Playing WoW: Forever with a controller: the complete gamepad guide

Rather play from the couch? WoW: Forever supports controllers from day one. Blizzard published a guide on how it all works, and here is everything you need to know.

Which controller?

Every XInput-compatible controller works, and the game has button icons for both Xbox and PlayStation controllers.

A nice touch for us: controllers with lights glow red when you play a Horde character (and blue for the Alliance).

Switching it on

Press Escape, open Options and choose Gamepad under Gameplay. In the Gamepad settings you can adjust the camera, the HUD, the frame focus style, the action bars, targeting and raid targeting.

Blizzard's tip: set up your buttons around the abilities you use most, and try moving, targeting and casting somewhere quiet before you jump into a busy fight.

The basics

Blizzard uses the Xbox button names:

Left stick: move. Right stick: look around.
LB: select a friendly target. RB: select a hostile target.
X: interact, A: jump, B: back, Y: inspect. These buttons can also hold spells.
LB + RB and the right stick forward or back: zoom the camera.
Menu button: main menu. View button (the two squares): change the focus frame.

Four action bars, three sets

The HUD shows four action bars with the same button layout. Hold LT, RT or LT + RT to switch to another bar, and let go to return to the default one. A Mage could for example put four spells under the same button:

Up: Polymorph
LT + Up: Fireball
RT + Up: Frostbolt
LT + RT + Up: Blizzard

Need more? Hold LB + RB and press left or right on the D-pad to switch between three action bar sets. Each set has four bars with 28 slots, so you get 84 slots in total. Handy for one set for combat and one for everything else.

The gamepad HUD is laid out like the controller in your hands (image: Blizzard Entertainment)

Shortcuts

Hold LB + RB and press:

B: open your backpack
Up: quest tracker
Down: chat
Y: manage your buffs

You find the same things in the main radial menu. A legend in the top left corner of the screen shows your controls, and most windows show their buttons at the bottom.

What doesn't work yet

Officially controller support is still in beta. Not every window has button hints yet, and Blizzard keeps improving it. Typing in chat still needs a keyboard, so keep one within reach. A game you can play without any keyboard is Blizzard's long term goal.

What this means for Legends of Azeroth

Prefer the couch over the desk? You can play and raid with us on a controller. Keep a keyboard nearby for chat, and Discord voice works just the same. The launch is in the night from Wednesday to Thursday at 00:00 CET, after maintenance from 19:00 CET.

Source: Blizzard Entertainment at https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-gb/news/24316974/explore-wow-forever-with-a-gamepad