The Chinese version of WoW: Forever — branded 《魔兽世界：无限》 (World of Warcraft: Infinite) — opens its closed beta on October 6, and pre-download has been available since October 1. If you hold a test code or bought the Epic pack, there are two ways to get the client on disk before servers open. This guide covers both, plus the rules of the Chinese test that differ from what global players experienced.

Original editorial illustration by RealmList, generated for this article. This is artwork, not game footage or official promotional material.

What kind of test this is

The Chinese beta is a wipe test running October 6 through October 26. Per the official announcement, all test characters and game data are deleted when the test ends and carry nothing into launch. The level cap during the test is 30 — matching where the global beta landed after its October 1 phase-two update.

One date note: our earlier October events roundup cited a window ending October 27, based on early reporting. The official announcement now circulating says the test runs through October 26; treat the official figure as the one that counts, and expect the last day to be a full day of testing either way.

Access is narrower than a public beta. The official post is explicit that once servers open on October 6, only players who bought the Epic pack (天裔史诗礼包, ¥388) or obtained access through official giveaway events can log in. This matters because secondary coverage is inconsistent here — 163.com's summary claims anyone with valid game time can join, which contradicts the official announcement. Go with the official rule: no Epic pack, no event code, no entry.

The launch picture around the test is unchanged: the Chinese service goes live on November 5, the same moment as the global November 4 launch at 3:00 p.m. PST — a genuinely synchronized worldwide release across both operators.

Two ways to pre-download

Blizzard's Chinese announcement gives two official channels. Both require an updated graphics driver first, and both put the client in the Battle.net desktop app — the difference is whether you install that app from Battle.net itself or bootstrap it from a standalone downloader.

Method 1: through the Battle.net desktop app

1. Update your graphics drivers.
2. Run the Battle.net desktop app — let it update if it has been idle a while.
3. In the app's top-left preferences (偏好), select 《魔兽世界：无限》.
4. In the game version and account (游戏版本与账号) dropdown above the install button, pick the Infinite option, then install.
5. When the test opens on October 6, hit play, choose any available test ruleset, and create a character.

Method 2: the standalone "green client"

For players who do not have the Battle.net app installed, Blizzard offers a full standalone client from the official download page:

1. Visit the download page at wow.blizzard.cn/download and grab the Infinite button under the green client (绿色客户端) category.
2. Save it to a drive with enough free space — the page notes file size varies by version, and recommends an SSD for smoother play.
3. After the download finishes, open the WorldofWarcraft folder in your chosen path and run WorldofWarcraftLauncher.exe.
4. Log in with your Battle.net account, then select 《魔兽世界：无限》 in the top-left preferences.
5. Install, then launch from October 6 as in method 1.

Method 2 is also the channel worth comparing against private-server practice: a full client straight from the operator, checksums aside, is the same "second channel" logic we laid out in our client download verification guide — if the Battle.net route misbehaves on your machine, the standalone download gives you an independent path to the same build.

What is different from the global beta

• The race and the paywall. The new playable race (天裔, the Chinese name for the Skyborne) is bundled in the ¥218 Heroic pack and up, and the ¥388 Epic pack adds beta access, 30 days of game time, name reservation and three friend invite codes — the same structure as the global Skyborne Epic Pack, priced in yuan.
• A giveaway is running now. From October 1 to 14, official Chinese events are handing out 1,000 Epic packs worth ¥388 each, per IT Home's coverage — the operator is actively widening the test pool beyond direct buyers.
• One service, one operator. Unlike the global release, the Chinese version runs on NetEase-operated infrastructure with its own client distribution, which is why the download flow differs from the Battle.net-plus-regions setup elsewhere.

A two-minute checklist for October 6

1. Client installed via either method, fully patched.
2. Epic pack purchased or event access confirmed on the account you will play.
3. Free disk space verified (full client, SSD recommended).
4. Graphics drivers updated — the official steps call this out before everything else.
5. Expect queues: the global beta's first night produced five-digit queue lines, and a 1,000-pack giveaway plus a paywalled test does not thin the launch-hour rush.

::note This guide reflects the official Chinese announcement (October 1) as reposted by Tencent QQ news, cross-checked against NetEase Hao, 17173 and IT Home coverage; where secondary sources conflicted with the official text — notably on who qualifies for the test — the official announcement is treated as authoritative. Dates apply to the China-operated service only and were verified October 4, 2026; wipe rules mean nothing created in this test persists to launch. ::