World of Warcraft Forever: Blizzard sticks with Classic approach on shared tagging
In brief
- Blizzard’s Matthew Armstrong says World of Warcraft Forever is for Classic players and lapsed accounts, as shared tagging remains a flashpoint.
- Shared tagging remains a major point of contention in the World of Warcraft Forever debate; another developer previously defended the decision not to add it.
- According to the source, Armstrong says he is deliberately choosing a Classic-style vision, even though working in a retail-style approach would be easier and faster.
What happened
Matthew Armstrong, a developer at Blizzard, responded to the discussion around World of Warcraft Forever with the message that the mode is intended for players who appreciate Classic, but also for people who let their subscription or account lapse over the years because they were unhappy with changes to World of Warcraft. The source says this includes millions of players who have drifted away over time.
The core of the debate remains whether Blizzard should add modern quality-of-life features. Shared tagging is explicitly mentioned as an example. According to the provided information, another World of Warcraft Forever developer previously defended the decision not to include the feature and said Blizzard should "hold the line" there.
Armstrong also says he could have continued doing retail-style work, which he had been doing for the past eight years, and that it would have been easier and faster. According to the source, he still chose to put artistic vision and integrity first. The supplied tweet from @Marmstrongwow calls World of Warcraft Forever "massively successful" and says it has widened the gap between Retail and Classic, but no hard numbers are included in the provided information.
Timeline
2026-09-20: In an earlier report on World of Warcraft Forever, Blizzard developer Josh Greenfield reportedly said shared tagging will not be added.
2026-09-25: IGN publishes an article in which Matthew Armstrong again takes a stand on World of Warcraft Forever and its Classic approach.
2026-09-25: In the supplied social post, World of Warcraft Forever is described as "massively successful" and linked to the widening gap between Retail and Classic.
Background
World of Warcraft Forever is presented in the supplied sources as part of the broader split between Retail and Classic. The debate is not about a completely new game, but about how far Blizzard should allow modern conveniences without changing the Classic experience.
Shared tagging is the concrete example that appears across multiple sources. The available information shows that there are Blizzard developers who want to draw that line clearly, but the supplied material does not make it clear whether this is a formal, official policy position.
Sources
Tweet van @MarmstrongwowTweet van @MarmstrongwowWorld of Warcraft Forever has already been massively successful , but it's widened the divide that's always been there between the Retail and Classic versions of the game. And, it seems like some of the folks at Blizzard are standing firm on one side of that line.
Tweet van @MesciuSandmanTweet van @MesciuSandmanThe reason this entire debate is even happening is because, of course, World of Warcraft Forever is the shiny new version of World of Warcraft and brings some improvements that Retail players would surely love in the modern version of the game. I for one, prefer retail for the more robust endgame pillars, but even I look at Forever's improved lighting, controller support, and Undead Paladins, and yearn for them in Midnight – even if the latter will be coming in the Eclipse update in patch 12.2.
Tweet van @BanKsEsportsTweet van @BanKsEsportsThe reason this entire debate is even happening is because, of course, World of Warcraft Forever is the shiny new version of World of Warcraft and brings some improvements that Retail players would surely love in the modern version of the game. I for one, prefer retail for the more robust endgame pillars, but even I look at Forever's improved lighting, controller support, and Undead Paladins, and yearn for them in Midnight – even if the latter will be coming in the Eclipse update in patch 12.2.
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