《World of Warcraft Forever》发售前于10月19日开放免订阅压力测试

With all the talk of World of Warcraft Forever, you might be tempted to dip in for yourself and see what the hype is about. The problem is that if you're a lapsed player or newcomer, you currently need to stump up for beta access to get in on the action. The game will be included in a standard WoW subscription once it releases on November 4, but that's no use if you don't have one. The good news is that Blizzard is offering a chance to jump in without any of that, courtesy of its imminent WoW Forever Stress Test.

In an attempt to push the reborn and reimagined MMORPG to its limits and see how it holds up, the World of Warcraft Forever Stress Test kicks off on Monday October 19, temporarily opening the gates to Blizzard's ongoing beta. "Anyone can take part and no subscription, game time, invitation, or beta access is required," the developer confirms. "The beta will be taken offline shortly before the Stress Test begins and is expected to return shortly after it ends."

There's currently no indication of exactly how long the Stress Test will run, but even if Blizzard decides to extend it beyond a day, beta testing is set to wrap up on Wednesday October 21 anyway. If you're interested in giving Forever a quick try, therefore, I'd encourage you to prepare now by downloading the Stress Test client. This will only be available via the Battlenet app, where you'll find it in the 'game version' list for World of Warcraft.

Blizzard also notes, "At the end of the Stress Test, all created characters, names, and guilds will be wiped from the Stress Test servers in preparation for the beginning of name reservations opening on October 27." This will allow anyone who has bought either the game's Skyborne Heroic Pack, Skyborne Epic Pack, or Warcraft Forever Collection to gain early access to secure their preferred character moniker. These will be handed out on a "first-come, first-served basis."

The World of Warcraft Forever Stress Test takes place on Monday October 19, starting at 2pm PT / 5pm ET for North America, and 6pm BST / 7pm CEST for Europe. Blizzard says the test "may end earlier or run later as needed." It'll be interesting to see whether the MMO is able to overcome the hurdles that kept players from getting started on the first day of the beta, but ultimately that's what such a test is for.