WoW: Forever raid launch on December 9: raids, access and preparation

On December 9, 2026, WoW: Forever opens three raids at once: the Barrow Deeps for 10 players, Hyjal Summit for 20 and Onyxia's Lair for 40. All three require level 60. Blizzard hasn't given a time of day yet. That leaves a little over a month to hit 60, gear up and find a group.

The three raids at a glance

Raid	Players	Bosses	Location	Access
Barrow Deeps	10	8	beneath Mount Hyjal	level 60
Hyjal Summit	20	13	top of Mount Hyjal	level 60
Onyxia's Lair	40	1	Dustwallow Marsh	level 60 and Drakefire Amulet

Barrow Deeps: A new raid deep beneath Kalimdor that once held Illidan Stormrage prisoner. Its entrances connect to Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold, the new dungeon in Azshara.

Hyjal Summit: The new 20-player raid sits at the peak of Mount Hyjal next to the World Tree, Nordrassil. The first fight is against an ancient guardian, and after that you can pick between several routes across the mountain. You reach Mount Hyjal on foot from Winterspring.

Onyxia's Lair: The familiar 40-player raid with a single three-phase boss. Tactics and setup are in the Onyxia's Lair raid guide.

Boss mechanics for the Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit aren't known before launch. Strategy guides for both follow once they are open.

Access and lockouts

Every player needs the Drakefire Amulet in their bags to enter Onyxia's Lair. The quest chain is long and runs through Blackrock Depths or Blackrock Spire. If you want in on the first night, start now: the Onyxia attunement step by step covers both factions.

Blizzard hasn't announced an attunement for the Barrow Deeps or Hyjal Summit. As things stand, level 60 is enough.

All three raids are planned to reset weekly. Once you kill a boss, you are locked to it until the next reset. Each raid also counts for a Legacy challenge worth one point: Conqueror of the Deeps, Conqueror of the Wilds and Conqueror of the Lair. More in the Legacy guide.

Gear from dungeons

Until the raids open, your best gear comes from level 58 to 60 dungeons. Dungeon boss drops are blue in Forever, and every end boss is worth repeat runs:

• Stratholme and Scholomance for almost every class, plus plenty of quests with good rewards.
• Blackrock Depths with 21 bosses and weapons that last.
• Lower and Upper Blackrock Spire, the upper part as a 10-player run. You go there anyway for Onyxia.
• Dire Maul with three wings you can run separately.

Each dungeon page lists the exact drops per boss. Pick up fire resistance for Onyxia along the way: nearly all of her damage is fire, and Blizzard explicitly recommends it. The Drakefire Amulet already gives 15.

Enhancement shamans should collect strength and attack power, topped up with a little intellect or spell power. Since November 12 their damage hinges on Windfury and their weapon again, so caster pieces are worth far less to them than in launch week. The quest reward Rage of the Storm now has strength instead of intellect as well.

Consumables

Forever adds four flasks for alchemists at skill 300. Each gives 60 Stamina for two hours, persists through death, and adds a bonus while you are on Mount Hyjal, in Hyjal Summit or in the Barrow Deeps:

Flask	Bonus on Hyjal
Flask of Natural Accuracy	5% hit chance
Flask of Natural Aggression	4% critical strike chance
Flask of Natural Precision	5% less chance to be dodged or parried
Flask of Natural Swiftness	5% haste

One flask takes a Death Lotus, 12 Demonsage, 9 Golden Sansam and an Imbued Vial. With the glove enchant Lotus Claw (Enchanting 295) you have a small chance to find Death Lotus whenever you gather herbs on Mount Hyjal. In Onyxia's Lair only the Stamina counts, the bonus doesn't apply there.

The usual list still applies, just plan it earlier than normal:

• Healing potions are made with First Aid in Forever, not Alchemy. Major Healing Potion needs First Aid 275.
• Fire protection potions for Onyxia, especially for tanks and melee.
• Buff food from Cooking and the elixirs for your role.
• Reagents for resurrections, buffs and portals run out faster than you think on a long night.

The gold for all that comes in easier than in launch week: since November 10, most quests from level 48 up pay extra gold. At level 60, Pix Xizzix in Booty Bay also has a weekly quest that has so far asked for three items from the three wings of Dire Maul and pays a random amount of up to 100 gold.

Professions worth levelling now

• Alchemy to 300 for the new flasks.
• Herbalism and Enchanting together: with Lotus Claw on your gloves, every herb you pick on Mount Hyjal has a small chance at Death Lotus.
• First Aid for healing potions and bandages.
• Engineering gives you the Dimensional Transporter - Mt. Hyjal, a teleport to Kaylaena's Workshop on Mount Hyjal. On top of that come Swiftstrike Shot and Swiftfeather Arrow, available once raids open. Since November 10 neither is Bind on Pickup, so engineers can sell them to hunters.

What each profession offers otherwise is in the professions overview.

Building your group

A steady group of ten is enough for the Barrow Deeps. Hyjal Summit needs 20 players, Onyxia 40. By Onyxia at the latest, a guild or a fixed schedule with other groups pays off.

Here's how to set it up:

1. Plan the setup: In the raid setup planner you pick the raid, place classes and specs into groups and see right away which buffs, totems, auras and debuffs you cover and which are missing. You can share the link, and it contains no character names.
2. Create the event: In the raid planner you create a raid event with role slots, a sign-up deadline and a Discord link. Once a role is full, further sign-ups go on the waitlist.
3. Mind the ruleset: Groups across rulesets aren't possible, and there's no in-game calendar. Check region and ruleset when you create the event.

No guild yet? The guild finder lists guilds on your ruleset.

The rankings show which specs are rated strong in raids. The road to level 60 is in the levelling guide.