Classes · 2026-09-12

Skyborne can join Horde or Alliance — plus Undead Paladin and Dwarf Shaman

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The new windswept elves pick a faction at creation. Racials and talent trees are already leaking from the BlizzCon demo.

This recap mixes Blue official Blizzard copy with Community demo notes and creator videos. Creator-cited lines sit in a warmer gold so community statements read apart from the recap. Sources at the bottom are split the same way.

Skyborne are elemental elves who do not form a third faction. At character creation you choose Windshaper (Horde, shaman access) or High Order (Alliance, mage access). Alliance Skyborne follow Kirin Tor teaching. Horde Skyborne take elemental traditions. Both factions can play Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, and Druid, including unique sky-blue druid forms for bear, cat, travel, and boomkin. Tree form was not shown.

Confirmed new combos for existing races include Undead Paladin and Dwarf Shaman. Racials are being rewritten: Forsaken Paladin is real, Will of the Forsaken is no longer a full immunity, Dwarves pick up Big Game Hunter, Humans gain Will to Survive. Skyborne share Walk on Air, Wind Blessed, and Elemental Insight. High Order uses Read Ley Line. Windshaper uses Skysight (10% run speed). Customization includes skin tones, hair, eyes, and markings.

Class talent trees are overhauled rather than numerically tweaked. Paladins get a tanking seal, more group healing, and a Retribution suite, including Holy Strike. Talent design moved off +1–2% nodes. ClassicMinus hosts a full Forever talent calculator transcribed from in-game tooltips, with Compare to Classic markers for every changed, moved, or new talent.

Slesh played an Alliance Skyborne rogue on the solo demo. Walk on Air is a slow-fall. A ley-line interaction is remembered as 100% health and mana regen; he flags that he may have the numbers wrong. Slesh, 1:15 Slesh, 2:30 Slesh, 2:51

Ace’s Skyborne stills show unique druid forms for boomkin, travel, cat, and bear. Tree form was not in those stills. Ace, 5:02

Marcelian’s demo station names additional combos beyond the headline pair: Orc Mage and Human Hunter, plus Undead Paladin. MetaGoblin says BlizzCon footage confirmed the class combinations shown in the Hyjal trailer, including Orc Mage and Troll Warlock. Marcelian & Flame, 2:14 MetaGoblin, 2:36

Marcelian opened Retribution Paladin and read Holy Strike — an ability from original WoW alpha — with seals still on the spec. Marcelian & Flame, 1:33

Xaryu read the Mage trees on the dungeon demo: Arcane Blast is present; Missile Barrage is a 40% chance tied to Arcane Blast; Hot Streak stacks to three and cuts Pyroblast cast time by 25% per stack; Frostfire Bolt is listed with Fire crits; there is no mage healer spec. An Arcane talent is read as 30% less threat. Dual specialization is on the client. Xaryu, 0:40 Xaryu, 3:20 Xaryu, 14:00 Xaryu, 21:35