How PvP Works
PvP progression in Forever is a single ranked track with 14 ranks, and it resets at the start of each patch cycle. There is no rated ladder and no arena.
That design choice does two things. Your standing comes from time and participation rather than from a matchmaking rating, and every cycle gives returning players a fresh run at the same rewards instead of a ladder that hardened months ago.
Honor comes from battlegrounds and PvP-related content. In the beta client, Rank Points also point at tasks given in Gadgetzan, so the track is not fed by battlegrounds alone.
The Honor Track
Blizzard described a 14-rank honor track per patch cycle that awards cosmetics and PvP armour with stats on it. The beta client backs that number up: its PvP Renown track is capped at exactly 14.
| Currency | Cap | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Honor Points | 15000 | Honor is gained by killing members of the opposite faction in PvP combat. You can use honor points to purchase special items. |
| Rank Points | No cap | Rank points are gained by completing tasks given in Gadgetzan or participating in battlegrounds. Rank points increase your PvP Rank which grants you access to purchase special items. |
| Renown - PvP Rank | 14 | The client does not describe this track yet. |
What Each Rank Unlocks
Blizzard has not published this list. It is datamined from the beta client and will be adjusted before launch, so treat the shape of the track as the useful part and expect individual rewards to move.
| Rank | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| 1 | Faction Tabard |
| 2 | Insignia Trinket |
| 3 | Faction Cloak |
| 4 | Faction Necklace |
| 5 | Combat Potions |
| 6 | Elite Faction Tabard |
| 7 | Battle Standard |
| 8 | Elite Wrist Upgrade and Elite Waist Upgrade |
| 9 | Elite Boot Upgrade |
| 10 | Elite Glove Upgrade |
| 11 | Black War Mounts |
| 12 | Elite Shoulder Upgrade and Elite Leg Upgrade |
| 13 | Elite Helmet Upgrade and Elite Chest Upgrade |
| 14 | Weapon Arsenal |
Read as a whole, the track front-loads cosmetics and utility, turns into the elite armour set from rank 8 to rank 13 one slot at a time, hands out the faction war mounts at 11, and ends with the weapon arsenal at 14. Full currency details sit on the currencies page.
Battlegrounds
Forever keeps the three Classic battlegrounds and adds one of its own.
| Battleground | Status | Map |
|---|---|---|
| Alterac Valley | From Classic | Open map |
| Warsong Gulch | From Classic | Open map |
| Arathi Basin | From Classic | Open map |
| Darkspear Islands | New in Forever | Open map |
Darkspear Islands is the new one: a 15-versus-15 battleground off the coast of Kalimdor that mixes strategic control points with Arathi Basin-style flag capture and defense.
PvP Reputations
PvP has its own reputations, and two of them are new factions fighting over the Darkspear Islands. They also feed Legacy Challenges, so PvP standing counts towards account-wide progress.
| Faction | Side | Who they are |
|---|---|---|
| The League of Arathor | Alliance | The League of Arathor seeks to reclaim lost land of Arathi Basin for their benefactors in Stormwind. |
| The Defilers | Horde | The Defilers seek to claim Arathi Basin's valuable resources for the Horde. |
| Frostwolf Clan | Horde | The Frostwolf Clan seeks to drive out the dwarves of the Stormpike Expedition from Alterac Valley. |
| Stormpike Guard | Alliance | The Stormpike Dwarves have set up residence in Alterac Valley, where they're locked in battle with the Frostwolf Orcs. |
| Warsong Outriders | Horde | Fierce orcs of the Warsong Clan, locked in battle against the Silverwing Sentinels in Warsong Gulch. |
| Silverwing Sentinels | Alliance | Staunch defenders of Ashenvale, locked in battle against the Warsong Outriders in Warsong Gulch. |
| Darkspear RaidersNEW | Horde | Loyal to the troll nation, the Darkspear Raiders battle the Theramore Expeditionary Force for control of their ancestral Darkspear Islands. |
| Theramore Expeditionary ForceNEW | Alliance | Loyal partisans for their city, the Theramore Expeditionary Force battles the Darkspear Raiders for control of the so-called Darkspear Islands. |
World PvP and Rulesets
Forever replaces realms with rulesets. You choose Normal, PvP, Roleplaying or Hardcore, and you group with everyone else on that ruleset. Grouping across rulesets is not supported, so settle on one with your friends before launch day.
One thing to know before you go looking for open-world fights: zones run as several copies at once, so the enemy who just vanished may simply be on another layer. Forever warns you five minutes before it moves you, and the layering guide explains how to use that warning.
Common Questions
Does WoW Forever have arenas or rated PvP?
No. Blizzard stated in the live Q&A that there will be no rated PvP. A new PvP track that resets every season or tier takes its place.
How many honor ranks are there?
14 per patch cycle. That number has two independent supports: the 14-rank honor track Blizzard described in its Kotaku interview, and the beta client, which caps the PvP Renown track at 14.
How do you earn honor?
Through battlegrounds and PvP-related content. The client's Rank Points also mention tasks given in Gadgetzan, so progression is not confined to battlegrounds alone.
What is the new battleground?
Darkspear Islands, a 15-versus-15 battleground off the coast of Kalimdor that mixes strategic control points with Arathi Basin-style flag capture and defense.
Can I play with friends on another ruleset?
No. Forever replaces realms with rulesets, and grouping across different ones is not supported, so agree on Normal, PvP, Roleplaying or Hardcore before you start.
Why do enemies vanish during world PvP?
That is layering. Zones run as several copies, and a forced move gives you five minutes of warning first. The layering guide covers how to handle it.