Skybornes – Exclusive Race in World of Warcraft Forever
Skyborne is an exclusive race available only in WoW Forever. It is also the only race that can join either the Horde or the Alliance. Depending on your faction, you will play as a different group of Skyborne:
- Horde – Windshaper Skyborne. The Windshapers are descendants of the first shen’dorei High Elves who received the gift of elemental skysight from the wind spirits. A new generation of Windshapers has been called to Azeroth from their home in Skywall to uncover what happened to their missing elemental mentors. They will do everything they can to restore the wind spirits and preserve their way of life.
- Alliance – High Order Skyborne. The High Order consists of descendants of the ancient Highborne scholars of Eldre’Thalas. When the wind spirits disappeared from Zephras Isle, the High Order realized that the Skyborne’s complete dependence on their elemental patrons had left them dangerously vulnerable. A new generation of the High Order has now been called to Azeroth to reclaim lost arcane knowledge and use this power to help the shen’dorei survive independently.
Your faction also determines which classes and racial traits are available, but we will cover these details later.
Skyborne characters begin their journey on Zephras Isle, where they can level up to 12. Here, you will learn about the origins of this race and discover why the island is facing a terrible crisis.
Skyborne Racial Traits
The Alliance and Horde have different racial traits. Check the table below to learn more.
| Trait | Type | Faction | Description |
| Walk on Air | Active | Both | Glide downward through the air for 10 seconds while controlling your direction of travel. |
| Skysight | Active | Alliance | Attempt to draw power from a convergence of elements and receive its blessing, increasing your movement and mounted movement speeds by 10%. Lasts 30 seconds if no elemental convergence is nearby, and 15 minutes if one is found. |
| Read Ley Line | Active | Horde | Attempt to tap into the power of a nearby ley line, increasing your Health and Mana regeneration by 100%. Lasts 15 seconds if no ley line is nearby, and 15 minutes if one is found. |
| Wind Blessed | Passive | Both | Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 1%. |
| Elemental Insight | Passive | Both | Damage dealt versus Elementals is increased by 5%. |
Objectively, the Horde has a more useful combat ability, which may be an important factor when choosing your faction if you want the best possible performance.
Classes available for Skybornes
The classes available for Skyborne race depend on your faction. Check the table below to see which classes are available and choose the one you prefer.
| Classes | Alliance | Horde |
| Warrior | Yes | Yes |
| Hunter | Yes | Yes |
| Rogue | Yes | Yes |
| Druid | Yes | Yes |
| Mage | Yes | No |
| Shaman | No | Yes |
Thanks to their racial traits, all available classes are well-balanced, so you can choose the one that best fits your preferences.
Skyborne Racial Mounts
Skyborne characters can obtain crane-like mounts in four different colors, regardless of their faction. Their design closely matches the mounts used by Blood Elves. You can find all available Galestriders in the table below.
| Level 40 | Level 60 |
| Empyrean Galestrider | Swift Empyrean Galestrider |
| Regal Galestrider | Swift Regal Galestrider |
| Stormy Galestrider | Swift Stormy Galestrider |
| Umber Galestrider | Swift Umber Galestrider |
Skyborne-Themed Collectibles
When you purchase the Skyborne Pack, you will receive collectible items inspired by the new race for both WoW Forever and WoW Retail.
The Heroic Pack for both versions includes the Cerulean Prideclaw ground mount, Ensemble: Shen’dorei Skyseer’s Garb, and the Shen’dorei Windwell toy. In WoW Retail, you will also receive race-themed decorations for your House.
The Epic Pack adds one more Skyborne-themed reward: the Shen’dorei Tabard, which is available exclusively in WoW Forever.
Some Facts about Skyborne Race
Since Skyborne is a completely new race, there are several interesting facts worth knowing before choosing it:
- Highborne Origins. Both Windshaper and High Order Skyborne descend from the legendary Highborne, a race long featured in World of Warcraft lore. Thousands of years have passed since then, and the Alliance and Horde versions of this race have developed noticeable differences.
- A Forced Model Downgrade. Skyborne originally had a model with Retail-level graphics, which stood out too much for players who preferred the visual style of Classic WoW. Blizzard addressed this during beta testing by reducing the model’s polygon count and toning down its colors, helping the new race fit the game’s atmosphere better.
- Windshaper Skyborne Can Communicate with the Alliance. Skyborne characters can speak Darnassian, including the Horde’s Windshapers. This lets Horde players communicate with Alliance players in a language they understand, at least when playing this race.
- Customization: A Mix of Blood Elves and Void Elves. Skyborne customization clearly takes inspiration from familiar Retail races. Most appearance options are based on Blood Elf models, while the race borrows its eye and skin colors from Void Elves.
- Unique Emotes. Blizzard has explained that Skyborne culture differs greatly from that of existing races. As a result, Blizzard created most of their emote animations from scratch.
We hope you found this guide useful and informative. If you ever need in-game help, Epiccarry’s WoW Forever Boost is ready to help you tackle any content.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to unlock the Skyborne race?
To unlock the Skyborne race, buy one of the Skyborne Packs. The cheapest option costs $30.
Which faction do Skyborne characters belong to?
Skyborne characters can join either the Alliance or the Horde. Your faction choice determines which classes and racial traits are available.
Which classes can Skyborne characters play?
Both factions share four classes: Warriors, Druids, Rogues, and Hunters. Mages are exclusive to the Alliance, while Shamans are exclusive to the Horde.
What is unique about Skyborne customization?
Skyborne customization mainly takes inspiration from Blood Elves and Void Elves. Unique features include body and face tattoos, as well as feathers you can add to hairstyles.
What is the Skyborne racial mount?
Skyborne characters use Galestriders as their racial mounts. Their design looks like a mix of the cranes from Mists of Pandaria and the racial mounts used by Blood Elves.
Which faction is better for Skyborne characters?
Based on their racial traits, Horde Skyborne characters have a more useful active ability. Therefore, if you want to maximize your character’s performance, Windshaper Skyborne is the better choice.
Will the Skyborne race be available in WoW Retail?
Currently, Blizzard has no plans to add Skyborne to WoW Retail. The race remains exclusive to WoW Forever.
