WoW Forever rulesets: Normal, PvP, Roleplaying and Hardcore instead of realms

WoW Forever has no realm-selection screen. You choose a ruleset before creating a character. Each ruleset brings together a broader community instead of a single realm.

Which rulesets are there?

• Normal: the usual game. You explore, quest and cooperate, and you can take part in PvP when you choose to.
• PvP: contested territory stays risky whenever you go there, with extra danger, excitement and open-world fighting.
• Roleplaying: for players who want more of Azeroth's fantasy, and other players who want that too.
• Hardcore: dying has consequences that last. It opens after launch.

Can you create characters for both factions?

On Normal, Roleplaying and Hardcore, you can create Alliance and Horde characters on the same account. On PvP, creating a character for one faction blocks character creation for the other faction within that ruleset.

On PvP, systems are planned to keep Horde and Alliance populations closer together. Those systems are similar to the approach Season of Discovery introduced. During that season, new character creation could be limited for a time when a faction needed extra balance support.

Who can you play with?

Parties, dungeons and raids require players from the same ruleset. Alliance players and Horde players cannot join the same group. Outside instances, a player on another ruleset is not visible to you. Battlegrounds may include players from different rulesets. Hardcore is excluded from that cross-ruleset mix.

Can you move a character to another ruleset?

An existing character cannot switch rulesets at will. To play on a different ruleset, create a new character there. Hardcore has an exception. After a Hardcore character dies, you can transfer it to another ruleset, including PvP.

What carries over between rulesets?

Collections and Legacy Points belong to your account on every ruleset. Hardcore follows a separate rule. What you gain on Hardcore, meaning progress, collections and rewards, can become available on the other rulesets. Progress from the other rulesets cannot carry over into Hardcore.

How do you meet players who share your language preference?

Your preferred language helps you meet players who share that preference. Press Escape to open the Game Menu, then choose Options. Under System, open Languages and Social. Choose a language under Preferred Online Language. The setting applies to every character on your account. You must wait 24 hours between changes.

What else do you need before launch?

The launch, upgrades and name reservations article has the launch time and what each upgrade includes.