With those dates and mechanics confirmed, the individual testing sessions broke down encounter by encounter across two consecutive windows per difficulty.
Blizzard structured the Blackrock Depths Raid beta test across two separate difficulty phases in autumn 2024. Both Normal and Heroic used identical boss rosters spread over two consecutive 24-hour windows.
| Date | Start (PDT) | End (PDT) | Bosses |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 26 | 11:00 AM | 11:00 AM (next day) | Lord Roccor, Bael'Gar, Lord Incendius, Golem Lord Argelmach |
| September 27 | 11:00 AM | 11:00 AM (next day) | The Seven, General Angerforge, Ambassador Flamelash, Emperor Dagran Thaurissan |
📌 Common testing mistake: Players who joined mid-session and skipped Day 1 bosses found the earlier encounters unavailable—each 24-hour window only featured the bosses listed for that specific date.
| Date | Start (PDT) | End (PDT) | Bosses |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 3 | 11:00 AM | 11:00 AM (next day) | Lord Roccor, Bael'Gar, Lord Incendius, Golem Lord Argelmach |
| October 4 | 11:00 AM | 11:00 AM (next day) | The Seven, General Angerforge, Ambassador Flamelash, Emperor Dagran Thaurissan |
With both difficulty tiers documented, the practical mechanics of joining and contributing to the test are worth covering separately.
Participating in PTR raid testing followed a different process than the standard live-server experience. Nexus-Lord Donjon Rade V, stationed in Dornogal, Orgrimmar, and Stormwind, provided direct teleport access whenever a session was active.
✏️ Testing tip: Blizzard's raid team flagged ability clarity and tuning feedback as highest priority during the Blackrock Depths window. Recording pull attempts and noting cooldown timings gave testers the most useful data to submit.
The testing phase concluded in October 2024, and the Blackrock Depths Raid launched with The War Within: 20th Anniversary Update. The NPC-teleport system, character scaling, and 24-hour windows were beta-only mechanics—live-server raiders use standard LFR queues or premade groups, and the raid follows weekly lockouts at all difficulty levels.
Players working through the 20th Anniversary content can find 20th Anniversary raid carries, covering both normal progression and achievement runs.
⚠️ Archive note: The dates and teleport NPC details on this page describe the 2024 beta testing event. These mechanics are no longer active on live servers.
The raid features eight encounters: Lord Roccor, Bael'Gar, Lord Incendius, Golem Lord Argelmach, The Seven, General Angerforge, Ambassador Flamelash, and Emperor Dagran Thaurissan. During testing these split across two days; on live servers they are available within the standard raid lockout.
Normal difficulty testing ran September 26–28, 2024. Heroic difficulty testing followed October 3–5, 2024. Both phases opened at 11 AM PDT and each individual window lasted 24 hours.
Nexus-Lord Donjon Rade V was stationed in Dornogal, Orgrimmar, and Stormwind. He teleported any player directly into the active test instance. No attunement, gear check, or party size requirement applied during the beta window.
No gear preparation was required. Blizzard's scaling system automatically brought every participant to level 80 with item level calibrated to the encounter difficulty. This removed the gear barrier and allowed all beta players to contribute feedback regardless of character progression.
Blizzard opened dedicated encounter feedback threads on the official WoW forums before each testing session. Players could also use the in-game Issue Reporter tool to file bugs or tuning concerns without leaving the raid instance.
Yes. The raid launched with The War Within: 20th Anniversary Update and remains available on live servers. The beta-specific mechanics—NPC teleport, character scaling, and 24-hour windows—were removed at launch. Standard LFR queues and manual group formation apply on live.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 against The War Within: 20th Anniversary Update launch content. Maintained by WowCarry's WoW team.
