Explainer
Can you switch rulesets in WoW Forever? No, except a Hardcore character that dies
Can you switch rulesets in WoW Forever? No. To play on another ruleset you make a new character there, Blizzard says. The one exception is a Hardcore character that dies, which can transfer to Normal, PvP or Roleplaying. PvP is one faction.
Oct 19, 2026Checked against build 1.60.1.704502 min read
No, you can’t switch a character’s ruleset in WoW Forever. Blizzard’s ruleset post says players “cannot freely hop between rulesets; to play under a different one, they’ll need to create a new character in that ruleset.” The one exception is a Hardcore character that dies: it can transfer to another ruleset, PvP included.
WoW Forever has no server list. You pick a ruleset when you make a character: Normal, PvP, Roleplaying, Roleplay-PvP or Hardcore (Roleplay-PvP added for launch on Oct 22: RP-PvP in WoW Forever). Each one is a separate space with its own community.
The WoW Forever rulesets at a glance
| Normal | PvP | Roleplaying | Hardcore | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Both factions on one account | Yes | No, one faction | Yes | Yes |
| Group with other rulesets | No | No | No | No |
| Battlegrounds with other rulesets | Can mix | Can mix | Can mix | Hardcore only |
| Legacy and collections | Shared | Shared | Shared | Flows out only |
| Move a character to another ruleset | No | No | No | Only after it dies |
Hardcore: dead characters can move, even to PvP
Blizzard’s post speaks of “when Hardcore becomes available”, so it may not be there on day one. When it comes, a Hardcore character that dies can transfer to Normal, Roleplaying or PvP. At BlizzCon’s Hardcore panel, Blizzard said that in the past, dying in Hardcore meant moving to PvE only; now “you can transfer to PvP, Normal, or RP ruleset”.
Progress runs one way. What you earn in Hardcore, such as Legacy challenges, collections and rewards, becomes available in the other rulesets. Nothing from the other rulesets flows back into Hardcore.
PvP: one faction per account
On the PvP ruleset you can only make characters for one faction. Make an Alliance character there and you can’t make a Horde one, and the other way round. Blizzard says this helps keep the two sides’ populations closer, much as Season of Discovery did. On Normal, Roleplaying and Hardcore you can play both factions.
Friends on another ruleset
Cross-ruleset grouping isn’t supported: you can only group, run dungeons and raid with players on your own ruleset. Pick the ruleset with your friends before launch, because neither of you can move later. Battlegrounds can mix players from different rulesets, except Hardcore, which stays separate.
Before you choose
- Launch is November 4 at 3:00 p.m. PST; the local time for your region is in WoW Forever launch time.
- Leveling with friends of another race on the same ruleset: the free BoF Guide, our WoW Forever in-game leveling guide, can follow any start’s road (BoF Guide 0.9.76).
- Planning a Hardcore character: the WoW Forever Hardcore leveling addon and are WoW Forever dungeons harder than Classic?
- Every date before launch is on what’s new.
Our sources are Blizzard’s Choose Your Ruleset in World of Warcraft: Forever (September 21) and the BlizzCon 2026 Deep Dive and Hardcore panels.
Questions
Can you switch rulesets in WoW Forever?
No. Blizzard says players can't freely move between rulesets in WoW Forever; to play on a different one, you create a new character in that ruleset. The exception is a Hardcore character that dies, which can transfer to another ruleset.
What happens when a Hardcore character dies in WoW Forever?
It can transfer to another ruleset: Normal, PvP or Roleplaying, Blizzard says. In Classic Hardcore a dead character could only move to a normal PvE server; in WoW Forever PvP is an option too.
Can I play both factions on the WoW Forever PvP ruleset?
No. On the PvP ruleset you can only create characters of one faction: once you make an Alliance character there, you can't make a Horde one, and the other way round. On Normal, Roleplaying and Hardcore you can play both factions.
Can I group with friends on another WoW Forever ruleset?
No. Cross-ruleset grouping isn't supported, so you can only group, run dungeons and raid with players on your own ruleset. Battlegrounds can mix players from different rulesets, except Hardcore.
Do Legacy Points and collections carry across WoW Forever rulesets?
Yes, they're account-wide across rulesets, except Hardcore. What you earn in Hardcore counts in the other rulesets, but progress from other rulesets doesn't flow back into Hardcore.