Phase 1 Raid Unlock Roadmap: Barrow Deeps 10-Man, Hyjal Summit & Onyxia Scheduled for Dec 9
Blizzard has officially locked in the Phase 1 raid release calendar for World of Warcraft: Forever. Guilds have five weeks from the November 4 global launch to hit level 60 and gather pre-raid BiS before Barrow Deeps (10-man), Hyjal Summit (20-man), and Onyxia's Lair (40-man) open their gates on December 9, 2026.
In a dedicated endgame roadmap announcement, Blizzard confirmed that the first raid lockout for WoW Forever will unlock on Wednesday, December 9, 2026—establishing a five-week leveling and dungeon gearing grace period following the November 4 global launch.
Phase 1 Raid Roster: 10, 20, and 40-Player Progression
Rather than dropping players directly into Molten Core on day one, WoW Forever adopts a tiered horizontal raid structure designed to accommodate diverse guild sizes and prevent burnout during the initial leveling rush.
The 3 Unlocked Raids on December 9, 2026
- ▸Barrow Deeps (10-Player): An underground druidic delve beneath Mount Hyjal bridging the gap between 5-man dungeon loot and 20-man raids. Features 6 boss encounters, heavy nature resistance checks, and Tier 0.5 dungeon set upgrade materials. Lockout resets every 3 days.
- ▸Hyjal Summit (20-Player): Scaled specifically for 20 players without complex attunement requirements. Pitches adventurers against Archimonde's vanguard forces, infernal juggernauts, and dreadlords across an open-sky battleground. Lockout resets every 3 days.
- ▸Onyxia's Lair (40-Player): The iconic 40-player broodmother encounter in Dustwallow Marsh. Requires full completion of the classic Drakefire Amulet (Horde) or Seal of Wrynn / Jailbreak (Alliance) attunement chains. Lockout resets every 5 days.
5-Week Gearing & Leveling Window
With five full weeks between launch (November 4) and raid unlocking (December 9), players have ample breathing room to progress through contested zones, pitch wilderness campsites, level primary professions to 300, and farm pre-raid BiS gear from Scholomance, Stratholme, and Lower Blackrock Spire.
Raid Rules & Attunement Specifications
No attunement quest required. Characters must be level 60 to zone in through the Moonglade roots passage.
Requires Revered standing with the Timbermaw Hold or completion of the 'Echoes of Nordrassil' world questline in Winterspring.
Classic attunements preserved: Marshal Windsor rescue for Alliance and Rexxar/Emberstrife blood collection for Horde.
Molten Core and Blackwing Lair remain sealed until Phase 2 (scheduled for late January 2027), ensuring Phase 1 loot maintains maximum long-term value.
Review our complete walkthrough of every dungeon key and raid questline in the ForeverWiki Raid Attunements & Keys Codex.
Related Guides & Databases
Explore corresponding leveling routes, classes, and dungeon codexes
raidsRaid Attunements & Dungeon Keys Codex
Step-by-step attunement walkthroughs for Onyxia's Lair (Marshal Windsor & Rexxar questlines), Molten Core (Core Fragment), Blackwing Lair, and all dungeon keys including Shadowforge Key and Skeleton Key.
zonesMount Hyjal
The majestic, ancient mountain peak crowned by Nordrassil the World Tree. Unlocked in WoW Forever as a premier level 55–60 open-world endgame zone, featuring elite demon incursions, Timbermaw alliances, world bosses, and raid portals to Hyjal Summit and the Barrow Deeps.
raidsThe Hall of Thanes
Located directly beneath Ironforge in Old Ironforge (accessed down the hallway to the left of King Magni Bronzebeard's royal throne), serving as the Alliance Level 13–18 starter dungeon against infesting Trogg diggers, Dark Iron spies, and Warlord Durgen Dirgehammer.
zones1–60 Complete Leveling & Zone Route Guide
The definitive 1–60 leveling route for WoW Forever Build 1.60.1. Streamlined zone routing for Alliance and Horde, Zephras Isle and Skyborne pathing, avoiding the mid-30s quest draught, and utilizing mobile campfires for constant 200% Rested XP.