Most “RP’ers” are actually people who play the game mostly for the actual game content and then just do some RP on the side. Subscriber numbers are down. Fewer people with money to pay for subscriptions, longest patch gap in WoW history, and WoW being an almost 20 year old franchise with a relatively older playerbase that isn’t pulling in a bunch of younger people.
That said, there’s still plenty of RP to be had. Especially on the guild front. I’ve started a guild recruitment event every-other-month. We’ve already had a couple and another is due next month.
I’m still going to the same events I was back in Legion/BfA and adding some new ones as my in-game contacts continue to increase. Here’s some of them. Some are here.
https://wraeventscombined.tumblr.com/
https://wowrpevents.tumblr.com/
If you’re not on the WrA Discord, join it and you’ll find a bunch more. If you need an invite, feel free to add me on Discord. Tamani#2391.
There’s an RP-PvP event in the works too.
And stuff like Mulgore Mondays or the Bloodhood Story Circle.
Options are definitely fewer than a decade ago, the population is overall smaller and there’s not as many people all clumped together in one place for walk-up RP, but there’s still plenty of RP to be had. More than any singular person could ever keep up with.