Start with your group’s plans
| Your priority | Start with | Discuss before creating |
|---|---|---|
| Finish quests together with fewer interruptions | Normal | Does anyone consider outdoor PvP essential? |
| Make outdoor conflict part of the journey | PvP | Will everyone accept interruptions while traveling and questing? |
| Build a character story with other roleplayers | Roleplaying | Agree on expectations for names, chat and group activities. |
| Try a run where survival shapes every decision | Hardcore, when it opens | Pick another ruleset to play together until then. |
Normal makes PvP optional, PvP is built around contested-world conflict, and Roleplaying around shared character fantasy. Hardcore arrives after launch, and Blizzard has not given a date.
Three grouping rules to settle first
- Dungeon and raid groups require the same ruleset and faction.
- Battlegrounds may mix rulesets; Hardcore remains separate.
- On PvP, your characters are restricted to one faction. Normal, Roleplaying and Hardcore allow characters from both factions, but opposite factions still cannot group.
For example, two Horde friends who choose Normal and PvP cannot run dungeons together, and neither can two friends on Normal who pick opposite factions. Settle both choices before leveling.
Use the race/class table after this decision. Choosing a race first can leave your planned group on incompatible sides.
Already grouped but cannot see a friend? Try the party refresh checks.
Can you change rulesets later?
Switching rulesets normally requires a new character. The exception is a dead Hardcore character, which can transfer out, including to PvP. Collections and Legacy points span rulesets: Hardcore progress flows outward, but progress from other rulesets does not flow back into Hardcore.
So you cannot try PvP tonight and move the same character back tomorrow. If your friends disagree, make the group character the priority and use a separate character for the other experience.
Set your preferred online language
Escape → Options → System → Languages and Social → Preferred Online Language
The preference is account-wide and has a 24-hour change cooldown, so check the selection before confirming it. It makes you more likely to meet players who share it. If you play with groups that use different languages, agree which one takes priority that day.
A ready-to-send group plan
Copy this to your group before anyone creates a character:
Ruleset:
Faction:
Each player's race / class:
Preferred online language:
First activity and meeting point:
Alternative if someone cannot create the planned character:
PvP faction balancing can temporarily restrict new characters on one faction; the launch status page lists the current PvP faction limits. If your side is restricted, agree a new plan together rather than having one person quietly choose another ruleset.
Next: first-session preparation or the world directory.
References
- Blizzard · Ruleset announcement · September 21, 2026.