Quick answer: Blizzard's official WoW Forever roadmap has exactly two fixed days: launch on November 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 UTC) and the first raids on December 9, 2026: Barrow Deeps (10 players), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia's Lair (40). Hardcore comes "sometime after launch", shown in the winter slot with no date. Two major updates follow in spring and summer 2027, each with raids, two new dungeons and a PvP season refresh. Blizzard's own graphic marks content and timing as "subject to change".
Last verified: Nov 3, 2026, 11:15 UTC, against Blizzard's launch post, raid overview and the What's Next panel recap, which carries Blizzard's official roadmap graphic.
World of Warcraft: Forever goes live tomorrow, and the most common question after "what time?" is "what comes after?". This page is our running WoW Forever roadmap. It separates what Blizzard has put a date on from what only has a season, and it will be updated each time Blizzard publishes a new date.
WoW Forever - Raid Carry
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What is on the official WoW Forever roadmap?
Blizzard published the roadmap as a single graphic in its BlizzCon What's Next panel recap on September 12, 2026, titled "2026-2027 Roadmap". It splits the first year into four seasons. Here is everything on it, in order:
| Season | When | What Blizzard listed |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn 2026 | Sept 17 to Oct 22 | Beta, play up to level 30 |
| Autumn 2026 | Oct 27 | Early Name Reservation and character creation |
| Autumn 2026 | Nov 4 | WoW Forever launch |
| Winter 2026-27 | Dec 9 | Raids unlock: Barrow Deeps (10), Hyjal Summit (20), Onyxia's Lair (40) |
| Winter 2026-27 | No date | WoW Forever Hardcore launch |
| Spring 2027 | No date | Major update: 2 new raids (10 and 20 player), 2 new dungeons, new quests and a playable area, new legendary questline, PvP season refresh |
| Summer 2027 | No date | Major update: revamped iconic raid, new raid, expanded world content, 2 new dungeons, PvP season refresh, professions and Legacy updates |
The small print at the bottom of the graphic matters: "More news beyond this roadmap to be shared and features will evolve based on player feedback. Content and timing subject to change."
The same article states the long-term intent in plain words:
"This is not a mode, a season, or a new version of Classic. It is a promise to keep building this world with the community, guided by your feedback, and made to last." — Blizzard, World of Warcraft: Forever What's Next Panel Recap, September 12, 2026
Which WoW Forever dates are confirmed and which are not?
This is the table to bookmark. "Dated" means Blizzard has printed a calendar day. Everything else has only a season or nothing at all.
| Milestone | Status | Date or window | Blizzard source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global launch | Dated | Nov 4, 2026, 3:00 p.m. PST / 23:00 UTC | Launch post 24315820 |
| Launch maintenance | Dated (app notice) | Nov 4, 10:00 a.m. to about 3:00 p.m. PST | Battle.net app notice |
| Invite-A-Friend launch week | Dated | Nov 4 to Nov 11, 2026 | Pre-purchase article 24301508 |
| Raids unlock | Dated | Dec 9, 2026 | Raid overview 24303009 |
| Warcraft Forever Collection on sale | Dated | Through Jan 11, 2027 | Pre-purchase article 24301508 |
| Hardcore ruleset | Not dated | "Sometime after launch", winter slot | Launch post 24315820, roadmap graphic |
| Spring major update | Not dated | Spring 2027 | Roadmap graphic |
| Summer major update | Not dated | Summer 2027 | Roadmap graphic |
| Legendary reward from the first raids | Not dated | "Revealing in full" later | What's Next recap |
| Big class tuning pass | Not dated | After players level past 30 | Dev notes, Nov 2 |
Three numbers frame the next two months. Launch to raid unlock is 35 days (Wednesday November 4 to Wednesday December 9). Invite-A-Friend codes cover the first 7 days. The Warcraft Forever Collection stays on sale for 68 days after launch, until Monday January 11, 2027.
When do WoW Forever raids come out?
December 9, 2026. The raid overview says: "On December 9, level 60 players can put their preparation, teamwork, and mastery of their classes to the test in three raids." All three open on the same day:
- Barrow Deeps, 10 players, 8 bosses, beneath Mount Hyjal, with entrances through Mount Hyjal, Winterspring and Blackmaw Hold.
- Hyjal Summit, 20 players, 13 bosses, near Nordrassil, opening with an ancient guardian and then branching paths.
- Onyxia's Lair, 40 players, the three-phase dragon fight in Dustwallow Marsh. Blizzard tells raiders to build fire resistance first, and every raid member needs the Drakefire Amulet attunement.
Blizzard adds that "all raids currently planned to reset each week", and frames the 35-day gap as deliberate: the unlock is "giving players time after launch to reach level 60 and prepare their groups." Blizzard has not published an unlock hour for December 9. Our raid guide covers sizes and loot, and the Onyxia attunement guide walks both faction chains step by step.
The September recap also teases loot beyond tier sets: Hyjal Summit and the Barrow Deeps "set the stage for raid encounters, new tier sets, and a legendary reward we're looking forward to revealing in full." Blizzard has not said what that legendary is or when it drops. The roadmap separately lists a "new legendary questline" in the spring update; whether those are the same thing is not stated, so treat them as two open items.
When does WoW Forever Hardcore come out?
No date yet. Blizzard's October 29 launch post says: "the Hardcore ruleset will become available sometime after launch." The roadmap graphic shows "WoW Forever Hardcore Launch" in the winter column, after the December 9 raids. That is a season and an order, not a promise of a day.
What is already confirmed about how Hardcore will work, per the ruleset article:
- Hardcore is "a fully enclosed ecosystem". Battlegrounds mix players across rulesets, "with the exception of Hardcore".
- If a Hardcore character dies, "that character can transfer to another ruleset—including PvP". The move is one way.
- Progress, collections and rewards earned in Hardcore can carry outward, but "progress from other rulesets will not flow back into Hardcore".
That last rule is the planning point. A character you level on Normal from November 4 can never become a Hardcore character later. If Hardcore is your end goal, any alt you level now is practice, not progress. The rulesets guide covers the four launch rulesets (Normal, PvP, Roleplaying, Roleplay-PvP).
WoW Forever - Pre-Raid Gearing
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What comes in the WoW Forever spring and summer 2027 updates?
Both are listed as "Major Updates" on the roadmap, with a season and no day. Spring 2027:
- 2 new raids, one for 10 players and one for 20 players
- 2 new dungeons
- New quests and a new playable area
- A new legendary questline
- A PvP season refresh
Summer 2027:
- A revamped iconic raid
- One new raid
- Expanded world content and 2 new dungeons
- A PvP season refresh
- Professions and Legacy updates
Blizzard has not named any spring or summer raid, dungeon or zone. It has not said which "iconic raid" gets revamped either. Forever's story is set after Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and "before Molten Core", per the launch post, but no Blizzard source links the revamp to any specific raid, so any name you see elsewhere is a guess.
Count it up and the first year promises 7 raids on Blizzard's own graphic: 3 in December, 2 in spring, plus a new raid and a revamped one in summer. It also adds 4 dungeons on top of the 9 new five-player dungeons at launch. The "Legacy updates" line connects to the account-wide Legacy system, which Blizzard says will grow with new challenges over time. The PvP refreshes connect to the seasonal Honor and Rank system in our PvP guide.
What has changed since Blizzard published the roadmap?
The graphic is from September 12. Seven weeks of announcements have moved a few details, while the graphic in the recap still shows the September version:
- The beta ran one day past the graphic. The roadmap graphic says the beta ended October 22. Blizzard extended it, and it closed at 10:00 a.m. PDT on Friday October 23. Our beta ending explainer has the full story.
- A fourth launch ruleset. Roleplay-PvP was added on October 22 and opened at name reservation on October 27. The launch post now lists Normal, PvP, Roleplay and Roleplay PvP, with Hardcore later.
- More named zones. The October 29 launch post names Mount Hyjal, Shen'dralas, the Riverglades and Zephras Isle as new destinations, with the word "including". Treat that list as open, not as a final count.
- Launch time settled on PST. Every Blizzard launch article now says 3:00 p.m. PST, and the official countdown targets 23:00 UTC. See the launch time table for your zone.
- Raid details filled in. The October 20 raid overview added the boss counts (8 and 13), the weekly reset and the Onyxia attunement.
- Tuning is frozen until raids, mostly. In the November 2 development notes, Blizzard wrote: "With the exception of bugs and serious outliers, we don't plan on making big tuning changes between now and the opening of the raids next month." A "large tuning pass" is expected once enough players level past 30.
Nothing Blizzard has published since September moves December 9 or puts a day on Hardcore.
What should you do in the 35 days before December 9?
The roadmap turns into a simple plan. The first raid lockout is the first time loot is scarce for everyone, so being level 60 and attuned on day one is the edge.
- Week 1 (Nov 4-11): level and settle. Pick your ruleset and faction together with your group, because groups and raids never cross either line. Friends on Invite-A-Friend codes only have access through November 11.
- Weeks 2-4: reach 60. Class training from 1 to 60 costs 206-207 gold for every class, per the November 2 notes, before mounts and gear. Our leveling explainer and launch checklist cover the route and the first night.
- Weeks 4-5: gear and attune. Run the level 55-60 dungeons (Blackmaw Hold, Shaper's Terrace) and the Onyxia chain through Blackrock Mountain, and stock fire resistance.
- December 9: raid. Barrow Deeps is the smallest group to organise; Onyxia's Lair needs 40 attuned players.
- Before January 11: decide on the Collection. If you want Warcraft III: Reforged with the Forsaken Kingdom campaign bundled in, the $79.99 Warcraft Forever Collection is only sold through that date. The base game stays included with a WoW subscription or Game Time, per our cost guide.
Want to be raid-ready on December 9? timesaver.gg runs WoW Forever services for the first raid tier.
- WoW Forever Raid Carry — Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia's Lair runs once the raids open
- WoW Forever Pre-Raid BiS Gear — dungeon gear for your first lockout
- WoW Forever Power Leveling — reach 60 inside the 35-day window
- All WoW Forever services — gold, dungeons, leveling and more
FAQ
What is the WoW Forever roadmap? It is Blizzard's official 2026-2027 plan for World of Warcraft: Forever: launch on November 4, 2026, three raids on December 9, Hardcore in the winter, then major content updates in spring 2027 and summer 2027. Only the launch and raid dates have a specific day.
When do WoW Forever raids unlock? Barrow Deeps (10 players), Hyjal Summit (20 players) and Onyxia's Lair (40 players) all unlock on December 9, 2026, 35 days after launch. Blizzard has not announced the hour, and all three are planned to reset weekly.
Is Hardcore available at WoW Forever launch? No. Blizzard says the Hardcore ruleset "will become available sometime after launch". The roadmap places it in winter, after the December 9 raids, with no specific date.
Will WoW Forever go to The Burning Crusade? Blizzard has announced no expansion. The roadmap adds raids, dungeons and zones inside the level 60 world, and Blizzard calls Forever "not a mode, a season, or a new version of Classic".
What is in the WoW Forever spring 2027 update? Two new raids (10 and 20 players), two new dungeons, new quests and a playable area, a new legendary questline and a PvP season refresh. Blizzard has not named any of them or given a date.
Can the WoW Forever roadmap change? Yes. Blizzard's graphic says "Content and timing subject to change", and only the November 4 launch and the December 9 raids have firm dates. We update this page whenever Blizzard publishes a new date.
