Zones are, by and large, the major areas that make up the two major continents of Azeroth: the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Zones are further subdivided into smaller areas, referred to as subzones. Each zone has a level range for quests and mobs.
Some zones are considered either strictly Alliance or Horde, meaning not only is there nothing for the opposite faction to do there, but they will also be flagged for player-versus-player combat. These are typically the starter zones that players begin in, as well as secondary zones. Players that are of the appropriate faction for that zone are considered safe from player-versus-player actions, unless they choose to flag themselves.
Other zones are considered contested. This means that options exist for both factions in terms of quests and activities. On player-versus-player servers, however, all players are automatically flagged within these zones. Though contested, some zones do lean more toward favoring one faction over the other, and this is noted in the table below.
Zones[]
Eastern Kingdoms[]
| Name | Level range | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elwynn Forest | 1-10 | Alliance | Human Starting |
| Dun Morogh | 1-10 | Alliance | Dwarf/Gnome Starting |
| Tirisfal Glades | 1-10 | Horde | Undead Starting |
| Loch Modan | 10-20 | Alliance | Dwarf Favored |
| Silverpine Forest | 10-20 | Horde | Undead Favored |
| Westfall | 10-20 | Alliance | Human Favored |
| Redridge Mountains | 15-25 | Contested | Alliance Favored |
| Duskwood | 18-30 | Contested | Alliance Favored |
| Hillsbrad Foothills | 20-30 | Contested | |
| Wetlands | 20-30 | Contested | Alliance Favored |
| Alterac Mountains | 30-40 | Contested | |
| Arathi Highlands | 30-40 | Contested | |
| Stranglethorn Vale | 30-45 | Contested | |
| Badlands | 35-45 | Contested | |
| Swamp of Sorrows | 35-45 | Contested | |
| The Hinterlands | 45-50 | Contested | |
| Searing Gorge | 43-50 | Contested | |
| Blasted Lands | 45-55 | Contested | |
| Burning Steppes | 50-58 | Contested | |
| Western Plaguelands | 51-58 | Contested | |
| Eastern Plaguelands | 53-60 | Contested | |
| Deadwind Pass | 55-60 | Contested |
Kalimdor[]
| Name | Level range | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durotar | 1-10 | Horde | Orc/Troll Starting |
| Mulgore | 1-10 | Horde | Tauren Starting |
| Teldrassil | 1-10 | Alliance | Night Elf Starting |
| Darkshore | 10-20 | Alliance | Night Elf Favored |
| The Barrens | 10-25 | Horde | Horde Favored |
| Stonetalon Mountains | 15-27 | Contested | Horde Favored |
| Ashenvale | 18-30 | Contested | Alliance Favored |
| Thousand Needles | 25-35 | Contested | Horde Favored |
| Desolace | 30-40 | Contested | Horde Favored |
| Dustwallow Marsh | 35-45 | Contested | |
| Feralas | 40-50 | Contested | |
| Tanaris | 40-50 | Contested | |
| Azshara | 45-55 | Contested | |
| Felwood | 48-55 | Contested | |
| Un'Goro Crater | 48-55 | Contested | |
| Silithus | 55-60 | Contested | |
| Winterspring | 53-60 | Contested |