# What are the major factions in WoW?

> World of Warcraft has two playable factions, the Alliance and the Horde, plus many reputation factions and expansion-specific groups like covenants.

World of Warcraft has two major playable factions: the **Alliance** and the **Horde**. You pick one when you create a character, and it decides your capital city, your starting story and, in many places, who you can fight in PvP. Beyond them, the game has dozens of reputation factions, such as the Renown factions of each expansion, but those are side groups, not sides of the war.

## The Alliance

- **Capital:** Stormwind City (Ironforge and other cities also serve Alliance races).
- **Core races:** Humans, Dwarves, Night Elves, Gnomes, Draenei and Worgen, plus Allied Races unlocked later.
- **Tone:** order, kingdoms and alliances of old.

## The Horde

- **Capital:** Orgrimmar (with Thunder Bluff, Undercity and Silvermoon as racial hubs).
- **Core races:** Orcs, Undead (Forsaken), Tauren, Trolls, Blood Elves and Goblins, plus Allied Races.
- **Tone:** outcasts and survivors bound by honor. The Horde is not simply "evil"; both factions have heroes and villains in the story.

Some races, such as Pandaren and Dracthyr, can join either side.

## Which faction is better?

Neither. Classes are balanced across both, and since patch 9.2.5 cross-faction grouping lets Alliance and Horde players run dungeons and raids together, with cross-faction guilds added later. Pick the races, cities and story you like, or the faction your friends play.

## FAQ

**Can you switch from Alliance to Horde?**
Yes, through Blizzard's paid Faction Change service, which converts your character and most of its progress to the other faction.

**What is the main Alliance city?**
Stormwind City. The main Horde city is Orgrimmar.

**What were the four factions in Shadowlands?**
The four covenants: Kyrian (Bastion), Necrolords (Maldraxxus), Night Fae (Ardenweald) and Venthyr (Revendreth). They were expansion systems, not replacements for Alliance and Horde.

**Why do people play Horde?**
Usually for the races, the rougher aesthetic and the faction's story. Popularity shifts between expansions and servers.

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https://gamevoyages.com/what-are-the-major-factions-in-wow/ · Game Voyage · Checked 2026-10-30