Forever has no realm list. You create a character and pick a ruleset — Normal, PvP, or Roleplaying at launch, with Hardcore arriving afterward — and that choice decides who you can play with. Grouping, dungeons, and raids only work within your ruleset, and Horde and Alliance still can't group together.
If you're organizing a guild or a friend group for November 4, lock in the ruleset and faction first. Then agree on region and language before anyone makes a character.
What "realmless" does and doesn't mean
Blizzard's Deep Dive recap describes each ruleset as "its own large ecosystem" rather than a single traditional realm. In practice:
- There's no realm list to argue over, but it isn't one worldwide server either.
- Cross-ruleset grouping isn't supported, so your ruleset decides who's in your group pool.
- Players on the same ruleset can group, run dungeons, and raid together.
- Battlegrounds can include players from different rulesets, except Hardcore, which remains separate.
- Collections and Legacy Points stay account-wide across rulesets, with Hardcore as the exception.
Rulesets at a glance
| Ruleset | Who it suits | PvP | Available | Group implications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Groups that want the baseline world, with cooperation as the default | Player combat requires mutual consent | Launch | The safe pick when your group's priorities differ; characters from both factions can be created here |
| PvP | Groups that want contested zones to carry real danger | World conflict in contested territory | Launch | Faction balance systems are planned, in the spirit of Season of Discovery; treat them as support, not a guarantee. You can create characters for only one faction on this ruleset |
| Roleplaying | Players who want to lean into the world and find like-minded adventurers | Blizzard hasn't detailed RP-specific combat rules | Launch | Choose it only if your group actually wants an RP community; characters from both factions can be created here |
| Hardcore | Players who want lasting consequences | A fully enclosed ecosystem; death is final for that character | After launch | Can't group outside Hardcore; a dead character leaves for another ruleset and can't return. Characters from both factions can be created here |
Hardcore's one-way rules
Hardcore stays fully enclosed, so Hardcore characters play only with each other. If a Hardcore character dies, it can transfer to another ruleset, including PvP. Progress, collections, and rewards earned in Hardcore can become available in other rulesets, but nothing flows back into Hardcore. It's a one-way door: out, never back in.
Players cannot freely move between rulesets. To play under another ruleset, create a new character there; the announced exception is a Hardcore character transferring out after death. Don't promise your group you'll simply move later.
Names, language, and the launch-week rush
- Names are two-part — a first name and a last name — and unique per region, which opens up combinations that were impossible on crowded Classic realms.
- You can set a language preference and encounter others who share it, which matters when you're recruiting or pugging in a specific language. Set Preferred Online Language through Game Menu (Escape) > Options > Languages and Social under the System heading. The setting applies to every character on the account and has a 24-hour cooldown before it can be changed again.
- Upgrade owners can use Early Name Reservation from October 27 through November 3 to create and customize up to three characters. Names are first-come, first-served, so in-demand picks will still go early; it isn't early leveling.
Guild and friend checklist
- Pick the ruleset before anything else. Same ruleset is required for grouping. You cannot freely transfer between rulesets, so make a new character if the group chooses another one.
- Pick the same faction. Horde and Alliance can't group; if your community straddles both, plan for two rosters. On PvP, each player must also commit character creation to either Horde or Alliance.
- Set the same language preference. It helps you encounter players who share your language; it is account-wide, has a 24-hour change cooldown, and is a preference rather than a stated grouping restriction.
- Claim names early. Two-part names help, but reserve during October 27–November 3 if you have an upgrade and care about specific names.
- Don't assume cross-region play. Names are unique per region, and Blizzard hasn't said how players in different regions interact. If part of your group plays in another region, confirm before you commit.
- For a Hardcore guild, plan the exit. A dead character can leave for another ruleset — including PvP — and can't come back.
- For a PvP guild, weigh faction. Balance systems are planned, but nobody can promise how your faction's population plays out on day one.
For beta access and install steps, see the Forever beta page.