What Blizzard revealed on 15 October
Near the end of the 15 October official podcast, around 54:23, the developers toured a dueling map built from a large crater on Mount Hyjal. It had been planned for later and was pulled forward into the beta for a community dueling tournament. On the tournament's second day, the top 32 players will fight there.
The crater existed in the original game's Mount Hyjal but made a poor questing space. When the team rebuilt the zone, they reshaped that terrain, mixing new ground with some from a Burning Crusade raid, and preserved the old crater on a separate map because it looked like a great place to duel. They said players might see more of it in a future patch.
The tournament is community-run, not an official Blizzard event. Its organizer, a guest on the show, said more than 6,000 players had signed up and gave the dates as the 17th and 18th.
Why the earlier answer was not the final word
Around 24:11, a guest asked for a dueling area where cooldowns reset each time a duel flag drops. The reply was warm but noncommittal: no promises, open to exploring it, and a hint to ask again in 15 or 20 minutes. The guest also suggested Orgrimmar's Ring of Valor and a space by the Deeprun Tram, with cooldowns locked on leaving so the reset could not be carried elsewhere.
Heard on its own, that exchange sounds like a polite no. Half an hour later it reads as a deferral before the reveal. Even so, the reveal served the tournament's needs; it did not grant the general request for a public dueling area.
Who can use the crater
Not ordinary players, as of 15 October. The developers said players have to be placed there, with staff helping the organizers set up, and described the map as not ready for the shipping game.
| Detail | Status on 15 October |
|---|---|
| Map | Shown on air and prepared for the beta tournament |
| Entry | Top 32 on tournament day two, placed there by Blizzard |
| Vendors | Soul shard and reagent sellers described; not spawned during the tour |
| Cooldown reset | An NPC is possible if the tournament asks for one |
| Public access | Not announced; the map is still being worked on |
What public dueling might look like later
The developers floated ideas rather than plans. One was opening exhibition duels at the crater during Darkmoon Faire week, with players queuing in. Another was using other spots someday, such as the arena area beneath the city of Dalaran that players cannot currently reach. They called the guest's earlier suggestions strong ones.
They also drew a line. Whatever arrives should not hide dueling away: the crowds a guest described dueling outside Orgrimmar in the beta are part of the living world, and the developers want that public display to stay. Until something is announced, open-world duels remain the way to practice.
Still to come
Not yet settled by our sources or tested in game:
- Whether ordinary players will get into the Hyjal dueling crater, and through what event, queue or patch.
- Whether a cooldown-reset NPC is used at the tournament or in any public version, and how resets would be kept inside the arena.
Sources
Beta notes are dated because Forever is still changing.
- Official Forever podcast episode 4, 15 October 2026 — 24:11A guest asks for a dueling area with cooldown resets; the no-promises reply and the suggestion to ask again later, then around 25:28 the Ring of Valor and Deeprun Tram ideas. Automatic captions checked; no exact quote depends on them.
- Same episode — 51:06The dueling tournament is introduced as community-run and unofficial; around 54:02 the organizer describes crowds dueling outside Orgrimmar in the beta, around 54:12 cites more than 6,000 sign-ups, and near 1:02:06 gives the dates. Same podcast as the entry above, not independent corroboration.
- Same episode — 54:23The Hyjal crater map is shown: planned for later, pulled into the beta for the top 32 on tournament day two, its origin in the Mount Hyjal rebuild and a possible future patch. Same podcast, different segment.
- Same episode — 55:59Restricted access with staff placing players, planned soul shard and reagent vendors, and a cooldown-reset NPC offered only if the tournament needs it. Same podcast, different segment.
- Same episode — 57:00Not ready for the shipping game; other possible dueling spots including the Dalaran arena area; around 57:48 keeping open-world dueling visible, and around 58:15 a Darkmoon Faire week exhibition idea. Same podcast, different segment.