The Warhammer Online universe is populated by an extensive selection of characters, each belonging to an individual class that occupies a unique role in the game (such as Engineer or Shaman). Competition can take the form of Player vs. Player (PvP) or Player vs. Environment (PvE) activities.

Support for public quests is a new addition to this venerable game's legacy, which dates back decades to the Games Workshop classic Warhammer fantasy game series created over 25 years ago. Free to engage in impromptu Warhammer Online public quests, players gain influence based on their degree of participation. Some of the most spirited play takes place in Realm vs. Realm competition, where organized teams of characters carry out quests as a group against opponents