Excavation Site

2:25 The Excavation Site is a five-player dungeon for levels 24 to 29 in World of Warcraft: Forever, in the Wetlands near Thelgen Rock and Dun Algaz, just above Whelgar's Excavation. Blizzard's Launch Dungeons video of Oct 14, 2026, which calls it "Excavation Site: Wetlands", sends players after a dwarven expedition that "came out here to dig, and things went sideways", across open water, past bones and spiders, and through tall grass where several kinds of raptor nest, some of them stealthed: "keep your Healer out of the grass". It is open to both factions, has been in the beta since Oct 1, 2026, and opens to everyone at launch on Nov 4, 2026.

Quick facts

Setting and story

22:41 Blizzard introduced the dungeon at BlizzCon on Sep 12, 2026 without a name, as one dig site among Azeroth's many, for those "courageous enough to brave errant Titan constructs". Located in the Wetlands just above Whelgar's Excavation, it is "a place trapped in time", Nora Mills said: little is known about it, a strange mist has been drifting down from the mountains, and flashing lights have been seen on the horizon. She recommended levels 24 to 29 and suggested the Explorers' League would be interested in the findings.

Blizzard's dungeon article of Oct 20, 2026 fills in the rest: past the dig site lies an area that seems frozen in time, guarded by wandering Titan constructs and dangerous animals, and players investigate what has awakened there alongside the Explorers' League. The Launch Dungeons video says the dungeon "leans all the way into its zone's flavor", with journeys across open water and "dangerous reptiles in abundance", and that past the bones and spiders "the route opens up, but you'll need to hop in-game to see what's next".

How it was built

24:24 Encounter designer Jay Hartman, whose dungeon it is, explained its origin on the third WoW: Forever Podcast, on Oct 8, 2026. The team wanted "a smaller bite-sized piece of content", and that area of the Wetlands "seems ripe for a dungeon": in Vanilla, much of the dwarven area up toward Dun Modr was already built but never used in the game. The story adds "this mystery around the place", an old lagoon and Titan relics, and the tall grass was "one of the biggest things I was excited about", meant to evoke the moments in Jurassic Park when the characters walk through the tall grass, "that same sense of dread".

26:22 The guest, the creator Hammerdance, said it worked. His tank ran off into the tall grass, the healer followed, and he could barely see them before "there was raptors flying out"; he queued up the Jurassic Park soundtrack on his stream, and running it for the first time "was like going it was a movie". He compared the fear to going through Blackrock Depths in the dark for the first time.

Difficulty

28:40 Players in the beta asked whether the Excavation Site was overtuned. The developers said they are "happy about seeing that things are overtuned when they first launch", because it is easier to make content easier than harder after release, and that the dungeon accomplishes "our mission of dungeons feeling hostile and feeling mean", forcing players to use their abilities, come prepared and learn their class. Forever is "not meant to be a hyper difficult game", they added, but dungeons "should demand a level of preparation and attention".

29:46 Only one thing had been toned down by Oct 8: a physical-damage disease, which was too strong because of "a zero being added". The bleed on the raptor was not changed, because "that exists for a very particular reason to reinforce behaviors in there". Later in the episode the designers said that a group without someone to remove diseases, or to stop bleeds, finds them "particularly punishing", and that other dungeons test groups in other ways (see Best Class). The designers also said the difficulty rises from here, as the teens give way to talents and groups: "If you like the difficulty here, you will like the increases in the other dungeons as well."

In the beta

1:36 The Excavation Site opened in the beta build of Oct 1, 2026, with the level cap raised to 30, the original Razorfen Downs and Uldaman, and, the following week, the City of Dalaran; Blizzard announced both new dungeons on the second WoW: Forever Podcast that day. The beta listed the Excavation Site for levels 26 to 31; Blizzard's article of Oct 20, 2026 gives 24 to 29, the range announced at BlizzCon.

7:55 Its quests pay less than the first dungeons'. Hammerdance said a full Deadmines run with every quest handed in got him almost two levels around level 16, but "if you do all the quests in, let's say, excavation site, you're not coming out of there with two full levels". Blizzard raised the experience from dungeon kills by about 20% on Oct 8, 2026 (see Leveling Guide).

Loot

Blizzard has not published the Excavation Site's loot table. Every dungeon boss's loot in Forever has been re-examined, unique boss items are rare (blue) quality, and uncommon and rare drops grant their appearance to every eligible looter (see Dungeons).

Frequently asked questions

What level is the Excavation Site in WoW Forever? Levels 24 to 29, Blizzard's article of Oct 20, 2026 says; the World of Warcraft: Forever beta listed it for levels 26 to 31.

Where is the Excavation Site dungeon? In the Wetlands, near Thelgen Rock and Dun Algaz, just above Whelgar's Excavation, in the Eastern Kingdoms.

Is Excavation Site: Wetlands the same dungeon? Yes. World of Warcraft: Forever's beta and Blizzard's Launch Dungeons video call it "Excavation Site: Wetlands"; Blizzard's dungeon article calls it the Excavation Site.

Is the Excavation Site hard? It is meant to be. Blizzard's designers said on Oct 8, 2026 that the World of Warcraft: Forever dungeon should feel "hostile" and demand preparation; only an overtuned disease was lowered, and the raptor's bleed was kept on purpose.

What should my group bring to the Excavation Site? Someone who can remove diseases and handle bleeds, Blizzard's designers said, and careful pulls: World of Warcraft: Forever's stealthed raptors hide in the tall grass.

Is the Excavation Site in the beta? Yes, since the World of Warcraft: Forever beta build of Oct 1, 2026.

Sources

• Explore the New Dungeons of World of Warcraft: Forever, Blizzard Entertainment, Oct 20, 2026
• World of Warcraft: Forever What's Next Panel Recap, Blizzard Entertainment, September 2026
• WoW Forever Beta Development Notes - Updated October 8, Blizzard Entertainment (Kaivax), World of Warcraft forums, Sep 24 to Oct 8, 2026
• Launch Dungeons | World of Warcraft: Forever, World of Warcraft, Oct 14, 2026 (video)
• World of Warcraft: Forever - What's Next Panel | BlizzCon 2026, World of Warcraft, Sep 13, 2026 (video)
• Speed Running Classes ft. @sodapoppin | Episode 2 - The WoW: Forever Podcast, World of Warcraft, Oct 1, 2026 (video)
• Dive into Dungeons with Devs ft. @hammerdancegaming | Episode 3 - The WoW: Forever Podcast, World of Warcraft, Oct 8, 2026 (video)