TheWoWDBWoW Forever Raid Prep: What Is Confirmed So Far
Short answer: the first raids are reported for December 9. In the beta client, 15 of the 16 world buff spells we checked say "No effect while in a raid instance", four new flasks only work in the Mount Hyjal raids, and several Classic consumables were renamed or retuned. Attunements are not confirmed either way.
Checked on October 5, 2026 against the beta client build 1.60.1.70205 compared with Classic Era 1.15.9.69722. Facts are labelled Blizzard, Reported or Beta client. Nothing here is final until launch on November 4 and the raid unlock on December 9. [Blizzard, September 17, 2026]
Quick answers
- When do Forever raids open?
- December 9, 2026: Barrow Deeps (10), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia's Lair (40), per the BlizzCon roadmap. [Reported, September 13, 2026]
- Do world buffs work in Forever raids?
- Not officially answered. The beta client tooltips of most Classic world buffs say they have no effect in a raid instance.
- Are there attunements?
- Not confirmed. No Blizzard post mentions them.
- What consumables should I stock?
- Too early to call a list. The client has new Hyjal-only flasks and new level 55 elixirs, and some Classic potions changed. See the tables below.
The first raids: December 9
Reported: Blizzard's BlizzCon roadmap puts the first raid tier on December 9, 2026, five weeks after launch, with three raids: the 10-player Barrow Deeps, the 20-player Hyjal Summit and the 40-player Onyxia's Lair. Two more raids are planned for spring 2027 and a revamped classic raid plus a new raid for summer 2027. [Reported, September 13, 2026] [Reported, September 13, 2026] We have not found the roadmap as a Blizzard news post, so we quote the press.
| Raid | Players | Beta client (achievement criteria) |
|---|---|---|
| Barrow Deeps | 10 | 8 encounters in the client: Chillhowl, Elder Tangleclaw, Khalith the Dreadspinner, Well of Sorrow, Amethrax, Del'lynar Songwood, Ravus and Darlissa, Sonya Darkhallow |
| Hyjal Summit | 20 | 13 encounters in the client: Bandalar, Ancient of Decay, Time-Lost Battalion, Sylvestris Dusksong, Old Gloomlurker, Gharalis the Abyssal, Kathris the Haunted, Anara Chillwind, Elder Minderel, Tracker Stillwind, Council of Thorns, Nythus the Dreambound, The Wild King |
| Onyxia's Lair | 40 | The Classic raid. The client still has its one boss row. |
Beta client: the encounter names come from the raid achievements in the beta client. Neither new raid has a playable map or ability data yet, so boss strategy has to wait for the raids to open. Raid entries are on the Forever raids page.
The stat changes that change raid prep
Blizzard: Blizzard merged spell, melee and ranged hit into one hit stat and did the same for critical strike. Weapon skill gives less per item, +healing also gives one third as much +damage, caster weapons carry spell power, and there is a new stat that reduces your chance to be dodged or parried. [Blizzard, September 13, 2026]
Beta client: the client tooltips already follow this. Rallying Cry of the Dragonslayer and Slip'kik's Savvy now raise crit "of spells and attacks", Warchief's Blessing gives haste "to all spells and attacks", and Brilliant Wizard Oil adds "spell damage and healing". The new Flask of Natural Precision grants the new dodge and parry stat (see below).
Our reading for prep: with one hit and one crit stat, a consumable that used to help only casters or only melee now helps both. Expect more classes to compete for the same buffs, and check every tooltip again at launch instead of carrying over a Classic list.
World buffs: the client says no effect in raids
Blizzard: Blizzard has not posted world buff rules for Forever.
Reported: a player on the official forums relayed, from a BlizzCon stream, that world buffs work in the open world but not in dungeons, raids or battlegrounds. No Blizzard employee confirmed it in that thread. [Reported, September 14, 2026]
Beta client: the beta client backs the raid part. 15 of the 16 Classic world buff spells we checked now carry the line "No effect while in a raid instance" in their tooltip, against 0 in Classic Era. The exception in this build is Spirit of Zandalar. The client text says nothing about dungeons or battlegrounds.
| World buff | Forever beta tooltip | Lasts | "No effect in a raid" | Death flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rallying Cry of the Dragonslayer Onyxia or Nefarian head turned in at Stormwind or Orgrimmar | Increases critical chance of spells and attacks by 10%, increases Attack Power by 140, and increases spell damage and healing by up to 80. Lasts 2 hours. No effect while in a raid instance. Classic Era: Increases critical chance of spells by 10%, melee and ranged by 5% and grants 140 attack power. 120 minute duration. | 2 h | Yes | Yes |
| Warchief's Blessing Rend Blackhand killed in Upper Blackrock Spire (Horde, Orgrimmar) | Increases hitpoints by 300. 15% haste to all spells and attacks. 10 mana regen every 5 seconds. Classic Era: Increases hitpoints by 300. 15% haste to melee attacks. 10 mana regen every 5 seconds. | 1 h | Yes | Yes |
| Might of Stormwind Season of Discovery's Alliance version of Warchief's Blessing | Increases hitpoints by 300. 15% haste to all spells and attacks. 10 mana regen every 5 seconds. Classic Era: Increases hitpoints by 300. 15% haste to melee attacks. 10 mana regen every 5 seconds. | 1 h | Yes | Yes |
| Spirit of Zandalar Heart of Hakkar turned in at Yojamba Isle or Booty Bay | Increases movement speed by 10% and all stats by 15% for 2 hours. | 2 h | No | No |
| Songflower Serenade Songflower in Felwood | Increases chance for a melee, ranged, or spell critical by 5% and all attributes by 15 for 1 hour. | 1 h | Yes | No |
| Fengus' Ferocity Dire Maul North tribute run | Attack power increased by 200 and spell damage and healing increased by up to 230. Classic Era: Attack power increased by 200. | 2 h | Yes | Yes |
| Mol'dar's Moxie Dire Maul North tribute run | Overall Stamina increased by 15%. | 2 h | Yes | Yes |
| Slip'kik's Savvy Dire Maul North tribute run | Chance for a critical hit with all spells and attacks increased by 3%. Lasts 2 hours. No effect while in a raid instance. Classic Era: Chance for a critical hit with a spell increased by 3%. | 2 h | Yes | Yes |
| Sayge's Dark Fortunes (8) Sayge at the Darkmoon Faire | Increases damage by 10%. No effect while in a raid instance. (one of 8 fortunes; the others raise another stat or armor) | 2 h | Yes | No |
"Death flag": the spell carries the client flag that every "This effect persists through death" spell in the beta client also carries (14 of 14 we checked, including the Classic flasks). It is new on Rallying Cry of the Dragonslayer, Warchief's Blessing, Might of Stormwind, Fengus' Ferocity, Mol'dar's Moxie, Slip'kik's Savvy compared with Classic Era. Our reading is that these buffs stay on when you die; that is untested in game.
What it means: if this ships, the Classic routine of collecting world buffs before a raid is gone, and raid prep becomes flasks, elixirs, food and oils. Several buffs gained spell power or caster crit, so the open world versions got stronger while the raid versions went away. Two buffs Classic raiders used, Spirit of Zandalar and Songflower Serenade, kept their Classic numbers.
Attunements: not confirmed
Blizzard: no Blizzard post mentions attunements for Forever raids.
Claims that Forever has "no attunements" appear only on boosting and SEO sites, so we do not repeat them as fact. In original Classic, Onyxia's Lair needed a quest chain for the Drakefire Amulet, and it is in the December 9 tier, so it is the one to watch.
Beta client: attunement rules live in quests on the server, not in the client files, so the beta client cannot answer this. Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit have no client data yet that would show a key or a quest requirement.
Our advice: if you want to raid on December 9, plan as if Onyxia still needs its Classic chain. That costs you nothing if the attunement is gone and saves a week if it is not.
Classic consumables: what changed
Beta client: we checked 61 consumables Classic raiders used. 21 differ from Classic Era in name, level or tooltip. The tooltip numbers are filled in from the client's spell values for both versions, so a difference here is a real change, not a wording edit.
Blizzard: Blizzard's September 24 note says Wizard Oil values were reverted to Classic Era values, which matches the 36 spell power on Brilliant Wizard Oil below. [Blizzard, October 1, 2026]
| Item | Change in the beta client | Alliance beta price | Horde beta price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elixir of the Mongoose Elixir | Now: Increases Agility by 25 and chance to get a critical hit by 2%. Lasts for 30 min. Classic Era: Increases Agility by 25 and chance to get a critical hit by 2% for 1 hour. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Greater Strength Elixir | Renamed from Elixir of Giants. Required level 38 to 48. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Holy Power Elixir | Renamed from Elixir of Greater Firepower. Now: Increases spell Holy damage by up to 40 for 30 min. Classic Era: Increases spell fire damage by up to 40 for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Greater Defense Elixir | Renamed from Elixir of Superior Defense. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Lesser Fortitude Elixir | Renamed from Elixir of Fortitude. | 49s 45c | 69s 65c |
| Mageblood Elixir Elixir | Renamed from Mageblood Potion. | not listed | not listed |
| Major Troll's Blood Elixir Elixir | Renamed from Major Troll's Blood Potion. | not listed | not listed |
| Greater Fire Protection Potion Protection potion | Now: Absorbs 1,950 to 3,250 fire damage. Lasts 2 min. Classic Era: Absorbs 1,950 to 3,250 fire damage. Lasts 1 hour. | not listed | not listed |
| Greater Nature Protection Potion Protection potion | Now: Absorbs 1,950 to 3,250 nature damage. Lasts 2 min. Classic Era: Absorbs 1,950 to 3,250 nature damage. Lasts 1 hour. | not listed | not listed |
| Greater Shadow Protection Potion Protection potion | Now: Absorbs 1,950 to 3,250 shadow damage. Lasts 2 min. Classic Era: Absorbs 1,950 to 3,250 shadow damage. Lasts 1 hour. | not listed | not listed |
| Greater Frost Protection Potion Protection potion | Now: Absorbs 1,950 to 3,250 frost damage. Lasts 2 min. Classic Era: Absorbs 1,950 to 3,250 frost damage. Lasts 1 hour. | not listed | not listed |
| Greater Arcane Protection Potion Protection potion | Now: Absorbs 1,950 to 3,250 arcane damage. Lasts 2 min. Classic Era: Absorbs 1,950 to 3,250 arcane damage. Lasts 1 hour. | not listed | not listed |
| Smoked Desert Dumplings Food | Now: Restores 2,148 health over 30 sec. Must remain seated while eating. If you spend at least 10 sec eating, you will become well fed and gain 20 Strength for 15 min. Additionally, experience gained from kills is increased by 5%. Classic Era: Restores 2,148 health over 30 sec. Must remain seated while eating. If you spend at least 10 seconds eating you will become well fed and gain 20 Strength for 15 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Grilled Squid Food | Now: Restores 2,148 health over 30 sec. Must remain seated while eating. If you spend at least 10 sec eating, you will become well fed and gain 1% Critical Strike chance for 15 min. Additionally, experience gained from kills is increased by 5%. Classic Era: Restores 874.8 health over 27 sec. Must remain seated while eating. If you eat for 10 seconds will also increase your Agility by 10 for 10 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Nightfin Soup Food | Now: Restores 1,392 health over 30 sec. Must remain seated while eating. If you spend at least 10 sec eating, you will become well fed and gain 22 Spell Damage for 15 min. Additionally, experience gained from kills is increased by 5%. Classic Era: Restores 874.8 health over 27 sec. Must remain seated while eating. Also restores 8 Mana every 5 seconds for 10 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Dirge's Kickin' Chimaerok Chops Food | Required level 55 to 45. | not listed | not listed |
| Runn Tum Tuber Surprise Food | Required level 45 to 35. Now: Restores 1,392 health over 30 sec. Must remain seated while eating. If you spend at least 10 sec eating, you will become well fed and gain 15 Intellect for 15 min. Additionally, experience gained from kills is increased by 5%. Classic Era: Restores 1,933.2 health over 27 sec. Must remain seated while eating. Also increases your Intellect by 10 for 10 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Monster Omelet Food | Required level 40 to 35. Now: Restores 1,392 health over 30 sec. Must remain seated while eating. If you spend at least 10 sec eating, you will become well fed and gain 15 Stamina for 15 min. Additionally, experience gained from kills is increased by 5%. Classic Era: Restores 1,392 health over 30 sec. Must remain seated while eating. If you spend at least 10 seconds eating you will become well fed and gain 12 Stamina and Spirit for 15 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Tender Wolf Steak Food | Required level 40 to 35. Now: Restores 1,392 health over 30 sec. Must remain seated while eating. If you spend at least 10 sec eating, you will become well fed and gain 15 Agility for 15 min. Additionally, experience gained from kills is increased by 5%. Classic Era: Restores 1,392 health over 30 sec. Must remain seated while eating. If you spend at least 10 seconds eating you will become well fed and gain 12 Stamina and Spirit for 15 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Brilliant Wizard Oil Weapon oil and stone | Now: While applied to target weapon it increases spell damage and healing by up to 36 and increases Spell Critical chance by 1%. Lasts for 30 minutes. Classic Era: While applied to target weapon it increases spell damage by up to 36 and increases Spell Critical chance by 1%. Lasts for 30 minutes. | not listed | not listed |
| Brilliant Mana Oil Weapon oil and stone | Now: While applied to target weapon it restores 15 mana to the caster every 5 seconds and increases the effect of healing spells by up to 30. Lasts for 30 minutes. Classic Era: While applied to target weapon it restores 12 mana to the caster every 5 seconds and increases the effect of healing spells by up to 25. Lasts for 30 minutes. | not listed | not listed |
The big ones: the five Greater Protection Potions now last 2 minutes instead of an hour, so they become a pull-time cooldown, not a pre-raid buff. Elixir of the Mongoose lasts 30 minutes instead of an hour. The classic stat foods were rebuilt: Grilled Squid now gives crit instead of Agility, Nightfin Soup gives spell damage instead of mana regeneration, and crafted food adds 5% experience from kills. Elixir of Greater Firepower is gone; its item is now Elixir of Holy Power.
Unchanged from Classic Era in this build: Flask of the Titans, Flask of Distilled Wisdom, Flask of Supreme Power, Flask of Chromatic Resistance, Elixir of Greater Agility, Elixir of Brute Force, Greater Arcane Elixir, Arcane Elixir, Elixir of Shadow Power, Elixir of Frost Power, Gift of Arthas, Major Healing Potion, Major Mana Potion, Major Rejuvenation Potion, Mighty Rage Potion, Greater Stoneshield Potion, Free Action Potion, Limited Invulnerability Potion, Restorative Potion, Swiftness Potion, Spirit of Zanza, Juju Power, Juju Might, Winterfall Firewater, R.O.I.D.S., Ground Scorpok Assay, Lung Juice Cocktail, Cerebral Cortex Compound, Gizzard Gum, Rumsey Rum Black Label, Demonic Rune, Dark Rune, Blessed Sunfruit, Blessed Sunfruit Juice, Elemental Sharpening Stone, Dense Sharpening Stone, Goblin Sapper Charge, Dense Dynamite, Thistle Tea, Oil of Immolation.
New flasks made for the Mount Hyjal raids
Beta client: the beta client has 4 new flasks whose bonus only works "in Mount Hyjal, Hyjal Summit, and the Barrow Deeps". Each also gives 60 Stamina everywhere. This is the clearest sign yet of how Blizzard wants the first tier prepared for: zone-locked flasks instead of world buffs.
| Flask | Level | Tooltip |
|---|---|---|
| Flask of Natural Accuracy | 55 | Increases your Stamina by 60. While in Mount Hyjal, Hyjal Summit, and the Barrow Deeps, you also gain 5% Hit Chance. Lasts for 2 hours. You can only have the effect of one flask at a time. This effect persists through death. |
| Flask of Natural Aggression | 55 | Increases your Stamina by 60. While in Mount Hyjal, Hyjal Summit, and the Barrow Deeps, you also gain 4% Critical Strike Chance. Lasts for 2 hours. You can only have the effect of one flask at a time. This effect persists through death. |
| Flask of Natural Precision | 55 | Increases your Stamina by 60. While in Mount Hyjal, Hyjal Summit, and the Barrow Deeps, you also gain 5% reduced chance to be dodged or parried. Lasts for 2 hours. You can only have the effect of one flask at a time. This effect persists through death. |
| Flask of Natural Swiftness | 55 | Increases your Stamina by 60. While in Mount Hyjal, Hyjal Summit, and the Barrow Deeps, you also gain 5% Haste. Lasts for 2 hours. You can only have the effect of one flask at a time. This effect persists through death. |
Our reading: the four bonuses map to the merged stats: hit, crit, haste and the new dodge and parry reduction. Who makes them and what they cost to craft is not in the client yet. Check the Forever professions pages for recipes as they appear.
New elixirs and potions for levels 45 to 60
Beta client: the beta client has 466 consumable items that Classic Era does not (187 item enhancement, 89 other, 71 food and drink, 40 potion, 30 elixir, 25 scroll, 17 consumable, 4 flask, 3 bandage). These are the potions and elixirs at required level 45 and up, the ones that matter for the first raids:
| Item | Level | Tooltip | Alliance beta price | Horde beta price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Frenzy Potion Potion | 45 | Increases Attack Power by 56 for 30 sec. | not listed | not listed |
| Superior Mender's Potion Potion | 45 | Increases Spell Healing by 62 for 30 sec. | not listed | not listed |
| Superior Spellblasting Potion Potion | 45 | Increases Spell Damage by 33 for 30 sec. | not listed | not listed |
| Major Frenzy Potion Potion | 55 | Increases Attack Power by 80 for 30 sec. | not listed | not listed |
| Major Mender's Potion Potion | 55 | Increases Spell Healing by 88 for 30 sec. | not listed | not listed |
| Major Spellblasting Potion Potion | 55 | Increases Spell Damage by 47 for 30 sec. | not listed | not listed |
| Cleric's Elixir Elixir | 45 | Drink to increase healing done by spells and effects by up to 30. Lasts 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Distilled Firewater Elixir | 45 | Increases your melee attack power by 35 and size for 20 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Draught of Predatory Senses Elixir | 45 | Drink to slightly increase your stealth detection. While you are not moving for 3 sec, nearby moving stealthed enemies may reveal a heat trail. Lasts for 30 min. This effect persists through death. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Fortitude Elixir | 45 | Drink to increase your maximum health by 200. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Intellect Elixir | 45 | Drink to increase your Intellect by 10. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Spirit Elixir | 45 | Drink to increase your Spirit by 10. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | 49s |
| Elixir of Strength Elixir | 45 | Drink to increase your Strength by 10. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Cunning Elixir | 55 | Drink to gain 25 Agility and Intellect. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Ferocity Elixir | 55 | Drink to increase your Strength and Agility by 18. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Greater Fortitude Elixir | 55 | Drink to increase your maximum health by 400. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Greater Spirit Elixir | 55 | Drink to increase your Spirit by 18. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Nature Power Elixir | 55 | Drink to increase nature spell damage by up to 40. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Sages Elixir | 55 | Drink to increase your Spirit by 25 and chance to critically hit by 2%. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of Wicked Regeneration Elixir | 55 | Drink to restore 9 health and 10 mana every 5 sec. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of the Grizzly Elixir | 55 | Drink to increase your Strength by 25 and chance to critically hit by 2%. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of the Owl Elixir | 55 | Drink to increase your Intellect by 25 and chance to critically hit by 2%. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of the Phalanx Elixir | 55 | Drink to gain 400 Maximum Health and 500 Armor. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Elixir of the Whale Elixir | 55 | Drink to increase your Spirit by 25 and chance to critically hit by 2%. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Greater Cleric's Elixir Elixir | 55 | Drink to increase healing done by spells and effects by up to 40. Lasts 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
| Greater Mageblood Elixir Elixir | 55 | Drink to regenerate 20 mana every 5 sec. Lasts for 30 min. | not listed | not listed |
Our reading: the new elixirs fill the gaps of the Classic set for healers and hybrids (Cleric's Elixirs for healing, Elixir of Sages and Elixir of the Owl for casters), and the new 30 second potions (Frenzy, Spellblasting, Mender's) work like short cooldowns. Whether they stack with the Classic elixirs is not in the tooltips.
Blizzard: Blizzard says Forever adds "over 600 new recipes", camping objects give 1-hour buffs, and crafted food gives an experience bonus. [Blizzard, September 13, 2026] Beta client: 36 of the new foods carry the "experience gained from kills is increased by 5%" line in this build.
Prices: lowest buyout per item in the newest Forever beta auction house scans from player addons (Alliance on Classic Beta PvE 2, scanned 2026-10-05 01:15 UTC; Horde on Classic Beta PvE 2, scanned 2026-10-05 01:14 UTC). Beta prices are a test market, not a launch forecast; "not listed" means no auction in that scan.
What we will update at launch
Forever launches on November 4, 2026 [Blizzard, September 12, 2026] and the beta ends on October 21. We will re-check these points against the live game and update this guide:
- World buff rules in raids, dungeons and battlegrounds, once Blizzard posts them or the live client shows them.
- Onyxia's Lair attunement.
- Who crafts the Hyjal flasks and what they cost.
- Boss lists and abilities for Barrow Deeps and Hyjal Summit when the raids open on December 9.
- Whether the Greater Protection Potion and Mongoose durations hold.
Sources and method
Blizzard (official)
- Blizzard: WoW Forever deep dive recap (September 13, 2026)
- Blizzard blue post: Beta development notes (updated October 1) (October 1, 2026)
- Blizzard: WoW Forever launches November 4 (September 12, 2026)
- Blizzard: The WoW Forever beta is live (September 17, 2026)
Reported (press, developer interviews, player reports)
- Icy Veins: Warcraft Forever roadmap unveils raid unlocks (September 13, 2026)
- Blizzard Watch: WoW Forever's roadmap (September 13, 2026)
- Blizzard forums player thread: Question, world buffs (September 14, 2026)
Beta client data: spell and item tables (Spell, SpellEffect, SpellMisc, Item, ItemSparse) for tooltips, and raid achievement criteria for encounter names. Read from the World of Warcraft: Forever beta client build 1.60.1.70205 compared with Classic Era 1.15.9.69722, extracted October 5, 2026 from the public client tables. A thing being in the beta client is not a promise that it ships: Blizzard leaves unused and unfinished content in clients.
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