WoW Forever isn't launching with EU-to-US cross-region grouping. Playing together in the beta doesn't mean your European and American characters can join the same party at launch.
That doesn't mean someone living in Europe is restricted to playing in Europe. The distinction is between your WoW account's region and where you live.
Can I play on the US region from Europe?
A player asked Blizzard this directly before buying: they lived in France, their friend lived in New Caledonia, and they wanted to play Forever together in the US region.
In the September support reply, Yryadorne said they could play in the US region. Playing only there requires one WoW account and one subscription. Playing in both the European and US regions requires two regional WoW accounts with two subscriptions.
The reply also clears up a smaller misunderstanding: US east and west aren't separate account regions that stop those friends playing together. This is about regional WoW accounts, not a requirement to create two separate Battle.net identities.
Why could EU and US players meet in the beta?
In an October written interview, Clay Stone explained that the beta brought players from different regions into the same environment. He said launch would retain the existing regional structure, without full cross-region play. The GNN interview published on 9 October contains his answer; Para-Daily's 8 October account of the same interview reports the same distinction.
A successful beta party isn't evidence that those regional accounts will be compatible after launch. Agree on a regional home for your shared characters before making that plan.
What about Australia and New Zealand?
Stone separately described Australia and New Zealand using local data centres while remaining connected to North America. Those players can play with North American friends. That arrangement doesn't extend the same promise to EU and US accounts.
The Oceanic server guide explains the difference between a region label and physical hosting. Neither that explanation nor this interview promises a particular ping for your group.
Check this with your friends before committing
The sources above don't establish a way to transfer a purchase, subscription time or character between regions, or promise a refund. They also don't give a date for future cross-region play.
- Compare the WoW account regions you intend to use, not just the countries you live in.
- If everyone will play in the same region, agree on faction and ruleset too. Blizzard's grouping rules still require both to match.
- If your plans span EU and US, don't assume one regional character can move between the groups. The support answer describes separate regional accounts and subscriptions.
- If you've already bought something for a different region, check that specific purchase with Blizzard Support before spending again.
Once the regional choice is settled, use the friends' planning checklist to agree on a shared evening and levelling pace. Being able to form a party won't help much if everyone's free at different times.