WoW: Forever Raids Open December 9: Sizes and Entry Checks

WoW: Forever’s launch gives raiders a new levelling journey and a clear preparation target. Blizzard’s launch article now confirms the game is live, while its raid overview schedules three level-60 raids for December 9, 2026. Use the gap to choose a realistic group size and finish entry work, rather than treating the game’s launch as the first raid night.

Checked on November 5, 2026. This report concerns World of Warcraft: Forever, the permanent experience alongside modern and Classic WoW. The raid and item names below follow Blizzard’s English source.

Cover: Hyjal Summit in Blizzard’s official raid preview. Game screenshots © Blizzard Entertainment.

Match your first target to the listed group size

Blizzard lists these level-60 formats in the current raid overview:

• The Barrow Deeps — 10 players. An underground prison reached through connections with Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold.
• Hyjal Summit — 20 players. The raid occupies the summit near Nordrassil and offers branching routes.
• Onyxia’s Lair — 40 players. The Dustwallow Marsh raid also has a personal entry requirement for every member.

Format diagram: the heading gives the announced date and level 60; the circles show the listed player counts. Onyxia’s row adds the individual Drakefire Amulet check. These are three raid formats, not an instruction to clear them in that order.

Open full-size diagram

Start with the format you can support consistently. In an illustrative ten-player plan, eight people expecting to reach level 60 and two still undecided are eight likely-ready players plus two open questions. Resolve those questions before promising a full opening-night group. The announcement’s player counts do not prescribe your tank/healer split; settle those jobs against the actual encounters as reliable information becomes available.

The Barrow Deeps: an underground environment shown in Blizzard’s official Forever raid preview. © Blizzard Entertainment.

For Onyxia, track access per character

Blizzard’s attunement instructions require each raid member to carry the Drakefire Amulet in their inventory. It does not need to be equipped. The reward comes from a faction-specific quest chain with elite steps and high-level dungeon visits, so reserve time to finish it with friends.

Keep three states distinct on your preparation sheet: quest chain in progress → amulet obtained → amulet in the bag for the run. Helping another player complete a step is not proof your own character has received the reward. Before travelling, ask each participant to check their own inventory.

Onyxia’s Lair in Blizzard’s official Forever preview. Check the amulet before the group travels to Dustwallow Marsh. © Blizzard Entertainment.

The overview also recommends fire-resistance preparation for Onyxia. It provides no numerical minimum, so verify the Forever-specific encounter requirements before finalising a gear plan.

Turn the announcement into three preparation checks

1. Choose the first raid. Confirm the intended 10-, 20- or 40-player format and who expects to reach level 60 in time. Treat undecided players as questions to resolve.
2. Schedule the unfinished work. For an Onyxia group, collect each character’s current quest step and arrange the required dungeon trips. Keep the official faction-specific sequence open while doing the chain.
3. Check entry before departure. Confirm the actual attendees and their amulets, then check the current opening information for your region before committing to an exact start time.

Keep the date firm in your notes, the clock provisional

The cited raid overview gives December 9 and says weekly resets are currently planned. It does not specify a regional unlock hour or the exact weekly reset clock. Record the announced date with your region, then confirm the timing when Blizzard provides it. That preserves a useful preparation deadline without presenting an unannounced hour as settled.

For a group continuing Midnight, use the separate raid-night preparation checklist for that game’s planning. Keep Forever’s opening and entry requirements attached to the Forever characters who will actually run them.