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World of Warcraft
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WoW Realm Incompatible – How to Fix and What It Means

How to return to the game as soon as possible.
Image of Nebojša Prijić
Nebojša Prijić
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Published: Jan 17, 2023 03:19 pm

World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online game which means sometimes you'll face technical issues. More often than not, those problems are connected to game servers. Sometimes there are too many players, or the server is being updated. So, does Realm Incompatible problem in WoW fall in this category? Here's what this issue means and how to fix it.

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How to fix Incompatible Realms in World of Warcraft

WoW is an MMO game dependent on constant communication between the server and the local computer. If there are some issues between them, your playtime is over. If the Realm Selection menu shows incompatible realms, your game version differs from the server's version. Follow these instructions on how to fix WoW incompatible realms problem.

  1. Exit the World of Warcraft game.
  2. Completely close Battle.net (check the Windows system tray if the platform is still open).
  3. Restart the Battle.net application.
  4. You'll be asked to update WoW.
  5. Launch the game and choose realms freely.

Related: How to fix WOW51900319 error in World of Warcraft

Why can't I install the WoW update? Answered

There are several reasons why the World of Warcraft update might not work. You can try several steps before giving up and waiting for the server to function correctly.

  • If you have trouble updating it, reboot your PC first.
  • Try repairing the WoW from the Battle.net app by clicking on the Gear button next to the Play button and selecting Scan and Repair option, and clicking on the Begin Scan option.
  • In case the problem persists, reinstall the Battle.net desktop app.
  • If you still have problems, check if your antivirus or firewall settings have interfered with the update. If that's the case, close them before updating World of Warcraft again.
  • Contact WoW Technical Support.
  • Reinstall the game, but only if you have no other option.

For more information on World of Warcraft, check out the WoW Dragonflight Engineering leveling guide on Pro Game Guides.

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Author
Image of Nebojša Prijić
Nebojša Prijić
Nebojša Prijić is a Managing Editor at Pro Game Guides with over 25 years of experience in journalism, screenwriting, and copywriting. He previously worked as Editor-in-Chief of Maxim Serbia magazine and the IGN Adria website. Nebojša is an old-school gamer who loves real-time strategies, shooters, and RPGs, but most of all, he plays Roblox and mobile games with his son. He remembers the first Diablo, PC games on a single floppy disk, and playing Mortal Kombat on the keyboard.
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