Blizzard's upcoming version of WoW Classic, World of Warcraft: Forever, which will arrive with significant changes and content additions, was reported to be fully playable with a controller. The game was tested at a hands-on session at BlizzCon 2026 alongside the new Skyborne elf starting zone. A notice introducing the controls stated that controller support was in an "alpha" stage; even so, despite being in early development, the experience worked surprisingly well.
This stands out as a first for Blizzard's MMORPG. Although the company has added basic-level controller support in recent years, a complete setup that does not require a mouse and keyboard relied on unofficial player-made addons such as ConsolePort to deliver a truly console-like experience.
During the hands-on session, the controller layout worked as follows: switching between friendly or enemy NPCs is done with the shoulder buttons. Interacting and jumping are assigned to the face buttons. Abilities and spells are bound to both the directional buttons and the face buttons; additional key assignments can be accessed by pressing one or two trigger buttons. Each trigger button provides access to eight key assignments, and pressing both triggers at once opens up another eight key assignments. Together with the directional buttons, that puts a total of 28 keys under your fingers.
Although that number may seem like a lot, in some cases it may not be enough, especially in WoW Classic or WoW: Forever. Spellcasting classes in particular are known for having access to a number of abilities and spells in WoW Classic that is almost comical. The main reason for this is that many spells have multiple ranks: lower-rank versions deal less damage or healing but cost less mana. This keeps them useful in certain situations, but it certainly crowds the action bars.
Beyond basic actions such as using combat abilities and talking to NPCs, WoW: Forever's controller support felt somewhat more cumbersome. On keyboard and mouse, opening your inventory is as easy as pressing the "b" key and clicking on what you want, whereas on a controller you have to open a radial menu, slide over to the inventory section and cycle through all the items in your bag until you find what you are looking for. Considering that players can have dozens of items in their bags at once, trying to select what you want certainly feels slower and more roundabout than ideal.
In conclusion, full controller support for WoW: Forever may suit some classes or certain playstyles better than others. The modern "retail" version of WoW, currently in the middle of the latest Midnight expansion, could probably benefit from controller support more than WoW Classic or Forever. Modern WoW generally requires fewer key presses and less inventory management; this controller layout could work wonders for those who want to play some delves on their couch or complete world quests in comfort.