WoW Forever Guide"That's a secret ;)"
2004 said
Raids weren't finished, so a designer explains what a raid is and promises Onyxia and Molten Core for launch.
Forever says
The first raids open December 9: Barrow Deeps for 10 players and Hyjal Summit for 20.
The raid chapter is two pages long and contains no strategy at all. Instead there is an interview with Jeffrey Kaplan, then one of the game's designers, who has to start by explaining what a raid even is. He names Onyxia and Molten Core as the launch raids and answers one question with a winking refusal.
Forever is set before Molten Core. Its first raids open on December 9, five weeks after launch: Barrow Deeps, for 10 players, and Hyjal Summit, for 20.
A raid is a dungeon for a much larger group, with the hardest fights and the best rewards in the game.
Where this comes from
How we verify- The 2004 guide
The Kaplan interview defines a raid and names Onyxia and Molten Core
Read from the guide, printed page 180 - Blizzard
Raids unlock December 9: Barrow Deeps (10) and Hyjal Summit (20)
Blizzard: What's Next panel recap
