If your Blacksmithing recipes say you need an anvil while you're standing at one, close the game completely and start it again. That's what worked for players in Blizzard's forum threads. Logging out to the character screen wasn't enough.
The reports started around 6 November, after a maintenance. Players say the anvil acts as if it isn't there, while smelting at a forge still works. Anvils in Thunder Bluff, Stormwind's Dwarven District and the Undercity were named (one, two, three). No Blizzard staff member had replied when we checked.
Try these in order
| Step | Why |
|---|---|
| 1. Fully exit the game and start it again | The fix players report. Some needed two restarts |
| 2. Check a Blacksmith Hammer is in your bags | Anvil recipes need it, as in Classic |
| 3. Try another anvil, in another city | Rules out one broken anvil |
| 4. Update or turn off add-ons | Helped one player, made no difference for another |
A player guessed it only happens on some layers. Nobody has confirmed that.
Your own anvil
Forever lets Blacksmiths build an anvil as a camp object later on. See the camping system and the Blacksmithing guide, which lists every recipe with its skill and materials.
Other bugs Blizzard knows about are on known issues and hotfixes.