WoW Forever Raid Release Dates and Roadmap 2026–2027
When WoW Forever's raids open: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia's Lair on December 9, then Hardcore, and the new raids, dungeons and updates on Blizzard's roadmap through summer 2027.
By Marc · Updated October 13, 2026 · Built on the WoW Forever beta: details can still change before launch
WoW Forever doesn’t open its raids on day one. The game launches on November 4, 2026, and the first three raids unlock together on December 9, in three different sizes. After that, Blizzard’s roadmap has Hardcore in winter and two major updates in 2027, each with new raids and dungeons.
The first raids: December 9
Barrow Deeps10 players
A raid that didn’t exist in Classic, and the smallest of the three.
Hyjal Summit20 players
In The Burning Crusade, Hyjal Summit was a Caverns of Time raid; Blizzard hasn’t detailed WoW Forever’s version yet.
Onyxia’s Lair40 players
The Classic raid, at 40 players.
Unlike Classic, WoW Forever starts with a small, a medium and a large raid at once, so a group of friends doesn’t need 40 players to raid. Loot for these raids isn’t in the beta data yet; we add it to the dungeon helper as soon as it’s listed, and leave raid loot out of the leveling lists in the class guides.
The roadmap, date by date
| When | What |
|---|---|
| September 17 – October 22, 2026 | Beta: play up to level 30 |
| October 27, 2026 | Early name reservation and character creation |
| November 4, 2026 | WoW Forever launches |
| December 9, 2026 | Raids unlock: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia’s Lair |
| Winter (no date yet) | WoW Forever Hardcore launches |
| Spring 2027 | Major update: 2 new raids, 2 new dungeons, new quests and area, a legendary questline |
| Summer 2027 | Major update: a revamped iconic raid, a new raid, 2 new dungeons, world content |
The roadmap itself is the picture at the top of this page. Blizzard adds that there’s more news beyond it to come, and that features will change with player feedback. The exact launch time in your time zone is on our release time and countdown page.
Spring and summer 2027
Spring: major update
- 2 new raids, for 10 and 20 players
- 2 new dungeons
- New quests and a new playable area
- A new legendary questline
- A PvP season refresh
Summer: major update
- A revamped iconic raid
- A new raid
- Expanded world content
- 2 new dungeons
- A PvP season refresh
- Profession and Legacy updates
Blizzard hasn’t named the spring and summer raids yet. The “revamped iconic raid” suggests one of Classic’s raids returns in a new form; which one, we’ll add here when it’s announced.
Before the raids: the dungeons
Frequently asked questions
When do raids open in WoW Forever?
On December 9, 2026, about five weeks after launch. Barrow Deeps (10 players), Hyjal Summit (20 players) and Onyxia’s Lair (40 players) unlock together, according to Blizzard’s roadmap.
Is Molten Core in WoW Forever at launch?
It isn’t on the roadmap by name. WoW Forever’s story is set before Molten Core, and the first raids are Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia’s Lair on December 9. The summer 2027 update brings a “revamped iconic raid” that Blizzard hasn’t named yet.
What raid sizes does WoW Forever have?
Three sizes: 10 players (Barrow Deeps), 20 players (Hyjal Summit) and 40 players (Onyxia’s Lair). The spring 2027 update adds two new raids, one for 10 and one for 20 players.
What comes after the raids in WoW Forever?
Hardcore in winter, then a major update in spring 2027 (two new raids, two new dungeons, new quests and a playable area, a new legendary questline, a PvP season refresh) and another in summer 2027 (a revamped iconic raid, a new raid, more world content, two new dungeons, a PvP season refresh, profession and Legacy updates).
More WoW Forever guides
