Hyjal Summit Raid in WoW: Forever — The 20-Player Launch Raid

Hyjal Summit is the 20-player raid of World of Warcraft: Forever, located in the new Mount Hyjal endgame zone. Per Blizzard's roadmap it unlocks on December 9, 2026 — about five weeks after Forever launches on November 4 — in the same wave as the 10-player Barrow Deeps and the 40-player Onyxia's Lair. Boss lists and loot tables have not been published yet.

Hyjal Summit at a glance

What Mount Hyjal means in Forever

In the original game, Hyjal was the famous locked zone players wall-jumped into just to look at Nordrassil. Forever opens it for real: Mount Hyjal is one of three new zones shipping at launch, and it is the one built for max-level play. It hosts Hyjal Summit itself plus one of the three entrances to Barrow Deeps, so the mountain works as the raiding hub of the first patch cycle rather than a leveling area.

Everything else about the raid — encounter count, mechanics, gear — remains unannounced as of September 2026. Blizzard has only confirmed the size, the location and the unlock window, so treat any detailed boss guide you see before December as speculation.

Is Hyjal Summit the same as the Battle for Mount Hyjal raid?

No. Battle for Mount Hyjal was a 25-player raid added in The Burning Crusade, played inside the Caverns of Time as a flashback to the Third War. Hyjal Summit is a brand-new 20-player raid built by the Classic team for Forever, set on the actual mountain in the present-day (year one) timeline. The name overlap is the only thing they share.

How does a 20-player raid fit Forever's raid lineup?

Forever launches with a three-tier structure: Barrow Deeps for 10, Hyjal Summit for 20, and Onyxia's Lair for 40. That gives guilds of every size a target from the first raid week. Whether Molten Core, Blackwing Lair or other original raids are available at launch has not been confirmed, so the December 9 trio is the only raid content you can plan around right now. The Spring 2027 update on the roadmap adds another 10-player and another 20-player raid, and Summer 2027 brings a revamped iconic raid plus a new one.

What do I need to be ready for Hyjal Summit?

A level-60 character on a Forever realm, which boosters expect to take two to three weeks of steady play at launch. Since Forever has no level scaling and no flying mounts, gearing means running the new dungeons on foot — the 40–60 bracket includes The Shaper's Terrace and Krol'Dok Stronghold, and Mount Hyjal will have its own world content. Professions are being reworked, so plan consumables once the updated recipes are visible on live servers. There is no separate purchase: Forever comes with your existing subscription or Game Time.

Can I raid Hyjal Summit as a Skyborne?

Yes, as long as you level one to 60 first. Skyborne is the new elven race from Zephras Isle; it is not neutral, so you pick Horde (Windshaper) or Alliance (High Order) at creation. Any Skyborne can be a Warrior, Hunter, Rogue or Druid; Horde Skyborne can also roll Shaman and Alliance Skyborne can roll Mage. Playing the race requires the Skyborne Heroic Pack (€29.99 on the EU Battle.net shop) or a higher edition.

If organizing twenty people for a fresh raid is not how you want to spend December, PewPewShop's vetted human players can help — Hyjal Summit clears from EUR 45, the Barrow Deeps + Hyjal Summit + Onyxia bundle from EUR 95, and a weekly raid subscription from EUR 29, all bookable as pre-orders ahead of the December 9 unlock, with no bots and a long zero-ban record. Coaching and pre-launch leveling help are available too if you would rather learn the mountain yourself.