Blizzard's Rulesets video: WoW Forever drops the realm list, you pick PvE, PvP, RP or Hardcore
· ForeverDB
Blizzard's official Rulesets video explains that WoW Forever gets rid of the realm list: at character creation you pick a ruleset (PvE, PvP, RP, or Hardcore) instead of a server by name. That choice sets your outdoor-world rules, your faction options and your economy, and you can't swap between PvE and PvP later. Our client data backs up the parts we can see (the Azeroth map, both factions, the auction house and a "PvP RP" realm type), while the ruleset rules themselves are server-side and not something we can test from files.
Corrected 5 November 2026: we called build 1.60.1.70790 the beta client and gave it a "beta cap" of level 60. It's the live game's client: the beta ended on 23 October at level 30, and the game launched on 4 November with a cap of 60.
This is Blizzard's own video on the official World of Warcraft channel, so what it says is Blizzard's word. It's about a game system, not class spells, so there are no ability numbers to check. Where we do check against the game, the facts come from the WoW Forever client (build 1.60.1.70790, the live game's).
Blizzard put out a six-minute video on the official World of Warcraft channel about how you start a character in WoW Forever. The realm list is gone. Instead of picking a server by name, you pick a ruleset, and that choice decides who you can play with. The video doesn't touch class abilities, so there are no spell numbers here. We've matched what it says against our client data for the things it names: the zone, the factions and the auction house.
The short version
- No more realm list. At character creation you pick a ruleset instead: PvE, PvP, RP, or Hardcore (Hardcore comes after launch).
- The client already carries a "PvP RP" realm type, which lines up with Blizzard's note in the video description that RP-PvP is being added. It isn't shown in the video itself.
- Factions stay apart: no cross-faction parties, raids, guilds or battleground teams. Alliance and Horde are both in our data.
- Each ruleset has its own economy and auction houses, and they never mix.
- Under PvP your faction is locked for your whole region: pick Horde once and every PvP character you make is Horde.
- We can confirm the Azeroth map, both factions, the auction house and the PvP RP realm type in the client. The ruleset rules themselves are server-side and not live to test.
Claim by claim
| Claim | Blizzard says | The client says | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| No more realm list | You used to pick a realm first. In Forever that screen is gone; you choose a ruleset instead: PvE, PvP, RP, or Hardcore. | The client still carries realm-type strings, including a "PvP RP" type. We can't see the new creation screen in the files. | Adds detail |
| RP-PvP ruleset | The description says RP-PvP is being added to the list, though it isn't in the video. | The client has a "PvP RP" realm type (interface tag GDAPI_REALMTYPE_PVP_RP). | Agrees |
| Azeroth | The Alliance and Horde tension is core to what makes Azeroth feel like Azeroth, and Forever keeps it. | Azeroth is in our map data. | Agrees |
| Factions stay split | No cross-faction parties, raids, guilds, or battleground teams; your Orc still can't group with a Night Elf. | Alliance and Horde are both in our data; the grouping rules aren't in the client. | Can't check yet |
| Separate economies | Each ruleset has its own economy and auction houses, and they never mix. | We have the Auction House interface text; nothing in the client ties an economy to a ruleset. | Can't check yet |
| PvP faction locked per region | Roll an Orc under PvP and every PvP character you make will be Horde; temporary creation limits kick in when one faction outnumbers the other. | This is a server and account rule, not in the client files. | Can't check yet |
| Hardcore | Hardcore isn't at launch; a dead Hardcore character can later move to any of the three non-Hardcore rulesets, keeping its faction. | No Hardcore ruleset data to check; it isn't live. | Can't check yet |
Checked against site/data (world.json, reputation.json) from the WoW Forever client, build 1.60.1.70790.
How you start a character
The video opens on the thing you do before your race, class or name: you used to pick a realm. In Forever that's gone, and the first decision is how you want to play.
Not where you play, but how you play. Blizzard, Rulesets | World of Warcraft: Forever (0:35)
You pick one of four rulesets: PvE, PvP, RP, or Hardcore. The ruleset sets your outdoor-world rules, and you can't swap between PvE and PvP later. Our client data still has realm-type strings, including a "PvP RP" type, so the game still sorts players by ruleset behind the scenes even though you no longer choose a named server.
Factions stay split
That means no cross faction parties, raids, guilds, or battleground teams. Blizzard, Rulesets | World of Warcraft: Forever (2:28)
Both sides are in our data: Alliance and Horde. The grouping rules themselves (who can party, raid or share a guild) aren't something we can read from the client, so we can't confirm them from files yet.
Economies don't mix
Any PvE player can trade with any other PvE player in their region, and any PvP player with any other PvP player, but the two economies stay apart. Blizzard's reasoning is that a PvP player risking an ambush to reach a node earns those items in a different world from a PvE player mining in peace.
But those economies never mix. Blizzard, Rulesets | World of Warcraft: Forever (2:55)
The client has the Auction House interface text, but nothing in the files sets an economy by ruleset. That split is enforced on the servers.
PvP: faction locked for your region
Roll an orc under PvP, and every PvP character you create from then on will be Horde. Blizzard, Rulesets | World of Warcraft: Forever (3:23)
There's no second PvP space where you play the other side. Blizzard also says Forever brings in temporary character-creation limits when one faction starts to outnumber the other, to protect PvP balance from day one. That's a server and account rule, so we can't see it in the client files.
Hardcore
Keep in mind that Hardcore won't be available at launch Blizzard, Rulesets | World of Warcraft: Forever (4:39)
Hardcore characters sit in their own isolated environment and don't mix with PvE, PvP or RP. When Hardcore does arrive, a fallen character can be sent to any of the three non-Hardcore rulesets, and the faction rule still holds: you can't drop a dead Horde character into a PvP ruleset where you already have Alliance characters.
RP gets its own world
RP players won't share their outdoor zone copies with PvE or PvP players who aren't there to role play. Blizzard, Rulesets | World of Warcraft: Forever (4:50)
RP players get their own copies of the outdoor zones, so the immersion holds for the people who want it. Anyone who wants fighting to become part of their story can still flag for PvP.
What we have, and what we don't
Here's what our datamining can and can't back up for this video.
- We have the Azeroth map, both factions (Alliance and Horde), the Auction House interface text, and a "PvP RP" realm type in the client's interface strings.
- We don't have the ruleset rules themselves. Faction locking, separated economies, Hardcore death routing and the imbalance-based creation limits are decided by the servers and account structure, not stored in the client we datamine.
- You can't test any of it from files. The beta closed on 23 October, and the ruleset system went live with the launch on 4 November. Our client data (build 1.60.1.70790) doesn't carry these server-side rules, so we take Blizzard's word for them until players see them in game.
- Our own write-up of the ruleset options, including both RP rulesets, is at the rulesets and servers page.
Sources
- Rulesets | World of Warcraft: Forever (World of Warcraft, YouTube)
- Choose Your Ruleset (World of Warcraft news)
- The Roleplay-PvP ruleset is coming to WoW Forever (Aggrend, Blizzard forums)
- Rulesets and servers (ForeverDB)