World of Warcraft: Forever is set to launch for PC on November 4 with Gamepad (Alpha) support, giving players a new way to explore its version of Azeroth. The feature allows the game to be played with an Xbox Wireless Controller and adapts on-screen prompts to match the controller’s buttons.
Controller support can be enabled from the main menu by opening Options and selecting “Gamepad (Alpha).” The feature provides access to regular activities such as opening bags, checking quests and viewing character information. Combat uses the controller’s triggers and bumpers to cycle through actions assigned to its buttons, creating a more deliberate rhythm than the writer associates with modern Warcraft.
World of Warcraft: Forever returns players to the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, alongside classic races including humans, orcs, elves, trolls and dwarfs. It also adds new content, including the Skyborne elf race and the floating Zephras Isle, as well as areas such as the Riverglades and Mount Hyjal. Improved lighting, graphics and class combinations are also part of the experience, including the option to play a Forsaken Paladin.
The project is designed to retain the feel of the 2004 version of World of Warcraft while adding new stories, locations and features intended to make the game more welcoming to newcomers. The article also states that the content will remain available through the existing subscription, without requiring an additional purchase.
The controller experience extends to playing from a living-room setup. The article describes using the feature with a small-form-factor PC connected near an Xbox Series X|S, where the interface and action controls provided a console-like way to play. Communication with other players can still be easier with a keyboard or voice chat, although a controller-based ping system offers commands such as Attack, Warning, On My Way and Assist.
World of Warcraft: Forever can also be run on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally, although handheld use is not officially supported yet and requires some initial navigation with the touchscreen and on-screen keyboard. Once Gamepad (Alpha) is enabled, interface adjustments such as reducing the chat frame and repositioning the player and target frames can improve visibility. The Compact Action Bar option can also free up screen space.
The article’s author tested the game across desktop, couch and handheld setups during the beta, highlighting the flexibility provided by controller support. PC players will be able to return to the game’s nostalgic setting, or experience it for the first time, when World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4.
Sources: Xbox Wire.