Is there any new lore that is coming to justify the cross-faction guilds?

[Toho]

Yes yes i know Alliance/Horde players with certain heroes have temporarily united for a raids at least once or twice every expansion.

But a fully fledged cross faction guild functionality is huge departure from that, now its official that guilds and Azeroth "Champions" are now united.
Coming off of BFA this is a huge stretch without the necessary lore building blocks.

Even Blizzard doesn't pretend that everything is squared off and boxes ticked so... whats the story? Why are the faction restrictions being removed storywise? What happened for this monumental change? What diplomatic or threat forced this union?

[Grazrug]

Nothing. We are at an uneasy peace. Night elves and(hopefully) Zandalari are still out for blood. It makes no sense.

[Lodreh]

Long and short... you are a hero recognized for being honorable and just. You are distinguished enough that you are not just looped into whatever political conflict is going on instead you are focused on world ending threats. Go forth unencumbered (with like minded heroes) and make the world safe for all peoples.

[Aucald]

BfA basically ended in a major peace treaty between the Alliance and Horde as well as a restructuring of the Horde government, and during Shadowlands and Dragonflight they've been integrating and getting closer in terms of working together. Cross-faction guilds are basically underlining the fact that the Horde and Alliance are no longer mutually antagonistic and that integrated groups can now come together and work toward mutual advancement.

While some faction contention is still present, the Horde and Alliance are now working together in larger numbers.

[arandomuser]

some things can just exist outside of the lore for gameplay reasons, like league champs on the same team who hate eachother in lore or tracer and reaper on the same team,

[Lochton]

Yes yes i know Alliance/Horde players with certain heroes have temporarily united for a raids at least once or twice every expansion.

But a fully fledged cross faction guild functionality is huge departure from that, now its official that guilds and Azeroth "Champions" are now united.
Coming off of BFA this is a huge stretch without the necessary lore building blocks.

Even Blizzard doesn't pretend that everything is squared off and boxes ticked so... whats the story? Why are the faction restrictions being removed storywise? What happened for this monumental change? What diplomatic or threat forced this union?

Uhm, there's "lore" about since the dawn of other factions than Horde/Alliance?

Multiple factions crossing Horde and Alliance ranks?

Just because Cross-faction guilds are made does not mean factions are gone.

[SinR]

See: The end of BfA.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Guilds don’t exist in the lore the closest there is are lesser factions like the silver hand earthen ring ect and those have always been cross faction.

[Toho]

BfA basically ended in a major peace treaty between the Alliance and Horde as well as a restructuring of the Horde government, and during Shadowlands and Dragonflight they've been integrating and getting closer in terms of working together. Cross-faction guilds are basically underlining the fact that the Horde and Alliance are no longer mutually antagonistic and that integrated groups can now come together and work toward mutual advancement.

While some faction contention is still present, the Horde and Alliance are now working together in larger numbers.

Blizzard has stated that its not a peace treaty but an armistice, a pause in the fighting.
Think of North Korea and South Korea.

While we both factions an individual level indirectly together through raids we have never actually done this together unambiguously. Cross faction guilds are a huge unprecedented development. So there has to be lore reasons to make this union something permanent rather than situational obligation or necessity.

[bloodwulf]

Guilds are not in lore at all. They are the equivalent with smaller organizations that are already mixed faction. It is no different than Ebon Blade or other groups that are comprised of mixed races. Hell you even gain rep with a guild just like those organizations.

[Khaza-R]

Do guilds have any lore behind them whatsoever?

I always assumed it was a gameplay mechanic but something completely ignored in lore. At least I can't remember the game actually ever mentioning guilds or addressing them. But then again, Golden codified hearthstones into lore for no reason, so who knows.

[Thirtyrock]

Blizzard has stated that its not a peace treaty but an armistice, a pause in the fighting.
Think of North Korea and South Korea.

While we both factions an individual level indirectly together through raids we have never actually done this together unambiguously. Cross faction guilds are a huge unprecedented development. So there has to be lore reasons to make this union something permanent rather than situational obligation or necessity.

No, the fact that we have, as characters, fought against the same bad guys together, multiple times, is the lore reason. If our leaders can team up to battle baddies, there's no compelling reason that the players cannot. This wasn't ALWAYS the case, as there have been expansions with the main storyline focused explicitly on the contention between the factions, but that's no longer the case.

As far back as Wrath, at least (I didn't play before Wrath) faction and racial leaders were teaming up. No reason for PCs not to do the same.

[Makabreska]

We have been teaming lore-wise up for raids since Vanilla. Last faction war simply made everyone fed up with conflict and created a stronger truce. We can see it plenty in DF with Expedition members being cross-faction and working together np. And those two Exile Reach commanders children gonna bang guaranteed.

[Lochton]

Do guilds have any lore behind them whatsoever?

I always assumed it was a gameplay mechanic but something completely ignored in lore. At least I can't remember the game actually ever mentioning guilds or addressing them. But then again, Golden codified hearthstones into lore for no reason, so who knows.

Nope. Guilds are just.. "A band of adventurers" and that is as close as to lore we get to guilds. The term guild is even meek when it groups of people portray differently within various guilds.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Golden codified hearthstones into lore for no reason, so who knows.

Actually that was Knaak in the storm rage novel like 8 months before golden.

[Aucald]

Blizzard has stated that its not a peace treaty but an armistice, a pause in the fighting.
Think of North Korea and South Korea.

While we both factions an individual level indirectly together through raids we have never actually done this together unambiguously. Cross faction guilds are a huge unprecedented development. So there has to be lore reasons to make this union something permanent rather than situational obligation or necessity.

It was an armistice at the end of BfA, but given the nature of the current teamwork between the Alliance and Horde in Dragonflight, I'd say that armistice has broadened into a more general peace with actual military joint-operations - well beyond a simple armistice. Cross-faction guilds, in my view, better represent this new spirit of cooperation between Horde and Alliance partisans. Barring a few outliers, the faction conflict is pretty much over.

[Grazrug]

It was an armistice at the end of BfA, but given the nature of the current teamwork between the Alliance and Horde in Dragonflight, I'd say that armistice has broadened into a more general peace with actual military joint-operations - well beyond a simple armistice. Cross-faction guilds, in my view, better represent this new spirit of cooperation between Horde and Alliance partisans. Barring a few outliers, the faction conflict is pretty much over.

The operation on the Dragon isles is purley civilian. Except for the Dracthyr there is no military involved since the factions trust the Dragonflights with this matter.

[Tanaria]

I'll give you the short answer and the long answer.

The short answer: No.

The long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooo

[Aucald]

The operation on the Dragon isles is purley civilian. Except for the Dracthyr there is no military involved since the factions trust the Dragonflights with this matter.

Captain Garrick of the Alliance and Warlord Breka Grimaxe of the Horde beg to disagree, and are present at Wingrest Embassy in the Waking Shores to underscore the current peaceable relations between the Horde and Alliance. Garrick and Grimaxe specifically say: "This expedition is under the protection of both the Horde and Alliance. Our orders are clear: give aid to any members of the expedition, regardless of their other allegiances." This denotes that the Horde and Alliance militaries are providing defense and aid to the Dragonscale Expedition explicitly.

[Raisei]

Yes yes i know Alliance/Horde players with certain heroes have temporarily united for a raids at least once or twice every expansion.

But a fully fledged cross faction guild functionality is huge departure from that, now its official that guilds and Azeroth "Champions" are now united.
Coming off of BFA this is a huge stretch without the necessary lore building blocks.

Even Blizzard doesn't pretend that everything is squared off and boxes ticked so... whats the story? Why are the faction restrictions being removed storywise? What happened for this monumental change? What diplomatic or threat forced this union?

I mean Thalyssra invited a ton of Alliance dignitaries (including the regent of Stormwind) to her wedding. That kinda shows that the conflict is over.

While I personally feel that the Horde still has a lot of work to do to make up for their rampages over the years I guess this is better then having to go through another faction war.

Also, I can finally play a Belf Pala or DH without leaving my guild.