WoW Forever Classes Leaked: All 11 New Classes — Tinker, Bard, Necromancer & More
The definitive breakdown of the leaked Blizzard Battle.net player survey for World of Warcraft: Forever (Classic+). All 11 candidate class concepts—Tinker, Bard, Necromancer, Illusionist, Warden, Rune Knight / Metalborn, Witch, San'layn, Monk, Death Knight, and Demon Hunter—with verified roles, armor types, resources, and exact leaked abilities.
An official Blizzard Battle.net player survey distributed to active World of Warcraft: Forever players leaked 11 potential new class concepts being evaluated for the Classic+ roadmap. The survey does not confirm any class will release — it is market research and feasibility testing, with the survey itself noting that not all concepts are actively in development.
Brand-New Concepts: Tinker (Mail Tank/Ranged DPS/Support — mech suit with eject-instead-of-dying mechanic), Bard (Leather Support/Healer — musical instruments & stacking party speed songs), Illusionist (Cloth Ranged DPS/Support — mirror images & position swapping), Witch (Cloth Ranged DPS/Support — blood sacrifice & pre-combat cauldrons), Rune Knight / Metalborn (Plate/Mail Tank/Melee DPS/Healer — living metal strikes).
Lore Archetypes: Necromancer (Cloth Ranged DPS/Healer — up to 6 undead minions), Warden (Mail Tank/Melee DPS — Warglaives & Vengeance resource), San'layn (Plate vampiric blood knight).
Classic-Adapted Retail Classes: Monk, Death Knight, and Demon Hunter — all starting at Level 1, with specific retail abilities explicitly removed per the survey.
1. The Leaked Blizzard Survey: What We Know
A player survey was distributed through the Battle.net portal to active World of Warcraft: Forever players, asking about 11 potential new class concepts for Classic+. Blizzard asked survey recipients to keep the content confidential, but screenshots were independently shared by multiple players. Content creators including Old Guardian, MMO Unlocked, and Thraun Gaming noted that the screenshots came from different players, were cropped differently, and yet showed consistent class information — confirming the survey's authenticity.
MMO Unlocked observed that Blizzard used A/B testing within the survey: some players saw the class labeled "Rune Knight" while others saw "Metalborn" for the same class concept. Some players may also have received slightly different ability variations for certain classes.
Crucially, the survey itself noted that not all of these classes are being actively developed — some are included to gather broad feedback and to obscure which concepts are actually in progress. This is market research and feasibility testing, not a release announcement.
This follows a June 2025 Battle.net survey — more than a year before WoW Forever launched — that included "new class" as a hypothetical WoW Classic improvement, confirming Blizzard has been researching this space for an extended period.
2. Complete 11-Class Comparison Matrix
The following table documents all 11 candidate classes from the survey, based on verified screenshots as discussed by Old Guardian, MMO Unlocked, and Thraun Gaming.
| Class | Roles | Armor | Resource | Weapons | Key Survey Mechanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tinker | Tank / Ranged DPS / Support | Energy (100 max, 10/sec) | Wrenches, 1H Maces, 1H Swords, Daggers | Activate Mech — pilot a mech suit; eject instead of dying if mech is destroyed. | |
| Bard | Support / Healer | Leather | Mana | Musical Instruments (new type), Bows, 1H Swords, Daggers | Heroic Saga — +5% party attack/cast speed for 30s, stacks up to 3× (+15%). All songs share a 10s cooldown. |
| Necromancer | Ranged DPS / Healer | Cloth | Mana | Staves, Wands, Daggers | Commands up to 6 undead minions simultaneously; corpse-based abilities; bone shields. |
| Illusionist | Ranged DPS / Support | Cloth | Mana | Staves, Wands, Daggers | Prismatic Bolt — creates attacking mirror image. Shell Game — swap positions with active illusion. |
| Warden | Tank / Melee DPS | Vengeance (Max 200; 5/sec + from damage taken) | Warglaives (Dual-Wield), 1H Swords | Blink Strike — 25yd teleport strike; Cost 60 Vengeance, 15s CD. Fan of Knives: Cost 50 Vengeance. | |
| Rune Knight / Metalborn | Tank / Melee DPS / Healer | Plate / Mail | Runic / Metal Runes | 2H / 1H Weapons, Shields | Iron Fist — metallic strike. Silvered Wind — AoE damage + party healing. |
| Witch | Ranged DPS / Support | Cloth | Mana (some abilities cost % base Health) | Daggers, 1H Maces, Staves, Wands | Cauldron of Menace — +20% damage / +10% damage taken, once per combat. 30-min CD, resets on kill. |
| San'layn | Tank / Melee DPS / Ranged DPS | Plate | Mana + Health (some abilities cost % base life) | 1H Swords, 1H Axes, Daggers, Shields (Dual-wield) | Bloodbolt — cost 5% base life, deals dmg at 40yd, heals caster 10% of damage. 3s CD. |
| Monk (Classic+) | Tank / Healer / Melee DPS | Leather | Energy (100, 10/sec) + Chi (max 4) | Staves, Polearms, 1H Weapons (Dual-wield) | Starts Level 1. Removed: Roll, Stagger, Spinning Crane Kick, Chi Burst, Provoke. |
| Death Knight (Classic+) | Tank / Melee DPS | Plate | 3 Rune pairs (10s regen) + Runic Power (100 max, 10 per rune) | 2H Maces, 2H Swords, 2H Axes, Polearms (no 1H per survey) | Starts Level 1. Removed: Death and Decay, Death Strike, Pestilence, Death Grip, Army of the Dead. |
| Demon Hunter (Classic+) | Tank / Melee DPS | Leather | Fury | Warglaives (Dual-Wield) | Starts Level 1. Features Metamorphosis burst. Heavy mobility (double jump, glide) flagged as poor Classic fit. |
3. Tech & Song: The Tinker and Bard
The Tinker and Bard are the two most long-requested archetypes in WoW history. Both introduce brand-new weapon categories and both carry the Support role tag — signaling Blizzard's interest in a formal fourth combat role for Classic+.
The Tinker
Master Engineer & Mech PilotThe Tinker wears Mail armor and uses wrenches, one-handed maces, one-handed swords, and daggers. Its resource is Energy (100 maximum, regenerates 10 per second) — similar to a rogue. Roles: Tank, Ranged DPS, Support.
Climb into your mech suit, activating powerful combat augmentations determined by your talent selections. If the mech takes fatal damage, you will eject instead of dying, but must repair your mech before reactivating it.
Launch a volley of rockets at an enemy within 40 yards, dealing massive damage. Cost: 60 Energy.
Deploy three drones that deliver supply crates to the battlefield. Allies who open the crates are massively healed and gain a powerful combat enhancement for 30 seconds. 2-minute cooldown.
The Tinker has been among the most player-requested classes since the Wrath of the Lich King era. Old Guardian notes that a Tinker addition would logically accompany the addition of the Goblin race, as the class fits gnome and goblin engineering fantasy most naturally. MMO Unlocked points out that the Supply Drop support cooldown would work in a Classic environment much as it would in retail.
The Bard
Songweaver & Field VirtuosoThe Bard wears Leather armor and introduces Musical Instruments as a new equippable weapon type alongside bows, one-handed swords, and daggers. Resource: Mana. Roles: Support and Healer.
Perform a song of valor, inspiring party members and increasing their attack and spellcasting speed by 5% for 30 seconds. Repeating the song before it expires stacks the effect up to 3 times (+15% total). The Bard may continue melee and ranged attacks while performing. All songs share a 10-second cooldown.
Perform a soothing melody for 30 seconds, healing party members and removing a poison or disease effect every 3 seconds. Repeating the song intensifies the effect, stacking up to 3 times. The Bard may continue melee and ranged attacks while performing. All songs share a 10-second cooldown.
Entrance a humanoid or dragonkin enemy with visions of immense wealth, disorienting the target for 30 seconds. Any damage taken breaks the effect. 1.5-second cast time.
A key design note from the survey: all Bard songs share a single 10-second cooldown — requiring the player to choose between the damage-buff song (Heroic Saga), the heal-and-cleanse song (Ballad of Beauty), or crowd control (Mesmerize). The Bard can still deal melee and ranged damage while songs are active.
4. Dark Casters: Necromancer, Witch & Illusionist
Three cloth-wearing casters expand WoW Forever's magic ecosystem, each targeting a different school of power with mechanics not replicated by existing classes.
The Necromancer
Master of Undeath & PestilenceThe Necromancer is a cloth Ranged DPS and Healer focused on raising undead servants from fallen corpses. The ability to control up to 6 undead minions simultaneously would create a pet-management experience meaningfully distinct from the Warlock's demonic focus. Additional surveyed mechanics include corpse-based abilities, bone shields, and Shadow damage.
Old Guardian notes that while most in-game Necromancers are villains (Kel'Thuzad, Gul'dan, Darkmaster Gandling), Blizzard recently added Talindra Runespright as a non-evil necromancer in the Midnight storyline — potentially shaping lore groundwork for a playable version.
The Witch
Occultist of Dark Alchemy & Blood CursesBrew a volatile elixir infused with the menace of fallen enemies. Allies may drink from the cauldron once per combat, gaining +20% increased damage done for 30 seconds, but suffering +10% increased damage taken. 10-second cast. 30-minute cooldown. Cannot be placed in combat. Cooldown resets when you defeat an enemy.
Blast an enemy within 40 yards with void magic fueled by your own life. If Void Bolt kills the enemy, the caster is healed for five times the health sacrificed. Cost: 5% of base health. 3-second cast time.
Sacrifice part of your own life to manifest a towering blood golem that attacks enemies with crushing melee strikes and can endure heavy punishment. Cost: 20% of base health. Lasts 2 minutes. 5-minute cooldown.
The Illusionist
Arcane Phantasm & Space BenderFire an elemental bolt that can deal different types of elemental damage and create a mirror image that continues attacking the target after impact.
Swap physical positions with an active mirror image, providing considerable repositioning and movement utility in combat.
Old Guardian notes there is no in-game mechanical separation between "Illusionist" and "Mage" — illusion is one school of magic within the Mage framework. Whether the Illusionist offers enough distinct gameplay to justify a full talent tree alongside existing Mages is part of what the survey is evaluating.
5. Melee & Tank: Warden, Rune Knight & San'layn
Three heavy frontline fighters bring distinct armor types, weapon sets, and resource systems to the Classic+ melee landscape.
The Warden
Night Elf Shadow JailerThe Warden dual-wields Warglaives alongside one-handed swords. Resource: Vengeance (max 200) — gains 5 per second passively and more from taking damage and using abilities. Note: MMO Unlocked's survey screenshot shows Mail armor; Old Guardian's reading refers to Plate — sources conflict on this point.
Teleport to an enemy within 25 yards and carve into them with both blades, dealing heavy weapon damage. Cost: 60 Vengeance. 15-second cooldown.
Unleash a deadly volley of blades at up to four nearby enemies, dealing weapon damage to each target. Cost: 50 Vengeance.
The Warden is surrounded by a sphere of moonlight for 5 seconds, absorbing all magic damage up to 50% of maximum health and preventing harmful magical effects. Damage absorbed energizes the Warden with additional Vengeance. Enemies whose spells strike the Warden are silenced for 3 seconds. 90-second cooldown.
MMO Unlocked notes that Spellbreaker — absorbing up to 50% max health in magic damage with a silence on a 90-second cooldown — seems overloaded even for retail, and speculates the Warden may be one of the classes included to obscure Blizzard's actual plans rather than a class actively in development.
Rune Knight (Metalborn)
Runecarver of Living MetalsIron Fist: Transforms fists and weapons into dense iron, delivering a metallic threat blow. Silvered Wind: Emits a shimmering vortex of molten silver that deals AoE damage to enemies while healing party members.
Old Guardian notes the Runemaster concept dates back to vanilla WoW planning — discussed by Blizzard in interviews as a class that was never implemented. Its mechanics involve carving runes into flesh and weapons and transmuting parts of the body into metal (iron punches). Elements of the original design were later recycled into the Death Knight's Rune Forging system and the Monk's melee toolkit.
This class was A/B tested under two names: "Rune Knight" and "Metalborn" — meaning Blizzard was testing player reception to the name itself, not just the class concept.
The San'layn
Vampiric Blood KnightThe San'layn — vampiric undead elves raised by the Lich King — wear Plate armor and use one-handed swords, one-handed axes, daggers, and shields. They can dual-wield. Resource: Mana plus Health (some abilities cost a percentage of base life).
Sacrifice a portion of your own life to launch a bloody missile at a target within 40 yards. The caster heals for 10% of the damage done. Cost: 5% of base life. 3-second cooldown.
Link yourself to a target enemy in melee range for 10 seconds. 30% of all damage done to you is instead dealt to the target. 3-minute cooldown.
Bite an enemy in melee range for 100% weapon damage, gaining Crimson Frenzy for 15 seconds: heals you for 20% of all damage dealt and increases attack speed by 20%. If the target does not die within 15 seconds, they also gain Crimson Frenzy for 15 seconds.
MMO Unlocked notes that Vampiric Bite has a significant design problem: if used on a raid boss that survives 15 seconds, the boss gains Crimson Frenzy and heals for 20% of all its damage — which could trivially wipe any raid group. This ability as written would require major restrictions before it could function in group content.
6. Retail Adaptations: Monk, Death Knight & Demon Hunter
Three classes already exist in retail WoW. The survey directly addressed which abilities would not be included if each class were adapted to WoW Forever — preserving Classic combat pacing.
Monk (Classic+)
Starts at Level 1Strike your target with an empowered fist. Cost: 40 Energy. Generates: 1 Chi.
Kick with a blast of Chi, dealing heavy damage. Deals increased damage when striking a target from behind. Cost: 2 Chi.
Heal a target within 40 yards with a surge of restorative mist. Generates 1 Chi. Moderate Mana cost. 1.5-second cast.
The survey explicitly states the Classic+ Monk will not have: Spinning Crane Kick, Provoke, Roll, Stagger, and Chi Burst. Starts at Level 1. Old Guardian notes monk-like characters already appear in vanilla WoW (Scarlet Monks, condemned monks in Hillsbrad, Lefty in BRD arena), making lore justification feasible without requiring Pandaria.
Death Knight (Classic+)
Starts at Level 1 — No Level 55 BracketChill an enemy within 20 yards with a blast of ice, afflicting them with a frost-based disease. Cost: 1 Frost Rune. Generates: 10 Runic Power.
A vicious melee attack that deals weapon damage and inflicts the target with a shadow-based disease. Cost: 1 Unholy Rune. Generates: 10 Runic Power.
Unleash a blast of shadowy energy that damages an enemy or heals a friendly undead target. Cost: 40 Runic Power.
The survey explicitly states the Classic+ Death Knight will not have: Death and Decay, Death Strike, Pestilence, Death Grip, and Army of the Dead. Starts at Level 1 (no level-skip bracket).
Old Guardian raises a lore concern: Death Knights with free will only gained freedom at the second Battle for Light's Hope Chapel — an event that has not happened in WoW Forever's current timeline — meaning there technically should be no free-willed Death Knights yet.
Demon Hunter (Classic+)
Starts at Level 1The Demon Hunter starts at Level 1 and features a Metamorphosis burst phase as its defining mechanic. Creators note two major concerns about fit for Classic+: first, the class is lore-tied to Illidan and the Burning Crusade, which is outside WoW Forever's current timeline. Second, the class's heavy mobility kit (double jump, aerial glide, Fel Rush spam) conflicts with Classic's no-flying environment and grounded combat pacing.
Thraun Gaming places the Demon Hunter in the lowest probability tier for WoW Forever specifically because of these lore and mobility issues, despite Blizzard already having all the class assets built.
7. The 'Support' Role in Classic+
One of the most significant signals from the survey is the formal Support role tag applied to multiple class concepts — Bard, Tinker, Witch, and Illusionist.
Classic and Vanilla WoW operates on a strict Trinity: Tank, Healer, DPS. Support utility is currently distributed passively through Paladin blessings, Shaman totems, and Druid buffs. None are formal "Support" role specs that fill a dedicated group slot.
MMO Unlocked observed: "This survey was specifically for WoW Forever… from multiple posts I've seen, it seems that this survey was actually in the WoW Forever section on Battle.net. So it doesn't seem that this survey was for retail in any way, even though the most modern retail expansions are the only versions of the game that have ever had a support role. So it could be indicating that we are going to be getting a support role in WoW Forever at some point."
Old Guardian notes that a dedicated Support role (like the Bard) would create balancing challenges similar to those encountered with the Augmentation Evoker in retail — since encounters are balanced around one tank, one healer, and three DPS. Introducing a dedicated support hybrid into one of those DPS slots would require rethinking encounter design.
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9. Frequently Asked Questions: WoW Forever New Classes (FAQ)
No. Blizzard has not officially confirmed that any of these 11 classes will be added. The information comes from an official Battle.net player survey sent to gauge community interest. The survey itself noted that not all listed concepts are actively in development — some are included to generate broad feedback and obscure which ideas are actually in progress.
The 11 leaked candidate classes are: Tinker, Bard, Necromancer, Illusionist, Warden, Rune Knight (also called Metalborn in A/B testing), Witch, San'layn, Monk, Demon Hunter, and Death Knight.
The Tinker is a Mail-wearing Tank, Ranged DPS, and Support class using Energy as its resource. Its defining mechanic is Activate Mech — if the mech takes fatal damage, the pilot ejects instead of dying and must repair the mech before re-entering. Additional surveyed abilities include Rocket Assault (40-yard rocket volley) and Supply Drop (drone-deployed heal + buff crates with 2-minute cooldown).
The survey introduces two brand-new equippable weapon categories: Wrenches for the Tinker class and Musical Instruments for the Bard class. Warglaives — existing in retail — would also become accessible to the Warden class in addition to Demon Hunters.
Yes. Per the survey, all three would start at Level 1. Monks lose: Roll, Stagger, Spinning Crane Kick, Chi Burst, and Provoke. Death Knights lose: Death and Decay, Death Strike, Pestilence, Death Grip, and Army of the Dead.
The Bard's primary party buff — Heroic Saga — increases all party members' attack and spellcasting speed by 5% for 30 seconds, stacking up to 3 times (+15% total). All Bard songs share a 10-second cooldown, requiring the player to choose between buffing (Heroic Saga), healing and cleansing (Ballad of Beauty), or crowd control (Mesmerize).
The Warden uses Vengeance (max 200), gaining 5 per second passively and more from taking damage and using abilities. Blink Strike costs 60 Vengeance (15s cooldown); Fan of Knives costs 50 Vengeance. Damage taken by the Warden actively feeds into its offensive capability.
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