Blizzard Entertainment has finally pulled back the curtain on the endgame raids for World of Warcraft: Forever. In a new overview posted on the official World of Warcraft website yesterday (October 20th), the studio confirmed the three raids that will be available once players hit level 60, along with their sizes, locations, and the attunement needed for one of them.
All three raids, Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit, and Onyxia's Lair, will unlock on December 9th. That gives players roughly five weeks after the game's November 4th launch to reach the level cap and get their groups ready.
Three Raids, Three Group Sizes
One of the most interesting choices here is that each raid is built for a different group size. According to Blizzard, the lineup breaks down like this:
- Barrow Deeps: A 10-player raid inside Mount Hyjal, with entrances connected through Mount Hyjal, Winterspring, and Blackmaw Hold.
- Hyjal Summit: A 20-player raid at the peak of Mount Hyjal, near the World Tree Nordrassil.
- Onyxia's Lair: A 40-player raid in Dustwallow Marsh.
Blizzard says all three raids are currently planned to reset weekly, so groups will be able to settle into a regular schedule. Having 10, 20, and 40-player options from the start should also make it easier for smaller guilds and friend groups to raid without needing a full 40 people online.
Barrow Deeps Takes Players Into Illidan's Prison
The Barrow Deeps is the raid that will likely get lore fans talking the most. Hidden beneath Kalimdor, it is the prison that held Illidan Stormrage for 10,000 years. Blizzard explains that its passages have now been opened, and players will head into the depths to find out "what became of those left behind" and how the wardens plan to contain the danger below.
The raid features eight bosses for 10-player groups, and its multiple entrances give raiders different ways in. It ties directly into the new Mount Hyjal leveling zone, which Blizzard describes as the climax of the leveling journey in WoW Forever.
Hyjal Summit Lets Raiders Pick Their Path
Hyjal Summit is the biggest raid of the three in terms of encounters, with 13 bosses in total. It opens with a battle against an ancient guardian, and from there, raid groups can choose from multiple paths across the mountain. Blizzard says those routes take players through ruins above and below ground as they push toward the final encounters.
Longtime players will recognize Hyjal Summit as the name of a raid from The Burning Crusade, but this version is a level 60 raid set during the original game's era, so it should play very differently.
Onyxia Returns With Her Classic Attunement
The third raid is a classic. Onyxia, the Black Dragonflight's broodmother and younger sister of Nefarian, returns in her 40-player lair in Dustwallow Marsh with a three-phase encounter. Blizzard warns that her powerful fire attacks can punish unprepared groups, so players should build up fire resistance before going in.
Just like the original, getting into Onyxia's Lair requires every raid member to carry the Drakefire Amulet. Players earn it through a faction-specific attunement questline that sends them through Blackrock Depths, Lower Blackrock Spire, and Upper Blackrock Spire.
Alliance players begin with "Dragonkin Menace" in the Burning Steppes and work through "The True Masters" chain, Marshal Windsor's escape from Blackrock Depths, and "The Great Masquerade" in Stormwind. Horde players start with "Blood and Thunder" in the Badlands, meet Thrall and Rexxar, and complete the "Test of Skulls" quests for the drake Emberstrife. Both chains end with taking the Blood of the Black Dragon Champion from General Drakkisath in Upper Blackrock Spire.
Blizzard recommends starting early and bringing friends for the elite quests. The amulet only needs to be in your inventory, not equipped, to enter.
Would you rather start your WoW Forever raiding with a small group in the Barrow Deeps, or go all in on a full 40-player Onyxia run on day one?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.