Character Name Reservations Open Today: Realm Directories, Dynamic 5% Faction Locks & Strategy
World of Warcraft: Forever Character Name Reservations go live today, Monday, October 27 at 3:00 PM PDT! Review the complete realm directory across Normal, PvP, RP, and Hardcore rule sets, how the dynamic 5% faction balancing lock operates, and tips to guarantee your identity before November 4.
The countdown to launch reaches its most critical milestone today. On Monday, October 27 at 3:00 PM PDT (6:00 PM EDT / 23:00 CEST), live realm servers open worldwide for Character Name Reservations, permitting players with an active World of Warcraft subscription to secure up to two (2) character names.
The 2-Character Cap & Account Rules
Every Battle.net account with active game time can create and lock in two character names across any live realms prior to the November 4 global launch. These characters will start fully customized at level 1 on their chosen faction.
Reservation Protocol Checklist
- ▸Launch Window: Monday, October 27 at 3:00 PM PDT sharp.
- ▸Subscription Requirement: Must possess an active World of Warcraft subscription or game time.
- ▸Character Limit: Exactly two (2) characters per WoW license across all realm types.
- ▸Realm Types Available: Normal (PvE), PvP, RP, RP-PvP, and Hardcore (Permadeath).
- ▸Dynamic Faction Balance: Character creation on PvP realms dynamically halts for a faction if it exceeds 52.5% of total realm population.
Avoiding the PvP Faction Lock
To eliminate one-sided faction megaservers, Blizzard has enforced a strict 5% dynamic faction balance cap on all PvP and RP-PvP realms. If the Alliance or Horde population exceeds 52.5% of created characters on that realm, new character creation for that faction is temporarily locked until the opposing faction catches up. Guild leaders coordinating large rosters should log in immediately at 3:00 PM PDT to guarantee their entire team secures character creation on their target realm.