Is WoW Forever too easy?

Short answer: it depends on your class, your gear and how many buffs you stack. Beta testers were genuinely split. Many said the world was softer than Classic, especially for strong classes using crafted gear and campfire buffs. Others said it felt about right, or even hard, on weaker classes, and that new players need a gentler start. Blizzard did respond, but mostly on levelling speed, not on how hard mobs hit.

The beta ran levels 1–30, so almost all of this feedback is about the first half of the game. Nobody outside Blizzard has played 30–60 in Forever yet.

What Blizzard says it's aiming for

The case that it's too easy

These are player opinions from the beta, not tested numbers.

• The world doesn't push back. One EU poster argues that players' 20 years of knowledge, stronger class kits, Legacy perks and more XP all make things easier together, so Forever should be at least as hard as original Classic (EU forum).
• Crafted gear and campfire buffs stack up. A level-12 tester says leatherworking gave them a set of crafted greens by level 10, and with campfire buffs they survived four-mob pulls without dropping below half health. They also say mobs took about 5 seconds to kill, not the 10–15 Blizzard described (r/classicwow). [Unconfirmed] That is one player's timing, not a measurement.
• Zones go grey too early. A US tester who did no dungeons says they outlevelled zones faster than in Classic, soloed Hogger and other rare elites, and saw Elwynn mobs turn grey before leaving (US forum).
• Dungeons don't need crowd control. A tester who levelled three characters to 27–30 says the new dungeons can be cleared with almost no crowd control if the tank and healer are competent. They also say Legacy talent perks can make levelling feel "almost like playing with heirlooms" (EU forum). A reply in the same thread says level-30 groups "breeze through" Scarlet Monastery's Library and Armory.
• Some classes are much stronger. Posters single out Paladin as very strong while levelling (US forum, EU forum).

The case that it isn't, or that it's just right

• It depends heavily on class. Ahmpy says in his video that he thinks the game is too easy specifically around levels 1–6. He argues the loudest complaints come from overtuned classes such as Retribution Paladin stacking buffs, campfire bonuses and crafted gear, and that he died around five times on his Warrior (YouTube: WoW Forever TOO EASY?).
• Some classes still struggle. A Skyborne Druid says they die unless they single-pull and often run out of mana, and another player found Zephras Isle harder, not easier (EU forum). A Gnome Mage found the wendigos hard (US forum), and one EU poster says Rogue "still hurts" (EU forum).
• Starting zones are meant to be gentle. Replies point out that starting areas were never meant to be hard and that new players need to be considered too. One asks whether "maybe the game is just right?" (EU forum, EU forum).
• The pace may be similar; the XP just moved. Several posters say total levelling time feels about the same as Classic, and that XP has shifted from grinding mobs to doing quests, so it only feels faster (US forum, EU forum). [Unconfirmed] No one has published measured time-to-level data that we could verify.
• "A fraction too easy" at most. A popular r/wow review calls combat balance "99% perfect", says it's "possible it's a fraction too easy" at levels 1–20, and rates the game 9.7/10 overall (r/wow).

What Blizzard actually changed during the beta

All rows come from Blizzard's beta dev notes. The 8 October row is also covered by Wowhead. Most builds also included class tuning in both directions, which we haven't summarised here.

Our read: Blizzard acted on levelling speed (the dungeon quest XP cut) more than on world difficulty. The class tuning goes both ways. Nothing in the notes we checked is a general increase to creature health or damage.

What we don't know yet

Make it harder or easier for yourself

These are our suggestions, based on what testers said makes the biggest difference.

Want more challenge?

1. Wait for the Hardcore ruleset, which Blizzard says comes after launch (Deep Dive recap). See our ruleset guide.
2. Skip campfire buffs and crafted gear on your first character. Testers name these as the biggest power boosts.
3. Leave levelling-speed Legacy perks unspent. Points are spent per character, so it's your choice (Legacy points guide).
4. Play a class testers found tougher early on, such as Rogue, Warrior or Druid, rather than Paladin.
5. Run dungeons with a group close to your level and use crowd control as Blizzard intends.

Finding it too hard?

1. Sit at a campfire for its one-hour buffs before a tough area (Deep Dive recap).
2. Pick up a profession early and craft gear as you level.
3. Group up for elite quests. Testers who duoed them said they were still difficult.
4. Follow our Alliance or Horde route so you stay in level-appropriate zones.

Related guides

• How fast is levelling in Forever?
• Are dungeons worth it?
• Talent changes
• Legacy points
• Levelling guide hub