World of Warcraft: Forever is adding new raid encounters to its reimagined original Azeroth. Blizzard has announced two new raid destinations so far: Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit. Contemporary panel reporting also identifies the returning Classic raid Onyxia’s Lair for the first raid opening. Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit are designed for different group sizes, giving players a smaller maximum-level challenge as well as larger raid encounters in a landmark Warcraft location. This guide summarizes the announced formats and dates, and separates them from the encounter details that are still unknown.
Which raids are announced for WoW Forever?
Barrow Deeps: a maximum-level 10-player challenge
Blizzard describes Barrow Deeps as a planned maximum-level raid for 10 players. That smaller group size gives guilds and friend groups another way to organize for coordinated endgame play. The official overview has not yet provided a boss list, mechanics, loot table, entrance requirements, difficulty settings, or a detailed release date specific to Barrow Deeps. For updates as those facts are confirmed, see our Barrow Deeps guide.
Hyjal Summit: 20-player raid encounters
Hyjal Summit is planned to bring 20-player raid encounters to one of Warcraft’s important locations. The panel recap groups Hyjal Summit and Barrow Deeps as the setting for raid encounters, new tier sets, and a legendary reward that Blizzard says it will reveal in full later. The reward and set details remain forthcoming, so we are not assigning item names, effects, or acquisition requirements before Blizzard does. Visit our Hyjal Summit guide for future updates.
Onyxia’s Lair: returning 40-player raid
Contemporaneous BlizzCon panel coverage reports that Onyxia’s Lair returns as a 40-player raid in the first raid opening, alongside the newly announced Forever raids. The first raid tier is reported to open December 9, 2026; Blizzard has not yet published Forever-specific Onyxia encounter, attunement, or loot details. Read our Onyxia’s Lair guide for the reported format and the Classic details that still need Forever confirmation, and see the BlizzCon panel report.
When do WoW Forever raids unlock?
Blizzard’s current roadmap lists December 9, 2026, as the date when new raids unlock. The game launches November 4, 2026, and beta testing begins September 17. The roadmap also says more raids, dungeons, PvP updates, world content, and quests will follow over time. It does not give a separate schedule for each named raid or publish a full progression calendar, so raid-specific unlock details should be treated as unannounced until confirmed.
That timeline matters for players planning a guild or first raid group. Use the weeks before the first raid milestone to choose a class, learn its basic role, and coordinate with friends. If you are still deciding what character to play, start with our WoW Forever class guide and race and class compatibility guide. Keep expectations flexible while beta feedback and balancing updates arrive.
What is confirmed, and what is not?
Blizzard’s recap announces Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit, a planned 10-player maximum-level challenge for Barrow Deeps, 20-player encounters for Hyjal Summit, the December 9 raid unlock milestone, and new tier sets plus a legendary reward. Separate contemporaneous panel coverage reports Onyxia’s Lair as a returning 40-player raid in the first opening; its Forever-specific encounter and attunement details still need confirmation. These facts help with early planning but do not yet amount to a complete raid guide.
Blizzard has not supplied a complete encounter journal in the current overview. That means recommended item levels, boss abilities, best compositions, damage checks, healing assignments, tank swaps, difficulty modes, loot tables, and exact reward sources are not established here. Older guides for other versions of World of Warcraft may help explain general raid concepts, but they should not be treated as a source for Forever’s encounter mechanics or item balance. We will add those specifics once Blizzard publishes them or testers verify them in the current build.
How to prepare for your first raid group
- Agree on group size: plan for the announced 10-player Barrow Deeps format or the 20-player Hyjal Summit encounters.
- Choose a role you enjoy: communicate whether you expect to tank, heal, or deal damage so the group can coordinate.
- Follow current information: distinguish official details from early speculation, especially while the beta is active.
- Check back before launch: raid requirements and reward information can change as Blizzard shares the full designs.
For launch and testing dates, visit the WoW Forever roadmap and beta access guide. To compare the broader instance lineup, see WoW Forever dungeons. The WoW Forever hub links our main coverage as the game develops.
Raid guide updates
We’ll expand this page as more information is confirmed, including encounter counts, boss names, opening schedules, difficulty options, rewards, and preparation details. Until then, use this directory for Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit, and for the reported return of Onyxia’s Lair. We’ll distinguish Blizzard’s official announcements from panel reporting and from details that still need confirmation, rather than presenting rumors or facts from another game version as established Forever facts.
