You can start doing raids in WoW once your character meets the raid’s level and gear requirements, and many raid tiers open in stages on weekly resets rather than all at once. For example, Blizzard’s raid schedule for recent content shows Normal, Heroic, Raid Finder, Mythic, and Story Mode unlocking on different dates across the season.

What that usually means

  • Entry-level raiding: Normal and Raid Finder are usually the first modes most players can join, as soon as the raid opens for your region’s reset.
  • More serious progression: Heroic and Mythic come later or require stronger gear, better coordination, and often a pre-made group.
  • Practical readiness: Guides consistently recommend being raid-ready with solid gear, consumables, knowledge of boss mechanics, and a coordinated group before you jump in.

Simple answer

If you mean “when am I allowed to raid?”, the answer is: as soon as you hit the raid’s required level and the raid is unlocked for your region. If you mean “when am I ready to raid well?”, that’s usually after you’ve geared up, learned your class, and can handle mechanics reliably.

Example

A typical path is: level up, run dungeons or other endgame content for gear, then queue for Raid Finder or join a Normal raid before moving into Heroic or Mythic.

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<table>
  <tr><th>Question</th><th>Answer</th></tr>
  <tr><td>Can you raid right away?</td><td>Yes, once you meet the level and unlock requirements for that raid [web:4][web:19].</td></tr>
  <tr><td>When do raids open?</td><td>Often on weekly reset, with modes unlocking in stages [web:4][web:19].</td></tr>
  <tr><td>What should you have first?</td><td>Good gear, boss knowledge, consumables, and a group plan [web:1][web:8].</td></tr>
</table>