Blizzard's Patch 12.1.7 PTR development notes, posted October 29 US time, put the Talebound demo window in writing: October 30 at 10:00 a.m. PDT through November 2 at 10:00 a.m. PDT — that is 1:00 a.m. October 31 Beijing time. The notes also settle when the test realm itself goes live: "The 12.1.7 PTR has been updated and will be available for testing when the Talebound demo becomes available tomorrow." Taking part requires no subscription.

Wowhead relayed the official notes at 1:41 p.m. Central on October 29 (2:41 a.m. October 30, Beijing time) under news ID 383651, and the notes link straight to Blizzard's own announcement for the October 30 demo. Massively Overpowered's October 29 report corroborates the start date independently.

The closing hour is off by one — thank daylight saving time

The official text writes the end as "through November 2 at 10:00am PDT." Converted literally, that is 1:00 a.m. November 3 Beijing time. But US clocks fall back on November 1; if the closing hour is meant as local Pacific time after the switch, Beijing players get until 2:00 a.m. instead. One line of fine print, one hour of playtime — trust the server, not the conversion.

The window itself moved once already. Blizzard's October 26 announcement listed the test period as "30 October–1 November"; the development notes now run it to 10:00 a.m. on November 2. The notes are the newer document, and for anyone on Beijing time the demo now covers the whole weekend plus Monday, closing in the small hours of November 3.

What's in the demo: one intro, three tales, three classes, three difficulties

Per Blizzard's October 26 announcement, the demo opens with the Red Hollow introduction — a lone traveler on a darkened road, pulled by a mysterious Storyteller into Quillgrave, a world of his own making. From there, three tales, each offered at three difficulties:

  • Darkhaven: a city cut off by a devastating plague, home to Lord Marshal Konrad von Sonnesheim and Alexandre Dozsenc, the Blood Bishop
  • Greenthistle Wood: two villages terrorized by two witches, a giant, and a pack of predatory fiends
  • Greywake's Expedition: a once-thriving island gone wrong, with the trail leading to Zzyg'th, the Hadal Tyrant, and Chathoa, the Herald from Beyond

Classes come in three: the Slayer, the Inquisitor, and the Witch. The announcement is explicit about the price of entry: "No subscription is required to take part." The development notes add the pitch — "Venture solo or with friends through eerie tales where danger is written on every page."

Officially the rewards are cosmetics; datamining points at end-game power

The only reward the development notes actually name is Bound Silver, spent on cosmetic rewards. End-game power is a different story, and it does not come from an official document: a Wowhead report from 6:51 p.m. Central on October 29 (7:51 a.m. October 30, Beijing time; news ID 383659), built on datamining and hands-on observation of the 12.1.7 PTR build, describes new achievements whose rewards apply to the main game —

  • Four achievements, each awarding 10 Venomstones from a Venomstone Cache
  • Three achievements awarding a Nebulous Voidcache
  • Eight achievements granting Venomous Abyss gear caches: one Normal, five Heroic, two Mythic
  • Currencies including 20 Champion Crests, 40 Hero Crests, and 40 Myth Crests, with most rewards seemingly bought from a Travelling Raven in Silvermoon City
  • On the collection side, a new hearthstone, a pet toy, and a brand-new Campsite, plus one potion granting a 10% experience boost for 2 hours per fully solved tale — four potions across the four tales

Wowhead's separate report (news ID 383658) covers the two Mythic-difficulty achievements and the Cache of Mythic Treasures; its own caveat is the one that matters here: these are datamined rewards that "have not been confirmed as rewards, and may change before launch." On the official record, the confirmed reward is still cosmetic Bound Silver.

Known and unknown

Confirmed in official material: the test window of October 30, 10:00 a.m. through November 2, 10:00 a.m. PDT (both ends written as PDT); the PTR going live alongside the demo; no subscription required; the demo contents of one intro, three tales, three classes and three difficulties; and Bound Silver for cosmetics as the only named reward.

Not announced:

  • A release date for Patch 12.1.7 or Talebound
  • Whether demo progress or Bound Silver carries over to the live mode
  • Any official confirmation of the datamined end-game reward list, or how hard Mythic actually is and how long a clear takes
  • Official Simplified Chinese localized names — English terms are kept here
  • Which reading of the closing hour applies, given the November 1 clock change

What to do now

  • Mark the clock: the demo opens at 1:00 a.m. October 31 Beijing time (10:00 a.m. PDT October 30) and closes in the early hours of November 3
  • Install the 12.1.7 PTR client through Battle.net ahead of time — no active subscription needed
  • If the datamined rewards are the draw, read the achievement list (Wowhead news ID 383659) but don't plan your resources around it; rewards can move at any point during testing
  • Wait for a blue post: the official notes confirm only cosmetic rewards, and until Blizzard confirms the rest, in-game testing is the only verdict

The official announcement is at Join in the Talebound Demo on October 30; the Wowhead report is at Patch 12.1.7 PTR Development Notes - Talebound Demo Available Tomorrow.