11 new · 31 changed · 5 moved · 7 same

Rogue changes vs Classic

Q: What are the biggest Rogue changes in WoW Forever?

Shank (level 24) is an off-hand strike for 50% weapon damage that costs 5 Energy, cannot miss, has a 10-second cooldown and generates 15 Energy (25 at rank 2, level 44). It is the hub the new talents hang on. Poised (passive, level 18): when you are out of combat at full Energy, your next Energy ability costs 10 less. Deadly and Instant Poison Attack Power scaling is doubled. Assassination: Murder is gone. Lethality is 2 points for 20% crit damage, Relentless Strikes restores 25 Energy per Combo Point chance, Seal Fate is 3 points, Venom boosts poison damage 30% after a Shank, Blood Splatter extends Rupture and Garrote, and Mutilate moved to row 7.

Talents first, then the spellbook, then Blizzard's 2 November launch notes in plain words. Every entry links to the full tooltip.

Launch development notes (2 November 2026)

Shank (level 24) is an off-hand strike for 50% weapon damage that costs 5 Energy, cannot miss, has a 10-second cooldown and generates 15 Energy (25 at rank 2, level 44). It is the hub the new talents hang on.
Poised (passive, level 18): when you are out of combat at full Energy, your next Energy ability costs 10 less. Deadly and Instant Poison Attack Power scaling is doubled.
Assassination: Murder is gone. Lethality is 2 points for 20% crit damage, Relentless Strikes restores 25 Energy per Combo Point chance, Seal Fate is 3 points, Venom boosts poison damage 30% after a Shank, Blood Splatter extends Rupture and Garrote, and Mutilate moved to row 7.
Combat: Improved Eviscerate became Coup de Grace, Improved Sinister Strike became Efficient Strikes; Composure strengthens Poised and Flash of Steel gives Shank more Energy and a shorter cooldown. Dual Wield Specialization is 2 points for 50% off-hand damage.
Subtlety: Quietus, Cutthroat, Thousand Cuts and Improved Distract were removed. New: Boot Knife (Shank adds 2 Combo Points), Quick Getaway (an extra Sap target and speed after Sapping) and the 31-point Death Mark, a finisher that stores damage and releases it after 6 seconds.

Paraphrased from Blizzard's development notes; the talent text below already reflects them where the client did.

New talents (11)

Talent	Tree · row	Max-rank effect
Blood Splatter 1r	Assassination r3	Increases the duration of your Rupture ability by 6 seconds and your Garrote ability by 9 seconds.
Venom 1r	Assassination r5	Causes your Shank ability to increase your Poison damage by 30% and your chance to apply Poisons by 20% for 6 seconds.
Mutilate 1r	Assassination r7	Instantly attacks with both weapons for 90% weapon damage plus an additional amount with each weapon (Blizzard: the amount was also increased). Damage increased by 20% against Poisoned targets. Awards 2 Combo Points.
Puncturing Wounds 3r	Combat r2	Increases the critical strike chance of your Backstab by 30% and your Mutilate by 15%, and gives Backstab a 45% chance to add an additional Combo Point.
Composure 2r	Combat r3	Increases the Energy cost reduction of your Poised ability by 10.
Flawless Execution 1r	Combat r4	Reduces the Energy cost of your Eviscerate ability by 15.
Flash of Steel 5r	Combat r6	Increases the energy generated by your Shank ability by 15 and reduces its cooldown by 2.0 seconds.
Dirty Tricks 2r	Subtlety r2	Reduces the Energy cost of your Sap and Blind abilities by 50%.
Quick Getaway 2r	Subtlety r4	Increases the maximum number of targets you may have Sapped by 1 and increases your movement speed by 30% for 3 seconds after sapping a target.
Boot Knife 5r	Subtlety r6	Gives your Shank ability a 100% chance to add 2 Combo Points to the target.
Death Mark 1r	Subtlety r7	Finishing move that marks the target, storing a portion of the damage dealt by your attacks per Combo Point. Garrote and Rupture damage is stored at twice the rate. After 6 sec, the stored damage is dealt up to a maximum increased by Attack Power and Critical Strike chance.

Moved talents (5)

Talent	Classic	Forever	Ranks
Vile Poisons	Assassination r4 c2	Assassination r4 c1	5 → 5
Improved Sprint	Combat r3 c4	Combat r2 c4	2 → 2
Setup	Subtlety r4 c1	Subtlety r1 c1	3 → 3
Improved Ambush	Subtlety r3 c3	Subtlety r2 c4	3 → 3
Elusiveness	Subtlety r2 c2	Subtlety r4 c2	2 → 2

Changed talents (31)

Talent	Classic rank 1	Forever rank 1	Ranks
Improved Gouge	Increases the effect duration of your Gouge ability by 0.5 sec.	Increases the duration of your Gouge ability by 0.5 sec.	3 → 3
Remorseless Attacks	After killing an opponent that yields experience or honor, gives you a 20% increased critical strike chance on your next Sinister Strike, Backstab, Ambush, or Ghostly Strike. Lasts 20 sec.	After killing a non-trivial enemy, gives you a 20% increased critical strike chance on your next Sinister Strike, Backstab, Ambush, Mutilate, or Ghostly Strike. Lasts 20 sec.	2 → 2
Malice	Increases your critical strike chance by 1%.	Increases your critical strike chance with all attacks and Poisons by 1%.	5 → 5
Improved Expose Armor	Increases the armor reduced by your Expose Armor ability by 25%.	Reduces the Energy cost of your Expose Armor ability by 5, and refunds 1 Combo Point when cast with 5 Combo Points.	2 → 2
Vigor	Increases your maximum Energy by 10.	Increases your maximum Energy by 5.	1 → 2
Lethality	Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Sinister Strike, Gouge, Backstab, Ghostly Strike, and Hemorrhage abilities by 6%.	Grants 10% increased Critical Strike damage to your Sinister Strike, Gouge, Backstab, Mutilate, Ghostly Strike, and Hemorrhage abilities.	5 → 2
Cold Blood	When activated, increases the critical strike chance of your next Sinister Strike, Backstab, Ambush, or Eviscerate by 100%.	When activated, increases the critical strike chance of your next Sinister Strike, Backstab, Ambush, Eviscerate, or Mutilate by 100%.	1 → 1
Improved Poisons	Increases the chance to apply poisons to your target by 2%.	Increases the chance to apply Poisons to your target by 2%, and gives Poison applications a 10% chance to not consume a charge.	5 → 5
Relentless Strikes	Your finishing moves have a 20% chance per combo point to restore 25 energy.	Your finishing moves have a 4% chance per Combo Point to restore 25 Energy.	1 → 5
Improved Kidney Shot	While affected by your Kidney Shot ability, the target receives an additional 3% damage from all sources.	Enemies Stunned by your Kidney Shot ability take 5% increased damage from your poisons and attacks.	3 → 2
Seal Fate	Your critical strikes from abilities that add combo points have a 20% chance to add an additional combo point.	Your critical strikes from abilities that add Combo Points have a 33% chance to add an additional Combo Point.	5 → 3
Coup de Grace (was Improved Eviscerate)	Increases the damage done by your Eviscerate ability by 5%.	Increases the damage done by your Eviscerate ability by 7%, and the damage and storage rate of your Death Mark ability by 7%.	3 → 3
Efficient Strikes (was Improved Sinister Strike)	Reduces the Energy cost of your Sinister Strike ability by 3.	Reduces the Energy costs of Sinister Strike and Hemorrhage by 3.	2 → 2
Deflection	Increases your Parry chance by 1%.	Increases your Parry chance by 2%.	5 → 3
Precision	Increases your chance to hit with melee weapons by 1%.	Improves your chance to hit by 1%.	5 → 3
Endurance	Reduces the cooldown of your Sprint and Evasion abilities by 45 sec.	Reduces the cooldown of your Sprint and Evasion abilities by 30%.	2 → 2
Aggression	Increases the damage of your Sinister Strike and Eviscerate abilities by 2%.	Increases the damage of Sinister Strike and Eviscerate by 5%.	3 → 3
Weapon Expertise	Increases your skill with Sword, Fist and Dagger weapons by 3.	Reduces the chance for your attacks to be Dodged or Parried by 1%.	2 → 2
Blade Flurry	Increases your attack speed by 20%. In addition, attacks strike an additional nearby opponent. Lasts 15 sec.	Increases your melee attack speed by 20% and your melee attacks strike an additional nearby opponent. Lasts 15 sec.	1 → 1
Hack and Slash (was Sword Specialization)	Gives you a 1% chance to get an extra attack on the same target after dealing damage with your Sword.	Gives your melee weapon attacks a benefit depending on the weapon. Axe/Sword: Your successful melee attacks have a 1% chance to trigger an extra attack on the target. Dagger/Fist: Increases your critical strike chance by 1%. Mace: Your attacks ignore 3% of your target's armor.	5 → 5
Dual Wield Specialization	Increases the damage done by your offhand weapon by 10%.	Increases the damage done by your off-hand weapon by 25%.	5 → 2
Master of Deception	Reduces the chance enemies have to detect you while in Stealth mode.	Reduces the chance enemies have to detect you while in Stealth mode as if you were 1 level higher.	5 → 3
Opportunity	Increases the damage dealt when striking from behind with your Backstab, Garrote, or Ambush abilities by 4%.	Increases the damage dealt by your Backstab, Garrote, Ambush, and Mutilate abilities by 4%.	5 → 5
Camouflage	Increases your speed while stealthed by 3% and reduces the cooldown of your Stealth ability by 1 sec.	Grants 5% increased movement speed in stealth and reduces stealth's cooldown by 2 seconds.	5 → 3
Dirty Deeds	Reduces the Energy cost of your Cheap Shot and Garrote abilities by 10.	Reduces the Energy cost of your Cheap Shot and Garrote abilities by 10, and your Garrote ability no longer requires you to be behind your target.	2 → 2
Initiative	Gives you a 25% chance to add an additional combo point to your target when using your Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot ability.	Gives you a 33% chance to add an additional combo point to your target when using your Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot ability.	3 → 3
Premeditation	When used, adds 2 combo points to your target. You must add to or use those combo points within 10 sec or the combo points are lost.	Adds 2 Combo Points to your target. You must add to or use those combo points within 20 sec or the combo points are lost.	1 → 1
Serrated Blades	Causes your attacks to ignore 100 of your target's Armor and increases the damage dealt by your Rupture ability by 10%. The amount of Armor reduced increases with your level.	Causes your attacks to ignore 3% of your target's Armor and increases the damage dealt by your Rupture ability by 10%.	3 → 3
Ghostly Strike	A strike that deals 125% weapon damage and increases your chance to dodge by 15% for 7 sec. Awards 1 combo point.	A strike that deals 125% (180% if a Dagger is equipped in your Main Hand) weapon damage and increases your chance to dodge by 15% for 7 sec. Awards 1 combo point. Also causes your next Ambush or Garrote cast within 7 seconds to not require Stealth.	1 → 1
Heightened Senses	Increases your Stealth detection and reduces the chance you are hit by spells and ranged attacks by 2%.	Increases your Stealth detection as if you were 1 level higher and reduces your chance to be hit by spells and ranged attacks by 2%.	2 → 2
Hemorrhage	An instant strike that damages the opponent and causes the target to hemorrhage, increasing any Physical damage dealt to the target by up to 3. Lasts 30 charges or 15 sec. Awards 1 combo point.	An instant strike that deals 100% weapon damage (145% if a Dagger is equipped) and increases the damage of the caster's Rupture and Garrote abilities by 15%. Lasts 15 sec. Awards 1 Combo Point.	1 → 1

New spells (4)

Mutilate · level 40: Instantly attacks with both weapons for 90% weapon damage plus an additional amount with each weapon (Blizzard: the amount was also increased). Damage increased by 20% against Poisoned targets. Awards 2 Combo Points.
Shank · level 24: Instantly strike with your off-hand weapon, dealing 50% weapon damage and generating 15 Energy. Shank cannot Miss.
Death Mark : Finishing move that marks the target, storing a portion of the damage dealt by your attacks per Combo Point. Garrote and Rupture damage is stored at twice the rate. After 6 sec, the stored damage is dealt up to a maximum increased by Attack Power and Critical Strike chance.
Poised · level 18: When you are not in combat and have your maximum Energy, you will gain Poised. Poised reduces the Energy cost of your next Energy ability by 10.

Spells with changed ranks or numbers (15)

Cold Blood · Expose Armor · Rupture · Blade Flurry · Feint · Gouge · Distract · Ghostly Strike · Hemorrhage · Premeditation · Sap · Instant Poison · Mind-numbing Poison · Deadly Poison · Wound Poison

Questions players ask

What are the biggest Rogue changes in WoW Forever?

Shank (level 24) is an off-hand strike for 50% weapon damage that costs 5 Energy, cannot miss, has a 10-second cooldown and generates 15 Energy (25 at rank 2, level 44). It is the hub the new talents hang on. Poised (passive, level 18): when you are out of combat at full Energy, your next Energy ability costs 10 less. Deadly and Instant Poison Attack Power scaling is doubled. Assassination: Murder is gone. Lethality is 2 points for 20% crit damage, Relentless Strikes restores 25 Energy per Combo Point chance, Seal Fate is 3 points, Venom boosts poison damage 30% after a Shank, Blood Splatter extends Rupture and Garrote, and Mutilate moved to row 7.

Were Rogue talents removed?

Some Classic talents have no Forever counterpart; this snapshot keeps them out of the trees rather than guessing. Talents that moved trees or rows are listed under "Moved" with their old and new cells.

Snapshot 2026-11-03, client 1.60.1.70753. Classic text is the 1.12 tooltip stored for the same cell.

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