WoW Forever raids on December 9: Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia

Summary of what is confirmed

All three raids open on 9 December 2026 for level 60 characters and are planned to reset every week. Hyjal Summit is a 20-player raid with 13 bosses at the summit of Mount Hyjal, near the World Tree Nordrassil, and begins with a fight against an ancient guardian. Barrow Deeps is a 10-player challenge with eight bosses inside Mount Hyjal, with entrances connected through Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold.

The third raid is Onyxia's Lair, for 40 players, in Dustwallow Marsh. Hyjal Summit and Barrow Deeps bring new tier sets and a legendary reward that Blizzard has not revealed in full yet. The unlock hour on the day has not been announced.

Onyxia's Lair: how to enter and prepare

To enter Onyxia you need the Drakefire Amulet in your bags, which does not need to be equipped. Alliance players earn it with the quest Dragonkin Menace from Helendis Riverhorn, and Horde players with Blood and Thunder from Warlord Goretooth, both ending in Upper Blackrock Spire.

The fight has three phases of fire damage, so Blizzard recommends building fire resistance before you go in. Start the attunement quest chain now, so you are ready on December 9.

Hyjal Summit and Barrow Deeps: what we know and what we do not

Boss names, loot tables, the exact reset time and any entry requirement for Hyjal Summit and Barrow Deeps have not been announced. Players who tested say nothing stopped them from entering, but that is not confirmed by Blizzard.

Some details reported from beta files, which may change: 18 tier sets (one per spec group) with raid pieces at item level 65 and crafted versions at level 61 made from Malleable Essence of Nature, obtained by disenchanting items from these two raids. The set names and bonuses are not confirmed, so we will not list them until Blizzard does.

How to prepare your character

Reach level 60 and get your class gear from dungeons: see our dungeon guide for what drops where, and do the class weapon quests if you have not. Get your epic mount with the mounts guide, and save gold for repairs and consumables with the gold guide.

The raid buffs also change in Forever: reports mention eight raid-wide buffs, such as Battle Shout, Trueshot Aura, Leader of the Pack and Moonkin Aura. Leader of the Pack only gives crit to melee and ranged, and Moonkin Aura only to spells. For roles, the community suggests around two tanks, two or three healers and five or six damage dealers for the 10-player raid, and more healers for the 20-player one. These are suggestions, not rules.

We will update this guide as Blizzard announces the bosses and loot, and when the raids open.