WoW Forever New Zones: Zephras Isle, Riverglades, Shen'dralas and Mount Hyjal

By Expos.GG Team · 2026-11-08

WoW Forever adds four new zones plus an open Dalaran. Here's each zone's level range, where it is, how to get there and what's in it, from the Skyborne start to the level 60 raids on Mount Hyjal.

World of Warcraft: Forever keeps the original continents and adds four new zones, a reopened Dalaran, and a new battleground. Together they carry more than 1,000 new quests. This guide covers each zone's level range, where it is and how to reach it.

The level ranges for Zephras Isle, Riverglades and Mount Hyjal come from the Warcraft Wiki's beta data; Blizzard's own post gives Zephras Isle's range and Riverglades' quest count. Shen'dralas has no published range yet.

Zephras Isle (levels 1–12)

Zephras Isle is the starting zone for the Skyborne, the new playable race. It's a flying island in Skywall, the elemental plane of air, and its capital is Valanaar. Blizzard describes it as blending classic Warcraft style with elemental architecture, in a story shaped by wind and ancestry.

- Who goes there: Skyborne characters of either faction. It's a sanctuary zone, so there's no PvP. - Leaving: airships from Valanaar take Alliance Skyborne to Dalaran in the Alterac Mountains and Horde Skyborne to the Skywatcher Plateau in Mulgore. - Starting reputations: Horde Skyborne start friendly with Thunder Bluff; Alliance Skyborne start friendly with Stormwind and the Kirin Tor.

For the race itself, see our Skyborne and race/class guide.

Dalaran in the Alterac Mountains (around 28–33)

In Forever's timeline, Dalaran has opened its magical dome to reveal a city under repair. It's in the Alterac Mountains in the Eastern Kingdoms, and it holds the City of Dalaran dungeon for levels 28–33. Skyborne players get friendly access early, and Alliance players are welcomed after a short questline.

Riverglades (levels 35–45)

!A green river valley with a frontier keep and rope bridges

Riverglades is the biggest addition for leveling: a contested zone for levels 35–45 with more than 150 new quests, filling the gap most players felt in the original mid-30s and 40s.

- Where: in the Eastern Kingdoms, east of the Badlands and the Burning Steppes. - Getting there: on foot from the Badlands, north of Twilight's Shroud, or by ship from Steamwheedle Port in Tanaris to Powderfuse Port. - Flight paths: Farholde Keep for the Alliance and Rog'mar for the Horde. - Dungeon: Krol'dok Stronghold, for levels 40–45.

If you're planning a route to 60, Riverglades is the zone to build the mid-levels around. Dual spec unlocks at 40 while you're there.

Shen'dralas (level range not yet published)

Shen'dralas is a contested zone in Kalimdor, south-east of Desolace, between Feralas and Mulgore. You enter it from Desolace through the Valley of Bones. Its name ties it to the Skyborne, whose other name is the shen'dorei. Blizzard hasn't published a level range; beta footage put its enemies in the low-to-mid 40s, so expect it to sit alongside Riverglades as a second option for those levels.

Mount Hyjal (level 60)

!An enormous world tree on a mountain top with a raid group approaching

Mount Hyjal is the endgame zone in northern Kalimdor, and the home of two of the December 9 raids:

- Barrow Deeps (10 players, 8 bosses), inside the mountain, with entrances connected through Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and the Blackmaw Hold dungeon. - Hyjal Summit (20 players, 13 bosses), at the summit near the World Tree Nordrassil.

It's a contested zone, so on the PvP ruleset expect fights around the raid entrances. See the raids guide for how to prepare.

Darkspear Islands (battleground)

Forever also adds a new battleground, Darkspear Islands. Blizzard hasn't published its rules yet; battleground reputations are part of the Legacy System's PvP challenges.

Fitting the new zones into a 1–60 route

| Levels | Where the new content is | | --- | --- | | 1–12 | Zephras Isle (Skyborne only); the original starting zones for everyone else | | 13–33 | The new dungeons: Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron, Excavation Site: Wetlands, City of Dalaran | | 35–45 | Riverglades, Krol'dok Stronghold, and (likely) Shen'dralas | | 48–60 | Alcaz Prison, Blackmaw Hold, Shaper's Terrace | | 60 | Mount Hyjal and the raids from December 9 |

There's no level scaling and no flying, so a zone is as dangerous as its level says. The original zones still cover every bracket; the new ones are extra choices, with the mid-30s to mid-40s getting the most.

Expos.GG's WoW Forever leveling runs through whichever zones are most efficient for your range, and everything your character earns along the way stays on it. For the full dungeon list by level, see all nine new dungeons.