Blizzard opens WoW's free Talebound roguelike to players without a subscription

Blizzard's free-to-play roguelike mode Talebound went live on the Public Test Realm for World of Warcraft patch 12.1.7 on October 30, and it is open even to players who do not pay for a WoW subscription, as GameRant reported. The demo window runs through November 1.

Existing WoW characters cannot be brought into Talebound. Instead, players pick one of three classes Blizzard built for the mode: the Inquisitor, the Witch, and the Slayer, all archetypes that do not exist in the retail game. After a short introduction, players choose one of three tales, Darkhaven, Greenthistle Wood, or Greywake's Expedition, with a fourth tale planned once the mode leaves the PTR. Each tale has Normal, Veteran, and Heroic difficulty settings with different enemies and mechanics.

A run ends with death or the final boss of a tale, and only temporary boons are lost, so players can immediately start over. Runs feature double jump and dodge moves, class-specific abilities and talents, and relics that improve future runs. Talebound can be played solo or in co-op.

Rewards carry into retail WoW

Cosmetic rewards earned in Talebound, including mounts, pets, transmog sets, titles and housing items, attach to a player's WoW warband, the account-wide character collection. Retail WoW itself requires a monthly subscription and paid expansions. The demo closes three days before WoW: Forever launches on November 4 with new raids and quests.

Blizzard has not said when Talebound will officially leave the PTR or whether it will remain available afterward, and the mode's demo window closes November 1.