Forever roadmap: new raids unlock Dec 9, Hardcore comes after launch

At its World of Warcraft: Forever What's Next panel on Sept 12, 2026, Blizzard laid out what follows launch. Forever goes live on Nov 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST, and new raids unlock on Dec 9, about five weeks later.

Forever's two announced raids are Barrow Deeps, a 10-player max-level raid, and Hyjal Summit, a 20-player raid. Blizzard also teased a legendary reward, with details to come. Its written recap says new raids open on Dec 9 but doesn't name which ones.

After that, the recap lists more raids, dungeons, PvP updates, world content, more quests across the 1–60 journey, Hardcore and "a revamped iconic raid", all without dates. Icy Veins' write-up of the roadmap goes further, placing Onyxia's Lair in the Dec 9 unlock and major updates in spring and summer 2027. We haven't matched those details to an official Blizzard source yet, so treat them as unconfirmed.

Blizzard framed Forever as a long-term game rather than a limited event: "This is not a mode, a season, or a new version of Classic."