Yes, you can play both Alliance and Horde in World of Warcraft: Forever, as long as you pick the right ruleset: Normal, Roleplaying and (once it arrives) Hardcore let one account create characters on both sides. The exception is the PvP ruleset, where you only get one faction, decided by the first character you create there.
Below is the rule for every ruleset, the faction balance locks players are running into during Early Name Reservation, and what your Alliance and Horde characters can and cannot share. Everything is verified against Blizzard’s ruleset post, its October 28 new player’s starter guide and the official WoW Forever Podcast, as of October 29, ahead of the November 4 launch.
Faction Rules by Ruleset
| Ruleset | Both factions on one account? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Yes | PvP only when you choose it |
| Roleplaying | Yes | Naming and behavior rules |
| PvP | No, one faction only | Faction balance can limit creation |
| Roleplay-PvP | Not spelled out by Blizzard | Added October 22, live at launch |
| Hardcore | Yes | Arrives sometime after launch |
Blizzard’s wording is direct: “On the PvP ruleset, players can only create characters for one faction. Once you create an Alliance character on the PvP ruleset, you won’t be able to create a Horde character there, and vice versa. On Normal, Roleplaying, and Hardcore rulesets, you can create characters from both factions.”
Roleplay-PvP is the open question. Blizzard added it on October 22 after the ruleset post was written, and the post’s both-factions list does not mention it either way. Players have argued on Blizzard’s forums for and against locking it to one faction, and one player reported on October 29 that both factions were open there for them. Until Blizzard says otherwise, assume your first Roleplay-PvP character may decide your side, and pick it with that in mind. Our Roleplay-PvP news story has the background.
Faction Balance Locks on the PvP Rulesets
Even your first character on a PvP ruleset is not guaranteed the faction you want. Blizzard says the PvP rulesets use faction balance systems “similar to the approach introduced in Season of Discovery, where new character creation could be temporarily limited for a faction when additional balance support was needed.”
That is already happening. Since Early Name Reservation opened on October 27, players on Blizzard’s forums report that Horde creation on the PvP ruleset has switched between locked and unlocked within hours, while they have not seen the Alliance locked. Players who got through say waiting a few minutes and trying again worked, and some report the error “Creation of that type of character is currently throttled.” If you want Horde on PvP, plan to be patient, and do not create an Alliance placeholder there in the meantime, because that character would decide your faction.
You Cannot Switch Later
Rulesets are single connected worlds, not lists of realms. On the October 15 episode of the official WoW Forever Podcast, Blizzard’s Aggrend, the show’s co-host, explained that each ruleset is “essentially one mega server,” and that because faction balancing depends on players not moving freely, “we’re not likely to let folks move freely between them.” If you start on PvP and later decide it is not for you, he said, your only option “will probably be to reroll on the normal realm.”
Blizzard has not announced a faction change service for WoW Forever either. Treat both your ruleset and, on PvP, your faction as permanent.
What Alliance and Horde Characters Share
Playing both sides is worth it, because a lot carries across:
- Legacy Points are account-wide. Blizzard says they are available to all your non-Hardcore characters, so leveling a Horde alt feeds the same pool as your Alliance main. Our Legacy system story explains how points are earned.
- Collections are account-wide across rulesets, with Hardcore handled separately.
- Skyborne can join either side. You choose the Skyborne’s faction at character creation: Horde Skyborne can be Shaman, Alliance Skyborne can be Mage. Our Skyborne guide covers how to unlock the race.
- Both factions have Paladins and Shaman. Undead Paladin and Dwarf Shaman are new combinations, so neither side misses a class.
What Stays Separate
Blizzard keeps the factions apart in play. Its starter guide says characters “can group, join guilds, run dungeons, and raid only with players on the same Ruleset and faction.” Horde and Alliance cannot group in any ruleset, cross-ruleset grouping is not supported, and battlegrounds can mix rulesets (except Hardcore) but still pit the factions against each other.
So if you want to play with friends, agree on the ruleset and the faction before anyone creates a character.
How to Play Both Factions
- Pick Normal or Roleplaying if you want characters on both sides without restrictions.
- Create your first character on whichever side you want to start with.
- Make the second faction’s character on the same ruleset whenever you like. During Early Name Reservation (through November 3, for eligible pack owners), Blizzard’s name reservation post caps you at three characters in total across all rulesets, so an Alliance main, a Horde alt and one spare is the most you can lock in before launch.
- On PvP, choose once. Your first PvP character sets your faction there for good.
Still deciding where to play? Our guide to which ruleset to choose compares all five, our Early Name Reservation guide explains the reservation window, and our best class for new players helps with the next decision. Check what time WoW Forever launches in your region, and find every guide on our World of Warcraft hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you play both Alliance and Horde in WoW Forever? Yes, on the Normal and Roleplaying rulesets, and on Hardcore once it launches. The PvP ruleset allows one faction per account.
Can you play both factions on the Roleplay-PvP ruleset? Blizzard has not said. Its ruleset post lists Normal, Roleplaying and Hardcore as the both-faction rulesets and was written before Roleplay-PvP was added.
Can Alliance and Horde group together? No. Blizzard says Horde and Alliance players cannot group together in any ruleset, and guilds are faction-only too.
Why can’t I create a Horde character on PvP? Faction balance. Blizzard can temporarily limit new characters for one faction on the PvP rulesets, and players report the Horde lock opening and closing during name reservation.
Is there a faction change in WoW Forever? Blizzard has not announced one, and it has said it is not likely to let players move freely between rulesets.
Do Legacy Points carry across factions? Yes. Legacy Points are account-wide and shared by all your non-Hardcore characters, whatever their faction.