Mount Hyjal at sunset
  1. WoW Forever Guide
  2. Raids

WoW Forever Raids Guide

Checked against official sources ·

Image: Blizzard Entertainment

The first WoW: Forever raids unlock on December 9, 2026, about five weeks after launch, giving players time to reach level 60. Three raids open together, each with a different group size: The Barrow Deeps for 10 players, Hyjal Summit for 20 and Onyxia’s Lair for 40. All of them are planned to reset weekly.

The three raids

Raid Players Bosses Location New?
The Barrow Deeps 10 8 Under Mount Hyjal; entrances via Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold New
Hyjal Summit 20 13 Summit of Mount Hyjal near Nordrassil New
Onyxia’s Lair 40 – Dustwallow Marsh Returning

All three require level 60. Blizzard’s BlizzCon panel also promised new tier sets and a legendary reward with the Hyjal and Barrow Deeps raids, and a revamped iconic raid later on the roadmap. None of these has a full reveal yet.

The Barrow Deeps (10 players)

A glowing cavern in the Barrow Deeps raid
Image: Blizzard Entertainment

The prison beneath Kalimdor that held Illidan Stormrage for 10,000 years has opened. Raiders go down to find out what happened to those left behind and how the wardens plan to contain what is below. It has eight bosses and three entrances, connected through Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and the Blackmaw Hold dungeon.

Hyjal Summit (20 players)

Ruins on Mount Hyjal
Image: Blizzard Entertainment

At the peak of Mount Hyjal near the World Tree Nordrassil. The raid has 13 bosses and opens with a fight against an ancient guardian. After that, groups choose their own route across the mountain, through ruins above and below ground, before the final encounters.

Onyxia’s Lair (40 players)

The fiery cavern of Onyxia's Lair
Image: Blizzard Entertainment

Onyxia, of the Black Dragonflight and younger sister of Nefarian, returns as a three-phase fight with heavy fire damage. Blizzard recommends building fire resistance before you go. Every raid member must carry the Drakefire Amulet in their bags to enter; it does not need to be equipped.

Onyxia attunement (Drakefire Amulet)

Each player earns the amulet through a faction-specific quest chain with elite quests and several trips into high-level dungeons. Start early and bring friends.

Alliance

  1. In the Burning Steppes, take “Dragonkin Menace” from Helendis Riverhorn.
  2. Complete the six quests named “The True Masters”.
  3. Marshal Maxwell at Morgan’s Vigil sends you into Blackrock Depths for “Marshal Windsor”, then back with “Abandoned Hope”.
  4. Loot A Crumpled Up Note from enemies in Blackrock Depths to start “A Crumpled Up Note”, and bring it to Marshal Windsor in his cell.
  5. “A Shred of Hope”: recover Windsor’s information from Golem Lord Argelmach and General Angerforge in Blackrock Depths.
  6. “Jail Break!”: escort Windsor out and return to Marshal Maxwell.
  7. “Stormwind Rendezvous”: meet Squire Rowe at the Stormwind gates, then complete “The Great Masquerade” with allies.
  8. Highlord Bolvar Fordragon sends you on “The Dragon’s Eye”.
  9. “Drakefire Amulet”: take the Blood of the Black Dragon Champion from General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire and receive the amulet.

Horde

  1. In the Badlands, take “Blood and Thunder” from Warlord Goretooth in Kargath, leading to “Warlord’s Command” in Lower Blackrock Spire.
  2. Report to Eitrigg in Orgrimmar and then to Thrall.
  3. “For the Horde!”: return to Lower Blackrock Spire for Warchief Rend Blackhand’s head.
  4. “What the Wind Carries”, then find Rexxar on the roads of Desolace for “The Champion of the Horde”.
  5. “The Testament of Rexxar”: deliver it to Myranda the Hag in the Western Plaguelands.
  6. “Oculus Illusions”: collect Black Dragonspawn Eyes.
  7. “Emberstrife”: use the Amulet of Draconic Subversion to find the drake Emberstrife in Dustwallow Marsh.
  8. Complete his four “The Test of Skulls” quests: Scryer, Somnus, Chronalis and Axtroz.
  9. “Ascension…”: take the Dull Drakefire Amulet back to Rexxar.
  10. “Blood of the Black Dragon Champion”: kill General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire, return to Rexxar and receive the Drakefire Amulet.

Raid unlock time

Blizzard has announced the date, December 9, 2026, but not the hour. We will add a time-zone converter as soon as an official time is published.

Raids and Legacy Points

Each raid gives one Legacy Point: defeat Onyxia, defeat all 13 Hyjal Summit bosses and defeat all 8 Barrow Deeps bosses.

Raid loot rules

Epic raid drops only grant their appearance to the player the item binds to, which keeps loot decisions with the raid group. This differs from dungeons, where bind-on-pickup greens and blues give the appearance to every eligible looter.

What is not confirmed yet

Sources

Facts on this page come from the sources below: official Blizzard posts unless marked as a secondary source. If Blizzard changes something, we update the page and the date above.