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WoW Forever Rulesets and World PvP
Forever has no realm list. You pick a ruleset, and the ruleset decides whether other players can attack you in the open world, which faction you can play and who you can group with. Here is what Blizzard said about each, and what it means for world PvP.
The four rulesets
Normal
You fight other players only when both of you agree, for example in a duel or a battleground.
Announced
PvP
The open world is contested: the other faction can attack you outside the safe places. You play one faction only.
Announced
Roleplaying
For players who want to stay in character. Blizzard names no open world PvP for it, our reading is that it plays like Normal.
Editorial
Hardcore
One life per character. It comes after launch, keeps to itself and has its own 12 Legacy challenges instead of the PvP ones.
Announced
The rulesets side by side
| Normal | PvP | Roleplaying | Hardcore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open world PvP | only with consent | contested | like Normal (our reading) | not stated | Announced |
| Factions per player | both | one | both | both | Announced |
| Group with | Normal only | PvP only | Roleplaying only | Hardcore only | Announced |
| Battlegrounds | mixed | mixed | mixed | not in the mix | Announced |
| Collections and Legacy points | account-wide | account-wide | account-wide | the exception | Announced |
Switching and names
To play another ruleset you create a new character. A Hardcore character that dies can move to Normal, PvP or Roleplaying.
AnnouncedThere are no realms. Names have two parts and are unique per region.
AnnouncedBlizzard lists "world instances" as a known issue of the beta.
Announced
Faction balance on PvP
On the PvP ruleset every player picks one faction, and Blizzard may limit character creation for one faction for a while.
AnnouncedBeta players report that creation was locked to the smaller faction.
Beta
World PvP
The client marks 31 outdoor zones as contested, among them the new zones Mount Hyjal, Riverglades and Shen'dralas. Starting zones and capitals belong to one faction.
Beta dataKnown hot spots from Classic are still in the client: Tarren Mill and Southshore, Die Arena der Gurubashi, Blackrock Mountain, Gadgetzan.
ClassicBlizzard fixed a bug on September 24 in which Sap flagged players for PvP.
Announced
Which class? Our tier lists
FAQ
Which ruleset should I pick in WoW Forever?
Normal if you want to fight other players only when both agree, PvP if you want the open world to be contested, Roleplaying for the roleplay community, Hardcore after launch if one death should end your character.
Can I play both factions on the PvP ruleset?
No. On the PvP ruleset a player picks one faction. Blizzard also said it may limit character creation for a faction for a while to keep the sides balanced.
Can I group with friends on another ruleset?
No, grouping works only inside a ruleset. Battlegrounds are the exception: they mix every ruleset except Hardcore.
Can I change the ruleset of a character?
Blizzard only said you start a new character to play another ruleset. A Hardcore character that dies can move to Normal, PvP or Roleplaying.
As of Oct 2, 2026.
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Updated
First published Every change on the guides