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World of Warcraft: Forever adds Xbox controller play

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World of Warcraft: Forever adds Xbox controller play

Gamepad (Alpha) support maps to Xbox controller icons and runs on the ROG Xbox Ally, though the handheld is not officially supported.

World of Warcraft: Forever is adding Gamepad (Alpha) support, and the game runs on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally even though that handheld is not officially supported yet. The option is switched on through Options in the main menu.

The on-screen button icons map to a modern Xbox Wireless Controller. Combat uses the Triggers and Bumpers to alternate the actions assigned to its buttons.

Holding the right analog stick opens a ping system with four commands: Attack, Warning, On My Way, and Assist.

The handheld route goes through Windows 11 and the Battle.net app on the ROG Xbox Ally. It works, but nobody has signed off on it as a supported device.

Azeroth as it was, with additions

Two bears stand in a grassy field overlooking mountains, a river, and distant structures in Azeroth.
Two bear-like figures stand on a grassy hill overlooking mountains, a river, and distant structures. Image: Blizzard Entertainment

World of Warcraft arrived in 2004, and Forever returns to a version of its world that closely resembles that original, layered with new stories, locations and improved features. The name is the pitch: the game is meant to stay in that form rather than march on through expansions.

On the ground, the Riverglades and Mount Hyjal gain new areas to explore, and lighting and graphics are improved. Class combinations are revamped too, enough to allow a Forsaken Paladin.

Forever comes with existing subscriptions at no extra cost, and anyone already paying can enable the Gamepad option in the main menu. Bringing it to bed on a ROG Xbox Ally is possible too, as long as you accept that you are doing it off the official map.