Rulesets & Playing With Friends

WoW Forever replaces the traditional realm-selection decision with rulesets. To play together, friends need compatible character choices, not simply the same enthusiasm for a server name.

Choose a ruleset together

Match your faction

Horde and Alliance characters cannot group together. Cross-ruleset grouping is also unsupported. Agree on both faction and ruleset before investing in your characters.

Skyborne characters choose their faction at character creation. That choice also affects whether their faction-specific class option is Mage or Shaman.

Realmless does not mean unrestricted

A ruleset is a large play environment with its own community. It is not a promise that every character can join every other character. The regional and account choices shown in your game client still matter when organizing a group.

Language and names

Players can choose a language preference to encounter others who share it. Character names use two parts, and uniqueness applies within a region. This creates more naming room without making a character anonymous.

Account progress

Collections and Legacy points span ordinary rulesets. Hardcore keeps a separate inward boundary: progress earned there can carry out, while outside progress does not flow back in. A dead Hardcore character can transfer to another ruleset, including PvP.

Learn about Legacy or compare character choices.

Dungeon groups

Ruleset compatibility does not mean automatic matchmaking. See how Dungeon Finder and manual LFG differ in Forever before planning your run.

Sources

Blizzard — official World of Warcraft: Forever overview.