WoW Forever Raids: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal and Onyxia

Raids open 9 December 2026
Barrow Deeps: 10 players, 8 bosses
Hyjal Summit: 20 players, 13 bosses
Onyxia: 40 players, attunement

World of Warcraft: Forever launches without raids. Five weeks later, on 9 December 2026, three open at once for level-60 players: two new ones on Mount Hyjal and a familiar dragon in Dustwallow Marsh. This guide covers each raid's size, bosses and entrance, the Drakefire Amulet chain that Onyxia's Lair needs for both factions, how to be ready by the opening day and what the roadmap says comes next.

Short answer: on 9 December 2026 Forever opens Barrow Deeps (10 players, 8 bosses, beneath Mount Hyjal), Hyjal Summit (20 players, 13 bosses, at the World Tree) and Onyxia's Lair (40 players, Dustwallow Marsh). Only Onyxia needs an attunement: every raider must carry the Drakefire Amulet, earned through a faction-specific quest chain with elite quests in Blackrock Depths and Blackrock Spire. All three are planned to reset weekly.

Key takeaways

Three raids, three sizes: 10, 20 and 40 players — small guilds get two of them.
Barrow Deeps has 8 bosses, Hyjal Summit 13; Onyxia is one three-phase fight.
Onyxia needs the Drakefire Amulet in your bags (not equipped) — for every raider.
Do the amulet before 9 December: the chains take several trips into level-60 dungeons.
More in 2027: two new raids in spring, a revamped iconic raid and another new one in summer.

The three raids at a glance

Raid	Players	Bosses	Where	To enter
Barrow Deeps	10	8	inside Mount Hyjal — entrances through Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold	no attunement listed
Hyjal Summit	20	13	the summit of Mount Hyjal, near the World Tree Nordrassil	no attunement listed
Onyxia's Lair	40	1 (three phases)	Dustwallow Marsh	the Drakefire Amulet in your bags

All three are for level 60 and unlock on 9 December 2026; Blizzard says the raids are "currently planned to reset each week". Its raid overview doesn't list loot tables or difficulty settings yet. Mount Hyjal itself is a level-60 zone you reach on foot from Winterspring, heading east through Darkwhisper Gorge.

World of Warcraft: Forever raid path to 9 December 2026: reach level 60, gear up in Blackmaw Hold, Shaper's Terrace and the original level-60 dungeons, earn the Drakefire Amulet for Onyxia; then Barrow Deeps with 10 players and 8 bosses, Hyjal Summit with 20 players and 13 bosses, and Onyxia's Lair with 40 players and a three-phase fight; raids planned to reset weekly — **Three raids, one date.** What every raider needs before 9 December — and what each raid asks.Graphic: BoostPirate

Barrow Deeps — 10 players, 8 bosses

The Barrow Deeps lie within Mount Hyjal — the prison that held Illidan Stormrage for ten thousand years. Raiders descend to learn what became of those who were left behind. It has entrances through Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold, the furbolg dungeon in Azshara, so a guild that farms Blackmaw Hold for gear already knows part of the way. At ten players it is the raid a group of friends can fill without a big guild.

Hyjal Summit — 20 players, 13 bosses

Hyjal Summit is at the top of the mountain, near the World Tree Nordrassil. The raid opens with a fight against an ancient guardian, then lets groups choose between several paths — through ruins above and below ground — before the final encounters. Thirteen bosses make it the longest of the three; plan for more than one evening per lockout until the guild has it on farm. Twenty players is a mid-size guild, or two ten-player groups joining up.

Onyxia's Lair — 40 players

Onyxia, the black dragon and Nefarian's younger sister, returns in her lair in Dustwallow Marsh. The fight has three phases and heavy fire damage, so Blizzard recommends building fire resistance before you go. It is the only one of the three that needs a full 40-player raid — and the only one with an attunement.

World of Warcraft key art of the black dragon Onyxia with glowing eyes and spread wings above a Troll mage casting blue magic and a Tauren druid holding a green glowing staff — **Onyxia is back for 40 players.** Bring fire resistance — and make sure all forty raiders have the Drakefire Amulet.Image: Blizzard Entertainment

Onyxia attunement: the Drakefire Amulet

Every raid member needs the Drakefire Amulet to enter. It only has to be in your bags, not worn. The chain is faction-specific and includes elite quests, so Blizzard suggests bringing friends and planning several trips into high-level dungeons. Both chains end in Upper Blackrock Spire with the Blood of the Black Dragon Champion from General Drakkisath.

Alliance

Burning Steppes: "Dragonkin Menace" from Helendis Riverhorn, then six "The True Masters" quests to Marshal Maxwell at Morgan's Vigil.
Blackrock Depths: find Marshal Windsor, bring him "A Crumpled Up Note", get his information back from Golem Lord Argelmach and General Angerforge, and break him out ("Jail Break!").
Stormwind: "Stormwind Rendezvous" and "The Great Masquerade" — then Highlord Bolvar Fordragon sends you on "The Dragon's Eye".
Upper Blackrock Spire: take the Blood of the Black Dragon Champion from General Drakkisath for the amulet.

Horde

Badlands: "Blood and Thunder" from Warlord Goretooth in Kargath, then "Warlord's Command" in Lower Blackrock Spire.
Orgrimmar: Eitrigg and Thrall — "For the Horde!" (Warchief Rend Blackhand's head in Lower Blackrock Spire) and "What the Wind Carries".
Rexxar in Desolace, Myranda the Hag in the Western Plaguelands, then Emberstrife in Dustwallow Marsh and four "The Test of Skulls" quests (Scryer, Somnus, Chronalis, Axtroz).
Upper Blackrock Spire: the Blood of the Black Dragon Champion from General Drakkisath, back to Rexxar for the amulet.

The Alliance chain runs through Blackrock Depths; the Horde chain through Lower Blackrock Spire and back and forth across both continents. Either way you need a group for the dungeon steps — start well before 9 December so it doesn't hold your guild back on opening night.

How to be raid-ready by 9 December

Reach 60 early.
Launch is 4 November; the raids open 35 days later. Our launch guide has the times and a week-one plan.
Gear up in the level-60 dungeons.
Blackmaw Hold (55–60) and Shaper's Terrace (58–60) are new, next to the original level-60 dungeons. Our dungeons guide covers how to get in.
Earn the Drakefire Amulet.
Even if your guild starts with Barrow Deeps, Onyxia needs all forty raiders attuned.
Collect fire resistance for Onyxia.
Blizzard's own advice for the three-phase fight.
Stock consumables and camp buffs.
Food, potions and the camp buffs your raiders' professions provide.
Pick the right raid for your group size.
Ten players: Barrow Deeps. Twenty: Hyjal Summit. Forty: all three.

Legacy points and what comes next

The raids also count for Legacy Challenges: defeating Onyxia, all 13 Hyjal Summit bosses and all 8 Barrow Deeps bosses gives one account-wide Legacy Point each. Molten Core is not part of the launch — Forever's story is set before it. Blizzard's BlizzCon roadmap promises two new raids in spring 2027, and a revamped iconic raid plus another new raid in summer 2027; it hasn't named them.

Help for raid night

A seat in the raid: Forever raid runs (from $96.00 a run) — Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit or Onyxia, pre-orders for 9 December.
The amulet: the Onyxia attunement for your faction, done before the opening.
All of it: the raid-ready bundle — 1–60, the Drakefire Amulet, dungeon runs and riding.
Know the rules: piloted orders share your login, which Blizzard's terms don't allow; on raid runs you can stay on your own character.

Be in the first lockout. Pre-order a Forever raid run for 9 December, or have the Drakefire Amulet (from $96.00 for the chain) done while you level. Paid only after you approve.

Sources

Blizzard — World of Warcraft: Forever Raid Overview — Locations, Raid Sizes, and Attunement (20 Oct: sizes, bosses, locations, weekly reset, both Drakefire Amulet chains) · Forever goes live globally (9 December) · Carve a New Path (set before Molten Core) · Legacy system (raid challenges)
Wowhead blue tracker — the raid overview · Warcraft Wiki — Mount Hyjal, Forever roadmap
Checked 31 October 2026.

Free: WoW Forever Launch Countdown The launch moment in your own time zone, every region's local time, the countdown to the first raids on 9 December and what to pre-order.

All free tools: calculators, percentiles & season countdowns →

FAQ

Common questions

When do raids open in WoW Forever?

On 9 December 2026, five weeks after launch, for level-60 characters. All three are planned to reset weekly.

Do you need an attunement for Onyxia in WoW Forever?

Yes. Every raid member needs the Drakefire Amulet in their bags — it doesn't have to be equipped. The chain is faction-specific, has elite quests and runs through Blackrock Depths and Blackrock Spire.

Do Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit need an attunement?

Blizzard's raid overview lists no attunement for either. Barrow Deeps is a 10-player raid with 8 bosses; Hyjal Summit takes 20 players through 13 bosses.

Is Molten Core in WoW Forever?

Not at launch — Forever is set before Molten Core. The roadmap promises two new raids in spring 2027 and a revamped iconic raid plus a new raid in summer 2027; Blizzard hasn't named them yet.

Ready to climb?

Forever Raid Runs

Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit or Onyxia with your character inside — pre-orders for 9 December.

from $96.00 / runLive price →

Onyxia Attunement

The Drakefire Amulet chain for your faction, done before the raids open.

from $96.00 / attunementLive price →

Fresh 60 → Raid-Ready Bundle

1–60, the amulet, dungeon runs and riding in one order.

from $380.00 / bundleLive price →

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