Raids Open Dec 9: WoW Forever Leveling Has a Deadline
Blizzard's launch post for WoW Forever (October 29) says the game "makes the journey as meaningful as the destination". The same post opens the first three raids, Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia's Lair, to level 60 players on December 9: five weeks after the November 4 launch. On the US forums, the thread "Dec. 9th Raid release is WAY too soon" passed 200 posts; one player worked out that 150 hours to level 60 means four hours a day, every day, until December 9, and another answered that no one is required to raid on December 9th. Blizzard has not posted how long 1 to 60 took in its own testing. One request: post it.
Read flat
On December 9, level 60 players can put their preparation, teamwork, and mastery of their classes to the test in three raids
Sources
Every claim in the transcript below points at one of these. The quote is the source's own words.
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Blizzard Entertainment (worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com) · Blizzard Entertainment · 2026-10-29
makes the journey as meaningful as the destination
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Blizzard Entertainment (worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com) · Blizzard Entertainment · 2026-10-29
On December 9, level 60 players can put their preparation, teamwork, and mastery of their classes to the test in three raids
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Blizzard forums · forum player (Matador-3257938) · 2026-11-02
Give us a little bit more leveling breathing room.
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Blizzard forums · forum player (Oldschool-2531754) · 2026-11-04
No one is required to raid on December 9th.
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Blizzard forums · forum player (Evade-3235387) · 2026-11-04
If it takes 150 hours to hit level 60, it means we’ll all have to play 4 hours a day every day from now till dec 9 just to be 60 in time for the first raid.
Clips and footage
Shown under criticism and commentary, credited on screen and here. They belong to their creators.
- Dippko: “Wow Forever Beta – Night Elf Hunter Starts The Journey No Commentary ASMR” (YouTube, 2026-09-25)
Transcript
Obituaries — the date
Five weeks to the first raids, and I'll still be lost in Silverpine. "On December 9, level 60 players can put their preparation, teamwork, and mastery of their classes to the test in three raids"2. And that's in a month.
Obituaries — the journey
Same post says Forever "makes the journey as meaningful as the destination"1, then it dated the destination.
Obituaries — the thread
A US thread, Dec ninth way too soon, passed two hundred posts3. One player worked out a hundred and fifty hours to sixty is four hours a day, every day, till the ninth5. Another says nobody's forced to raid then4. It's true. Tell my guild leader's spreadsheet.
Obituaries — cause of death
Post how long sixty took your testers, you lot. Cause of death: a journey with a deadline.
I'll be here. Forever.