Blizzard has tightened character creation in World of Warcraft: Forever’s PvP rulesets to bring the Alliance and Horde closer to an even split. Picking a side is part of the fun, but a rivalry needs opponents.
In its official faction-balance update, Blizzard says the most uneven regional case it had measured was roughly 55/45. Its revised system considers the wider regional balance rather than short snapshots, with a target as close to 50/50 as possible.
The practical consequence is that creating a character on the more populated side can become harder. Blizzard specifically identified Horde on North American PvP rulesets and Alliance on Europe’s Roleplay-PvP ruleset, while warning that the restricted side may change as populations shift.
That European detail matters if you are planning to start with friends in the UK. This is not a permanent declaration that one faction is closed across every European ruleset, so check the choice available when you create your character before the group commits to its grand adventure.
The catch is obvious when your friends have already chosen their side. A balance system might help the wider population while leaving your particular group staring at a character-creation screen, which is hardly the fantasy adventure anyone had planned.
The story was picked up by Kotaku, and the restrictions described here come from Blizzard’s own post. For anyone organising a fresh character with mates, agreeing the region, ruleset and available faction first should save a rather awkward conversation after someone has already named their orc.