If you want to quest at your own pace and walk away whenever you like, pick Normal. That's where I am in the WoW Forever beta, levelling a Paladin tank. I'd happily play Hardcore when it arrives, and I couldn't care less about the missing RP-PvP option.
WoW Forever doesn't have a realm list the way Classic did. Instead you pick a ruleset, and per Blizzard's ruleset announcement, there are four: Normal, PvP, Roleplaying, and Hardcore. Here's how I'd choose between them.
What Are the Server Types in WoW Forever?
Normal, PvP, and Roleplaying all open when the game launches on 4 November. Blizzard says Hardcore "will be available sometime after launch" and hasn't given a date. That's three options on day one and a fourth to come.
Blizzard describes Normal as "the baseline World of Warcraft experience", where you fight other players only "when they choose to engage in it". PvP is for players "who want every trip into contested territory to carry more danger, excitement, and open-world conflict."
On PvP, you also commit to one faction. ClassicWoW.gg's server guide says faction balance systems are planned for it, in the spirit of Season of Discovery, but warns to treat them as support rather than a guarantee.
Why I'm on Normal and Not PvP
I don't want to do PvP. I don't care enough about it to get good at it, or to keep paying attention so it isn't just happening to me while I'm out questing.
The bigger reason is how I play. I've been staying away from dungeons because I want to be able to walk off while I'm questing, and a dungeon commits you to the whole run.
PvP would limit that in the same way. If I'm on a PvP ruleset, I can't just walk away from my character in the middle of a zone and trust it'll be fine. Normal lets me quest, step away, and come back.
Would I Play Hardcore?
Yes. Before WoW Forever, the last time I played World of Warcraft at all was on Doomhowl with my brother Gaspode, roughly a year ago. He writes for games.gg too. Doomhowl was the North American Hardcore realm when Blizzard opened the Classic Anniversary realms in November 2024, per Blizzard's realm announcement.
We played Alliance and had great fun there. We mostly only saw the content around level 20 and didn't get much further than that , but it does mean we know those starting areas very well.
WoW Forever's Hardcore has a softer landing than Doomhowl's did. According to Blizzard, when a Hardcore character dies, it can transfer to another ruleset, including PvP. You lose the run, but you don't lose the character.
Does It Matter That There's No RP-PvP?
Not to me. Blizzard's announcement lists Roleplaying and PvP, but no ruleset that combines the two. Players have noticed: on 6 October, a WoW Forever clips account counted nine forum threads asking for RP-PvP that day alone.
Roleplay just isn't for me. It falls into the same category as FiveM, the Grand Theft Auto V mod known for its roleplay servers, which I've never played. I don't know why you'd want to pretend to be someone else online so much, so there's no appeal for me.
I can see why other people want it, though. And I can see why Blizzard might not want PvP and roleplay together , people might take their deaths more seriously and get more upset.
Which Server Type Should You Pick?
For me, it's Normal: I quest solo and want to step away whenever I like. PvP is built for world fights, Roleplaying for playing a character, and Hardcore, when it arrives, for one life per character.
Whichever you choose, check where your friends are going first, because you can't group across rulesets. Our WoW Forever guide covers the rest of what's changing.
