Normal, PvP or Roleplay: choosing a ruleset in WoW Forever

Forever doesn't have a realm list. You choose a ruleset when you make a character, and that decides who you can play with. Blizzard explains it in its ruleset post, return guide and new player guide.

The four launch rulesets

• Normal. Questing and monsters, with PvP only by mutual consent.
• PvP. The other faction can attack you across much of the world.
• Roleplay. Normal rules, for players who want to stay in character.
• Roleplay-PvP. Roleplay with PvP rules.

Hardcore, where death ends your character, comes later. Blizzard hasn't given a date. Our Hardcore page has what's been announced so far.

The part that matters

Groups, guilds, dungeons and raids only work between players on the same ruleset and faction. If your friends pick Normal and you pick PvP, you can't group with them. Agree on a ruleset before launch. You also can't hop between rulesets: playing on another one means making a new character there.

The PvP ruleset locks you to one faction. After an Alliance character there you can't make a Horde one, and the same goes the other way. On Normal, Roleplay and Hardcore you can have both. Forever can also limit new characters on a faction for a while to keep the sides balanced.

Which one to pick

• Playing with a guild or friends: whatever they pick.
• Solo and new: Normal. You level at your own pace.
• You enjoy world PvP: PvP. Classes with escapes and burst level more safely there, and our tier lists cover the classes.

You don't need the PvP ruleset to play PvP. Blizzard says battlegrounds can include players from other rulesets, except Hardcore, which stays separate. More on the realmless setup.