Somewhere in Azeroth, a guild leader is preparing for World of Warcraft: Forever by doing something that should be familiar to anyone who raided in 2005: counting how many reliable people are actually available on Wednesday evening.
Blizzard has now revealed the full structure of Forever's first three raids, and the contrast is rather wonderful. Two entirely new adventures promise fresh encounters for smaller guilds, while a certain black dragon is apparently determined to preserve every inconvenience that made her famous.
According to Blizzard's official October 20 raid preview, Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia's Lair will all open on December 9, 2026, five weeks after Forever's November 4 launch.
All three are designed for level 60 characters, but their sizes are dramatically different. Barrow Deeps requires 10 players, Hyjal Summit takes 20, and Onyxia's Lair remains a full 40-player encounter.
We previously explored Forever's decision to make both 10-player and 20-player raiding permanent parts of its endgame. Blizzard's latest announcement finally gives us a clearer picture of what those groups will actually be doing.
Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit Are Finally Taking Shape
Barrow Deeps might be the most intriguing of the three, particularly for anyone who remembers the Warcraft III campaign.
Buried beneath Mount Hyjal is the ancient prison where Illidan Stormrage spent ten thousand years contemplating the consequences of his career choices. Forever is opening those forgotten passages, sending groups of 10 adventurers into a sprawling underground complex containing eight bosses.
Even the entrance arrangement is unusual. Players can approach the raid through connections in Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold, potentially turning the journey itself into part of the adventure rather than another routine trip to a summoning stone.
Hyjal Summit, meanwhile, is an altogether larger undertaking. Set around Nordrassil, the World Tree, this 20-player raid contains 13 bosses and begins with a confrontation against an ancient guardian.
After that opening encounter, players can choose between multiple routes across the mountain, exploring ruins both above and below ground. It is an encouraging departure from the familiar corridor of bosses waiting patiently to be defeated in the correct order.
Both raids also fit neatly into Forever's broader ambition to complete the unfinished possibilities of original Azeroth. Mount Hyjal was one of Warcraft's most important locations long before most players could properly explore it. Now Blizzard is building substantial endgame content around its history rather than simply borrowing the scenery.
And because Blizzard is deliberately hiding much of Forever's raid loot and encounter information, the first groups entering these places may actually have a few surprises waiting for them.
Imagine that. A raid boss whose entire existence has not already been explained by seventeen guides and a spreadsheet.
Onyxia Still Wants 40 Players – And Your Drakefire Amulet
Then there is Onyxia.
The black dragon returns to her familiar lair in Dustwallow Marsh, complete with her three-phase encounter, dangerous fire attacks and a requirement that has ruined more than a few carefully organised raid evenings.
Every player must carry a Drakefire Amulet to enter.
That is an important clarification to our earlier report about Forever's introductory raids avoiding mandatory attunements. The two new raids follow that more accessible philosophy, but Blizzard's latest official guide explicitly confirms that Onyxia retains her traditional entry requirement.
Alliance players must work through the Marshal Windsor storyline, including adventures inside Blackrock Depths and Upper Blackrock Spire. Horde players face their own lengthy journey involving Thrall, Rexxar, Emberstrife and several unfortunate dragons whose skulls become essential quest items.
Both paths ultimately reward the Drakefire Amulet, which must be kept in the character's inventory. Fortunately, it does not need to be equipped.
It is an unmistakably old-fashioned requirement, especially alongside Forever's attempts to make group content more approachable.
But there is a distinction between unnecessary bureaucracy and preparation that makes an encounter feel important. Onyxia was never simply another boss waiting inside a convenient instance. Her attunement was an adventure stretching across Azeroth, involving important characters, dangerous dungeons and the gradual discovery of a threat hiding behind the kingdom's politics.
Preserving that journey makes considerably more sense than bringing back forty-player raids merely because forty is a wonderfully inconvenient number.
Three Raid Sizes, One Very Different Endgame
The most interesting aspect of Blizzard's announcement is how deliberately different these opening raids appear to be.
Barrow Deeps offers eight encounters for a compact group. Hyjal Summit gives larger guilds a sprawling, less linear expedition with thirteen bosses. Onyxia remains a classic test of preparation, coordination and the ability to find forty people who have all completed the correct quests.
Blizzard currently plans weekly resets for all three raids, allowing guilds to establish regular schedules once the content opens on December 9.
That structure also connects with Forever's wider progression philosophy. We have already examined the unusual crafted raid equipment discovered in the beta, suggesting Blizzard wants professions and older content to remain relevant as players progress.
There are still unanswered questions about encounter difficulty, final loot tables and how smoothly the new raids will work in practice. Blizzard's preview provides locations, group sizes and broad encounter details, not a complete strategy guide.
That uncertainty is part of the attraction.
Forever launches November 4, giving players five weeks to reach level 60 before the first raids unlock. For some guilds, that will be a comfortable preparation period. For others, it will involve a frantic collection of dungeon runs, profession materials and increasingly optimistic recruitment messages.
And somewhere, inevitably, somebody will arrive at Onyxia's entrance on December 9 without their Drakefire Amulet.
Twenty-two years of progress, and Azeroth still knows exactly how to make a raid leader sigh.
Source: Blizzard Entertainment – World of Warcraft: Forever Raid Overview, October 20, 2026.
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