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Quick facts: dungeon XP in Forever right now
- The hotfix: at about 11:05 a.m. PST on November 8, kill XP inside dungeons went up by 50%. Blizzard said the goal was to make going back for more runs feel better.
- What came before it: the launch tuning cut XP from dungeon mobs and raised XP from dungeon quests, so most players ran each dungeon once for the quests and then moved on.
- Quests still matter most: per Wowhead, quests make up the majority of a dungeon's experience, and many of them can be shared.
- Party penalty: it is calculated from each player's own level, as in Classic Era. If one party member is far above the mobs' level, nobody in the group gets XP.
- Official stance: Senior Game Designer Rowan Ryder said dungeons should be worth repeating, but grinding them should not be the optimal way to play.
- No new total: Blizzard has published no figure showing dungeons now beat questing. Be skeptical of anyone quoting exact XP per hour.
| New dungeon | Levels (Blizzard) | Location | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hall of Thanes | 13–18 | Beneath Ironforge | Alliance home dungeon |
| Ruins of Lordaeron | 15–20 | Above the Undercity | Horde needs a prerequisite chain |
| Excavation Site | 24–29 | Wetlands | Stealthed raptors in the grass |
| City of Dalaran | 28–33 | Alterac Mountains | Attunement questline required |
| The Drowned City | 35–40 | Off Stranglethorn Vale | Troll ruin |
| Krol'dok Stronghold | 40–45 | Riverglades | Ogre fortress |
| Alcaz Prison | 48–53 | Dustwallow Marsh | Defias and naga |
| Blackmaw Hold | 55–60 | Azshara | Multiple routes |
| Shaper's Terrace | 58–60 | Un'Goro Crater | Bring power crystals |
All the classic dungeons are in the game as well. Wowhead's "at level" marks for the early ones are Ragefire Chasm and Hall of Thanes at 14, Ruins of Lordaeron at 18, and Wailing Caverns and the Deadmines at 19.
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The hotfix raised kill XP in dungeons by 50% and changed nothing else. Quest XP and the party penalty work as before. Your first run, with every quest in your log, is still the most valuable trip into any dungeon.
The difference shows up on the second run. Before the hotfix, a run with no quests left felt like a waste next to questing outside. Now one or two extra runs at the right level hold up much better, especially with a group that pulls efficiently.
Is dungeon spam faster than questing in Forever?
Nobody can confirm that, and Blizzard's stated design says it should not be. Before launch, Josh Greenfield said that with perfect play dungeon leveling should come very close to optimal questing speed. The launch tuning then moved XP from mobs to quests, and the November 8 hotfix moved part of it back.
In practice, the fastest players mix the two. They quest in the open world, collect every dungeon quest, clear the dungeon once or twice at level, and leave before it turns trivial. A tank that holds threat and a group that uses crowd control matter more than which method you pick.
Can a higher-level friend run me through dungeons for XP?
Not if they far outlevel the dungeon. If a party member is vastly higher level than the enemies, nobody in the party gets experience, and Blizzard confirmed this is intended. Classic-style low-level carries for XP do not work in Forever.
Which dungeons are best to repeat after the hotfix?
Repeat the dungeon that sits right at your level and has dense trash your group can clear quickly. Kill XP drops off as mobs turn gray relative to you, so a dungeon three or four levels below you is barely worth running.
Ruins of Lordaeron has heavy trash and six bosses you can kill in any order, which suits pull-heavy groups at 18–20. The Excavation Site covers the mid-20s. Expect long runs, because Forever has no dungeon maps and dungeons are built for exploring, not for speedrunning a fixed route.
Is it still worth running dungeons for gear while leveling?
Yes, and gear is a stronger reason than XP. Unique dungeon boss items are now Rare quality, new themed sets drop in dungeons such as the Deadmines and Wailing Caverns, and Bind-on-Pickup Uncommon and Rare drops grant their appearance to every eligible looter.
Do dungeons count toward Legacy points?
Yes. Killing the final boss of every dungeon in the 15–25, 26–45 and 46–60 brackets earns one Legacy point per bracket, three in total. Points are shared across your account outside Hardcore.
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Frequently asked questions
Did Blizzard buff dungeon XP in WoW: Forever?
Yes. On November 8, 2026 Blizzard deployed a hotfix that raised kill experience inside dungeons by 50%, so repeat runs feel more rewarding. Quest experience was not changed, and dungeon quests still give most of a dungeon's XP.
Why did dungeons give so little XP at Forever's launch?
Launch tuning cut experience from dungeon mobs and increased experience from dungeon quests. Most of the value came from the quests, so many players cleared each dungeon once and went back to questing. The November 8 hotfix restored part of the kill XP.
Can I get boosted through dungeons for XP in WoW: Forever?
Not by a much higher-level character. Forever calculates the party XP penalty from each player's own level, and if anyone in the group is vastly above the enemies' level, nobody gets experience. Blizzard confirmed this is intended.
What level are the new WoW: Forever dungeons?
Per Blizzard's dungeon overview: Hall of Thanes 13-18, Ruins of Lordaeron 15-20, Excavation Site 24-29, City of Dalaran 28-33, The Drowned City 35-40, Krol'dok Stronghold 40-45, Alcaz Prison 48-53, Blackmaw Hold 55-60 and Shaper's Terrace 58-60.
Does WoW: Forever have dungeon maps?
Blizzard designer Jay Hartman said Forever will probably not have dungeon maps, because the team wants dungeons to feel like exploration rather than a shortest-route run. Expect to learn layouts by playing them, which slows the first clears.