
- Starting Zone Level Range: Up to around level 12.
During character creation, Skyborne players can choose between both Alliance and Horde, so the race is available to both factions. Skyborne have several class options in World of Warcraft Forever shared by both factions, with one additional class depending on your chosen faction. If you want to try Skyborne but don’t have time to Level Up new characters yourself, our professional players can help.
WoW Forever How to Unlock Skyborne
Skyborne race is not included with a base WoW subscription the way the rest of the game is. To unlock Skyborne in World of Warcraft Forever, along with the Zephras Isle starting experience, you will need to purchase a Skyborne Heroic Epic Pack.
| Edition | Price | Includes Skyborne? |
|---|---|---|
| Skyborne Heroic Pack | $29.99 | Yes |
| Skyborne Epic Pack | $59.99 | Yes |
| Warcraft Forever Collection | $79.99 | Yes |
For the full breakdown of what else each edition includes, plus how the beta access tied to some of these packs works, see our WoW Forever Beta Access guide.
WoW Forever Skyborne Classes
The WoW Forever Skyborne have access to several classes across both factions, with some class options differing between the Alliance and Horde. Here we have prepared a table with every class available for Skyborne in WoW Forever:
| Class | High Order (Alliance) | Windshaper (Horde) |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | ✅ | ✅ |
| Hunter | ✅ | ✅ |
| Rogue | ✅ | ✅ |
| Druid | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mage | ✅ | ❌ |
| Shaman | ❌ | ✅ |
| Paladin | ❌ | ❌ |
If you want to learn more about the Differences Between WoW Forever and Classic Era, check out our dedicated guide.
Skyborne Factions in WoW Forever
Skyborne in WoW Forever are unique because, unlike a typical neutral race, they don’t just blend into whichever faction they join. Instead, you commit to a side at character creation, and that choice determines your name, your extra class option, and part of your racial kit. Here’s how WoW Forever Skyborne factions affect the gameplay:
- Alliance-aligned Skyborne are known as the High Order and get access to the Mage class.
- Horde-aligned Skyborne are known as the Windshapers and get access to the Shaman class.
If you want to prepare your freshly leveled Alliance or Horde Skyborne for the most challenging endgame activities, our Pre-Raid BiS Gear service is exactly what you are looking for.
✏️ Both sides share the same starting zone, the same base appearance options, and most of the same racial kit.
WoW Forever Skyborne Racial Abilities
World of Warcraft Forever Skyborne racial abilities differ depending on your faction:
- Walk on Air, shared by both High Order and Windshaper — glide downward through the air for 10 seconds.
- Read Ley Line, reported as High Order (Alliance) exclusive.
- Skysight, reported as Windshaper (Horde) exclusive.
- Wind Blessed and Elemental Insight, reported as shared passive racials tied to haste and bonus damage against elementals.
WoW Forever racial rework gives every race two active and two passive racials instead of Classic’s single racial. Skyborne almost certainly follow that same pattern, but Blizzard hasn’t published the finished tooltip text yet.
📌 The specific racial names below come from press coverage of the BlizzCon demo rather than a formal Blizzard blog post, so treat them as reported rather than fully locked in until Blizzard’s own written materials confirm them.
WoW Forever Skyborne Starting Zone
Every Skyborne character in WoW Forever begins their journey on Zephras Isle. This is a dedicated starting zone built specifically around the race for level ranges of 1 to 12. It stands apart from WoW Forever’s three other new zones (Mount Hyjal, Shen’Dralas, and Riverglades), which cover leveling and endgame content for every other race.
WoW Forever Skyborne Druid Forms
World of Warcraft Forever Skyborne Druids get their own visual take on shapeshifting that no other race shares: sky-blue versions of Bear, Cat, Travel, and Moonkin (Boomkin) forms.
📌 Since Blizzard has not yet released any official artwork for Druid forms, there is no indication of a matching Tree of Life form.
WoW Forever Skyborne FAQ
Here are the most common questions about the Skyborne race in WoW Forever.
Is the Skyborne a Neutral Race?
Not in the traditional sense. Skyborne share one origin, but every character commits to Alliance (High Order) or Horde (Windshaper) at creation, and that choice locks in a different class and part of the racial kit.
What Classes Can Skyborne Play?
Both variants can play Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, and Druid. High Order additionally gets Mage, and Windshaper additionally gets Shaman. Neither can play Paladin.
Do I Need to Buy Something to Play Skyborne?
Yes. Skyborne requires the Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99) or a higher upgrade edition. A standard WoW subscription alone does not unlock the race.
Where Do Skyborne Start Leveling?
Skyborne characters start on Zephras Isle, a dedicated 1-12 zone built specifically for the race, separate from WoW Forever’s other new zones.
Are Skyborne Druid Forms Different from Other Races?
Yes. Skyborne Druids get sky-blue versions of Bear, Cat, Travel, and Moonkin forms unique to the race.
What Does Shen’dorei Mean?
Shen’dorei, meaning roughly “hidden people,” is the name Blizzard’s own lore materials use for the Skyborne, reflecting their long isolation on Zephras Isle.
4.9The Skyborne bring a new race, starting zone, faction split, and unique Druid forms to WoW Forever. Whether you choose the Alliance High Order or Horde Windshapers, you will start on Zephras Isle and have access to Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, and Druid, while your faction adds either Mage or Shaman. The Skyborne also have their own unique racial abilities and customizations as well.
