How to Change Layers in WoW Forever

Nothing is more annoying in World of Warcraft: Forever than running to a party member and finding an empty field. That is layering at work, and here is how to change layers in WoW Forever so you can get back to your party and keep questing together.

What Is Layering in WoW Forever?

Layering splits each zone into several copies of the world, and you only see players on your own copy. WoW Forever has no realms, so each ruleset is one big shared world split into copies. You can’t pick a layer from a menu.

How to Change Layers in WoW Forever

The only way to land on a specific layer is to group with someone who is already on it. When you join their party, the game shows a zone refresh notice instead of moving you right away, so you can finish what you are doing first. Here is how to do it:

1. Ask the player on the layer you want to invite to your party, and accept the invite.
2. Wait for the Zone Refresh Button to appear next to their party frame.
3. Get out of combat and move somewhere safe, like a road or a town.
4. Click on the Zone Refresh Button to force the layer switch prompt to appear.
5. Select Refresh Now to switch to their layer.

Also, note that you can’t accept the refresh while you are in combat, so finish the fight first. Selecting Okay only hides the notice, and it doesn’t cancel the move, so you can’t refuse a refresh once the game schedules it. What you do get to choose is the moment it happens.

Other Ways Layers Change in WoW Forever

Party invites are not the only thing that can move you. The game can also schedule a refresh on its own, and walking into another zone can do the same, which is usually why friends vanish while you are questing together. Here are the other cases:

• Scheduled refresh: The same notice appears, and you can press Refresh Now once you are somewhere safe instead of waiting for the timer.
• Zone borders: Each zone is layered separately, so crossing into the next zone can put you on a different layer.

If you are the one already standing where you want to be, make yourself the party leader. Blizzard’s beta notes say party leaders should no longer be transferred when a party forms or changes, so the other player is the one who moves.

WoW Forever Layering FAQ

That is everything you need to know about changing layers in WoW Forever. If you and your friends are still planning your characters, our guide on changing factions in WoW Forever explains whether you can switch sides later, so stay tuned to Gamepur!