Systems guide
WoW Forever Addons
What Blizzard has confirmed about the Forever UI architecture, addon restrictions and the built-in tools intended to replace some must-have Classic addons.
Modern API approach
Forever uses the modern WoW addon/API direction rather than Classic Era’s more permissive combat API model.
Addons are still supported
UI customization remains possible. The restriction is about what addons can compute or expose during combat, not a blanket addon ban.
Built-in damage meter
The developers have confirmed a built-in damage meter so players do not need an addon for basic damage tracking.
Built-in cooldown manager
The developers said WoW Forever includes a built-in cooldown manager alongside the built-in damage meter.
Cooldown Manager Beta test scope and limitations
Blizzard documented the current testing scope for the built-in Cooldown Manager and several known limitations.
- •Cooldown Manager is disabled by default and can be enabled under Gameplay Enhancement settings.
- •Druid, Mage, Priest, Warrior, and Warlock are currently available for Cooldown Manager testing.
- •Additional classes are planned for future updates.
- •Spell ranks are not yet supported.
- •The September 24 known issues include tracking problems for Banes/Curses, Healthstone, Arcane Blast, Mana Gem, and other class-specific cases.
This describes the current Beta implementation, not the final launch feature set.
Blizzard Beta Development Notes ↗Current Beta addon API behavior
This section summarizes reproducible tests documented by the fan site WoW Forever Builds. They are not tests run by this wiki and are not Blizzard commitments for launch. Secure execution in particular may be a Beta bug and should be retested as builds change.
- •UnitHealth and similar health data return secret values that addons cannot normally compare or calculate with.
- •Secure snippets currently fail to compile, affecting features such as click-casting and action-bar paging.
- •WOW_PROJECT_ID currently reports 1 (Retail/Mainline), which can send Classic-only compatibility checks down the wrong code path.
- •GetItemInfo, GetSpellInfo and older talent calls are moving to Retail-style C_ namespaces.
Will Classic addons work?
Do not assume that an addon working in Classic Era will work unchanged in Forever. Forever shares the modern UI direction and its restrictions, so combat-heavy addons can lose access to information they previously relied on.
Cosmetic reskins, layout tools and non-combat UI customization are much more likely to fit the intended model, but compatibility should be verified per addon and per build.
Built-in tools reduce mandatory addon pressure
- •Damage meter: confirmed as a built-in feature.
- •Cooldown manager: confirmed as a built-in feature.
- •Swing Timer: mentioned in the Q&A as a possible future built-in addition.
- •UI reskinning and general customization remain part of the supported WoW UI philosophy.