Hunter
The hunter fights from a distance with bow, gun or crossbow, alongside a tamed beast that holds the enemy's attention. Traps and aspects round out one of the most comfortable classes to level.
- Roles
- Ranged damage
- Armor
- Leather, then mail at level 40
- Resource
- Mana
What changes for the hunter in WoW Forever?
The hunter in WoW Forever learns Aimed Shot at level 20, can use traps in combat, and has pets that scale with its gear, with a new Fox family and a unique ability for every family. Marksmanship gains Lone Wolf for play without a pet and Sniper Shot at 31 points, while Survival turns to melee with Strider Kick and Lacerating Strikes.
- Aimed Shot is baseline at level 20 for every hunter; Arcane Shot no longer shares its cooldown, Multi-Shot does.
- Traps work in combat on a 30-second cooldown, with separate cooldowns for Frost and Fire traps.
- Pets scale with your gear, and player stat buffs no longer apply to them.
- Pet families: the new Fox has Trickster's Dance (dodge and attack speed for 12 seconds), and every family gets a unique ability, such as Furious Howl for wolves or Shell Shield for turtles.
- Lone Wolf (Marksmanship, 11 points) gives +20% damage when you have no pet.
- Sniper Shot (Marksmanship, 31 points): 4-second cast, 15-second cooldown, 45-yard range, more damage than Aimed Shot, and +10 yards of range on your next 3 shots.
- Summon Hawk (Beast Mastery, 16 points) calls up to 2 hawks for 18 seconds.
- Survival turns to melee: Strider Kick (21 points) gives +30% speed for 3 seconds, and Lacerating Strikes (31 points) adds a 21-second bleed to Mongoose Bite.
- Limits kept: the 8-yard dead zone stays, and hunters still cannot stun or interrupt.
Talent calculatorEvery Hunter ability by level, compared with ClassicAll the talent changesWhere to tame a petUpdated on October 16, 2026
Strengths
- A pet that tanks for you
- Excellent solo while leveling
- Damage from range
Playable races on WoW Forever
On WoW Forever, the hunter class is open to 8 races: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf and High Order Skyborne for the Alliance, and Orc, Tauren, Troll and Windshaper Skyborne for the Horde. New compared to Classic: Human, High Order Skyborne and Windshaper Skyborne.
From the game tables of the Forever beta (build 1.60.1).
Guides
Guides for every class
- WoW Forever talents: trees, dual spec and what changed for every class
- WoW Forever leveling guide: the 1-60 route, zone by zone, for Alliance, Horde and Skyborne
- WoW Forever dungeons: the nine new dungeons, their levels, bosses and entrances
Classic fundamentals. Forever may change some details: this page will be updated at launch.
Questions about the Hunter in WoW Forever
Can a hunter play without a pet in WoW Forever?
Yes. The Marksmanship talent Lone Wolf, at 11 points, gives 20% more damage when you have no pet.
Is there a new hunter pet in WoW Forever?
Yes, the Fox, with Trickster's Dance for dodge and attack speed for 12 seconds. Every pet family also has its own unique ability.
Can hunter pets tank in WoW Forever?
Blizzard says hunters can use their pet as a tank in solo and small group play. Pets now scale with the hunter's gear.