WoW Forever's three launch raids open on December 9, 2026, five weeks after the November 4 launch: the Barrow Deeps (10 players), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia's Lair (40). Here is what Blizzard and the interviews have confirmed, with the source next to each fact, and what is still unknown, which is quite a lot: there are no named bosses or loot for the two new raids.
In short
| Raid | Players | Opens | What we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow Deeps | 10 | December 9, 2026 | New. 3 entrances, one in Mount Hyjal. 8 bosses (from Legacy) |
| Hyjal Summit | 20 | December 9, 2026 | New. "By far our largest raid in WoW Forever". 13 bosses (from Legacy) |
| Onyxia's Lair | 40 | December 9, 2026 | Returning Classic raid. One boss: Onyxia |
The date comes from the official BlizzCon roadmap (the "Raids unlock" phase, see the roadmap). Blizzard has not said what time they open, and we are not inventing it.
What we know about each raid
Barrow Deeps (10 players)
- A new 10-player raid that Blizzard presented as the first of the game's raids, per the What's Next panel recap.
- Three entrances around the world, one of them in Mount Hyjal; it can also be reached via Blackmaw Hold. That is what the panel showed and the press reported.
- 8 bosses: the number comes from the Legacy challenge "defeat all 8 bosses of the Barrow Deeps" in Blizzard's Legacy article.
- Rewards: Blizzard showed new tier sets and a legendary reward, without showing anything specific.
- The press says it would be Illidan Stormrage's former prison. That is the press's identification, not a Blizzard statement.
Hyjal Summit (20 players)
- The largest of the two new raids: the press quoted it as "by far our largest raid in WoW Forever". It is still 20 players, not 40.
- 13 bosses: again from the Legacy challenge "defeat all 13 bosses of Hyjal Summit".
- It is set in Mount Hyjal, where the battle against Archimonde took place. It is not The Burning Crusade's Caverns of Time raid, despite sharing a name.
- After the raid, the panel showed a "New Raids: Legendary Quest" slide with no further detail. A legendary quest existing is the only thing confirmed; what it grants and how you get it is unknown.
- The official video "What Is World of Warcraft: Forever?" closes the levelling journey in Mount Hyjal with both factions, according to Wowhead's summary.
Onyxia's Lair (40 players)
- The Classic raid returns for 40 players and opens the same day as the two new ones. It is in Dustwallow Marsh.
- It is the only 40-player raid on the announced schedule. Blizzard says the original "iconic" raids have not opened yet in this era.
- Its Legacy challenge is to defeat Onyxia.
- Blizzard has not said whether mechanics or loot change from Classic.
What we do NOT know
- The bosses of the Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit are not in the beta client. Client 1.60.1.70205 only includes the map of Onyxia's Lair; for the two new raids there are no encounters, spells or loot we can read. That is why we give no boss names: only the counts (8 and 13) Blizzard published in the Legacy article.
- What loot drops, what the tier sets look like and what the legendary quest is.
- What time they open on December 9.
- Whether Onyxia's Lair gets changes from Classic.
When Blizzard or the client shows something, we will mark it on each raid's page.
General raid rules
- No attunements. Launch raids will have no attunement chains to enter, per the But Why Tho? interview as reported by Wowhead.
- No stacking world buffs. Ion Hazzikostas told Windows Central that Forever removes world-buff stacking for raids, as reported by Wowhead.
- One 10-player and one 20-player raid in every phase. The developers said so in the September 17 Q&A; we covered it in our Q&A article. The 10-player raids will have many bosses, and they want it to be easy to move from a dungeon group to a 10-player raid guild.
- No flexible raid and no multiple difficulties, in raids or dungeons: one content, one difficulty.
- GDKP is banned. Blizzard was clear: it displaces the guild, raises the barrier to entry and launders gold, and it will watch the economy.
- Rulesets. Forever has no realms; you pick Normal, PvP or RP when you create a character (Hardcore comes later). To understand the impact, read realmless. What Blizzard has not said is how raid groups form across rulesets: we do not assume it.
What to prepare before December 9
Everything below is general preparation, not a raid recipe (there is no data for the two new raids):
- Reach 60 with your gear sorted. Check the gear list for your class and role and the planner "What do I do at my level?". The beta now goes up to 30; 60 arrives at launch.
- Prepare your professions. The profession pages show which recipes and camp items exist; the shopping list calculates materials from where you are to your goal.
- Settle on your build in the talent calculator: level 60 talents are the ones that count in raids.
- Gather your group. If you head into a 10 or 20-player raid, the group planner shows which classes cover tank, healing, dispel or control at each level.
- Think about the guild. With GDKP banned and no flexible raid, a raid is organised around the guild.
Legacy and raids
The Legacy system has three raid challenges, one per raid: defeat Onyxia, all 13 bosses of Hyjal Summit and all 8 of the Barrow Deeps. Each challenge gives one account Legacy point. With raids opening on December 9, those three points cannot be earned before then: they are among the last of the 29 a single character can collect. To plan your spend, use the Legacy calculator and the Legacy points guide.
What comes in 2027
The official roadmap announces a big spring 2027 update with 2 new raids (10 and 20 players) and a summer update with more content. That fits what was said in the Q&A: one 10 and one 20 per phase. For now there are no names or exact dates. Follow it on the roadmap.
Frequently asked questions
When do the WoW Forever raids open?
On December 9, 2026, per the official roadmap: five weeks after the November 4 launch. Blizzard has not given a time.
Which raids are in WoW Forever at launch?
Three: the Barrow Deeps (10 players), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia's Lair (40). The first two are new; the third is the Classic one.
Do you need an attunement to enter the Forever raids?
Not for the launch raids: Blizzard said in a But Why Tho? interview that there will be no attunements for them.
Do we know who the bosses of the new raids are?
No. Blizzard has only given the count (8 bosses in the Barrow Deeps and 13 in Hyjal Summit, from the Legacy challenges). Names and loot have not been published and are not in the beta client either.
