Which class will be the most popular in WoW: Forever? A recent community poll from the WoW: Forever subreddit gives us an early look at what players are planning to play. In this WoW: Forever class popularity ranking, we rank the most and least popular classes.
WoW: Forever Class Popularity Ranking
Using September 16 snapshot of 16,927 votes on strawpoll.com. Keep in mind that this is a community poll rather than a representative survey of the entire player base, and the results can change as more players join the conversation, beta testing continues, and class changes become clearer. So, if you're wondering what the most popular class in WoW Forever will be, this poll offers an interesting snapshot of current player interest—but not a definitive prediction of the final class population.
| Rank | Class | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paladin | 2,682 | 15.84% |
| 2 | Shaman | 2,489 | 14.70% |
| 3 | Druid | 2,120 | 12.52% |
| 4 | Priest | 1,927 | 11.38% |
| 5 | Warrior | 1,876 | 11.08% |
| 6 | Warlock | 1,812 | 10.70% |
| 7 | Hunter | 1,484 | 8.77% |
| 8 | Rogue | 1,405 | 8.30% |
| 9 | Mage | 1,132 | 6.69% |
Most Popular Class in WoW: Forever
1. Paladin (15.84%)
Paladin is currently the most popular class in the WoW: Forever poll, with 15.84% of the votes. That result makes sense given how much attention Paladin is receiving around Forever. The class has significant gameplay changes, new possibilities, and particularly strong community interest surrounding Undead Paladins. Recent Reddit discussions about the poll repeatedly mention Paladin as a likely first-character choice, with several players specifically pointing to the new Undead Paladin experience.
2. Shaman (14.70%)
Shaman is surprisingly close to Paladin, sitting at 14.70%. The gap is only: 15.84% − 14.70% = 1.14 percentage points. That is important because it means Shaman isn't simply benefiting from being the second-most popular class—it is genuinely competing with Paladin for community attention.
The discussion around Shaman is also particularly interesting because Forever expands the class's possibilities. Players have been discussing Enhancement, Elemental, Restoration, and potential tanking options, while new race/class combinations are giving Shaman additional appeal. Recent Reddit discussions include players specifically excited about Tauren Shaman, two-handed Enhancement, and Shaman tanking.
3. Druid (12.52%)
This continues the pattern: the three highest-ranked classes are all hybrid classes. Together, they account for 43.06% of all votes in your snapshot. That's nearly half of the entire poll. Druid's appeal comes from the same fundamental advantage: flexibility. Players can explore tanking, healing, melee DPS, and ranged DPS depending on their build.
However, the community discussion isn't completely unanimous about Druid. Some players are concerned about how much the class has actually improved compared with other Forever classes, while others point to improvements to Feral, Restoration, and Bear gameplay.
4. Priest (11.38%)
Priest sits at 11.38%, just ahead of Warrior. This is significant because Priest doesn't have the same broad role coverage as Paladin, Shaman, or Druid. Its popularity therefore appears to be more closely connected to players who specifically want its healing or Shadow gameplay. Interestingly, recent community discussions show some longtime Priest players considering Priest alongside Paladin and Shaman for Forever.
5. Warrior (11.08%)
Warrior has 11.08%, putting it only 0.30 percentage points behind Priest. That's a relatively small difference, so these two classes should essentially be viewed as occupying the same general popularity range rather than having a meaningful separation.
Warrior remains an important class for players interested in traditional melee gameplay and tanking. Recent community polls and discussions continue to show Warrior among the commonly mentioned first-character choices.
6. Warlock (10.70%)
Warlock has 10.70% of the votes, placing it sixth. That's not a tiny number, but it is noticeably below the hybrid-heavy top of the chart. This becomes especially interesting when compared with the amount of attention Warlock is receiving in the actual class redesign. That makes Warlock one of the classes worth watching as Forever develops.
7. Hunter (8.77%)
Hunter drops below the 10% mark, with 8.77%. Hunter players may be particularly sensitive to whether the new gameplay actually performs well once the game reaches endgame. That's because choosing a less-popular class can be perfectly fine if the class performs well, but Vanilla-style character progression makes rerolling a much bigger commitment than simply changing specs.
8. Rogue — 8.30%
Rogue has 8.30%, making it the second-lowest class in the poll. For Rogue players, however, low popularity isn't necessarily bad. Rogue has historically competed for a limited number of melee DPS positions. If fewer players roll Rogue, an individual Rogue may face less direct competition for those spots.
Recent Reddit discussion also shows that some players are still specifically excited about the new Rogue changes, including Subtlety. So low popularity does not automatically mean low desirability. It simply means fewer people in this particular poll currently intend to play it.
9. Mage (6.69%)
Mage is last with 6.69%. That is less than half of Paladin's 15.84%. This is arguably the biggest surprise in the poll because Mage has traditionally been one of the iconic Classic WoW classes.
One possible explanation raised in the community discussion is that some players feel Mage's Forever gameplay is less dramatically different from previous Classic/TBC-era experiences, while classes such as Paladin and Shaman offer more unfamiliar gameplay possibilities. That's a community interpretation rather than something the poll itself can establish.
And importantly, the poll measures popularity, not class quality or power.
The Biggest Trend: Hybrid Classes Are Dominating in WOW Forever
The clearest pattern in the poll is this:
Paladin, Shaman, and Druid occupy the top three positions. That isn't accidental from a gameplay perspective. All three offer significant role flexibility.
Paladin → Tank / Healer / DPS
Shaman → Healer / DPS / expanded gameplay options
Druid → Tank / Healer / Melee DPS / Ranged DPS
Meanwhile, the more specialized classes generally sit lower:
Hunter — 8.77%
Rogue — 8.30%
Mage — 6.69%
This creates an interesting situation for WoW: Forever. Players aren't necessarily choosing classes purely based on historical popularity. Flexibility and the new class designs appear to be major parts of the current conversation.
Paladin Will Be the Most Popular in WoW Forever?
Based on this poll, Paladin is currently the most popular choice. But we would avoid presenting it as a prediction that Paladin will definitely be the most-played class at launch.
There are several limitations.
First, the poll is a self-selected online community poll rather than a representative survey of the entire WoW: Forever player base. Second, the results can change before launch. Third, players can vote for what they currently intend to play and then change their minds after beta testing, class tuning, or discovering how a class actually feels.