WoW Forever players are raising concerns about the game’s layering system, arguing that constant world changes are making Azeroth feel empty and disconnected. With players disappearing mid-journey and world PvP encounters being cut short, many want Blizzard to rethink how the system works before launch.
Players Are Disappearing From Azeroth!
One of the biggest complaints is how easily players get separated. Crossing a zone boundary, leaving a group or travelling on a zeppelin can move characters onto different layers, causing nearby players to vanish without warning.
In one Reddit thread, a player described arriving at a location where a major PvP battle was taking place on the beta, only to find an empty zone. They had experienced the same problem after seeing players duelling outside a capital city, then moving outside to find nobody there. The main worry is that spontaneous groups and rivalries between factions will become much harder to maintain when characters can disappear in an instant after crossing an invisible boundary.
The concern also extends beyond PVP immersion. Frequent layer changes interrupt quests and separates friends, making it harder for players to build the lasting connections that helped define World of Warcraft in the first place.
In a second Reddit post, players called for Blizzard to address the issue and improve how the system handles movement between areas. A commenter explained how they had met some new friends while travelling on a boat, only for them to disappear the moment they arrived at their destination.
There’s also rising concerns regarding questing and especially hardcore, with players reporting that if an individual leaves your questing group, you may be phased into another shard instantly. This means that if you are in an area with a high mob density (like a cave), then you could be wiped out before you had the chance to escape!
What Do Players Want Changed?
It is understood that layering helps manage high populations (especially on the beta), but many players believe the current system is too disruptive if it carries over to the launch servers. Some want layers to remain more consistent across zones, while others have suggested cooldowns or more control over when characters switch instances.
There have been a lot of mixed reactions to the layering system currently in the beta, but the main sentiment from players is to keep Azeroth feeling like one consistent world, rather than a series of disconnected instances. Luckily, Forever is still in beta, and there’s plenty of time for Blizzard to implement changes based on player feedback before the 4th November launch!