World of Warcraft: Forever survey teases Bard, Witch and other new classes

Blizzard is surveying players about possible new classes for World of Warcraft: Forever, including Bard, Witch, Tinker and Necromancer. The concepts appeared in a Battle.net survey asking players for feedback on potential additions to the upcoming MMO.

The survey does not confirm that any of the classes will actually be added. Blizzard has only announced nine playable classes for launch, while the new concepts appear to be ideas the studio is testing for possible future updates.

PC Gamer reports that the survey includes 11 possible classes: Monk, Demon Hunter, Tinker, Illusionist, San'layn, Necromancer, Rune Knight, Bard, Warden, Witch and Death Knight. Each concept comes with a short description covering its role, armor type and examples of abilities. The amount of detail suggests Blizzard has already considered how the classes could fit into World of Warcraft: Forever's combat system, although that does not mean they have entered full development.

The Witch is presented as a cloth-wearing ranged damage and support class. One proposed ability involves placing a cauldron that provides buffs to allies, while another attack, Voidbolt, would drain some of the caster's own health.

Bard would focus more heavily on supporting a group through music. The proposed version uses songs to heal teammates and provide buffs, giving the class a role that does not currently exist in the game's launch lineup.

Tinker is another long-requested class included in the survey. Blizzard's concept would allow the character to enter a personal mech during combat, giving it a noticeably different style from the game's traditional fantasy classes.

Other ideas include Necromancer, Illusionist, Rune Knight, Warden and San'layn. The survey does not explain whether those classes would be available to every race or how they would fit into the wider progression system.

Several concepts also come from classes already playable in modern World of Warcraft. Demon Hunter, Monk and Death Knight all appear in the survey, but their proposed Forever versions would be adjusted to fit the older-style design of the new game. For example, the survey suggests Demon Hunters would start at level one rather than using the higher starting level seen in current World of Warcraft.

World of Warcraft: Forever is designed as a new version of original Azeroth rather than a recreation of a specific historical patch. Blizzard is keeping the level cap at 60 while adding new quests, locations, abilities and systems to the Classic-style world.

The studio has officially confirmed nine classes for launch and has said class identity remains one of the project's main design priorities. Its current approach focuses on expanding existing class options without removing the strengths and weaknesses that defined early World of Warcraft. That makes the survey particularly notable, as entirely new classes would represent a much larger change than revised talent trees or new race and class combinations.

Blizzard has not announced Bard, Witch or any of the other surveyed concepts as upcoming content. Surveys are commonly used to measure player interest before development decisions are finalized, meaning some or all of the ideas could change or disappear entirely.

World of Warcraft: Forever is currently in beta and launches on November 4. Blizzard has positioned it as a version of Azeroth that can continue expanding over time, leaving room for additional classes after release if the studio decides they fit the direction of the game.