TBC Anniversary Phase 4: Zul’Aman and What Changed

The Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary realms are in The Gods of Zul’Aman update, which went live on October 22, 2026 and which players call Phase 4. In Europe it opened at midnight on October 23. Zul’Aman is a new 10-player raid that sits next to Black Temple, Hyjal and the older T4 and T5 raids. The same update made Heroic dungeons easier to enter and to clear, and it put Badges of Justice on many more bosses. Sunwell Plateau comes next, but Blizzard has not announced a date for it yet.

Zul’Aman: the new 10-player raid

Zul’Aman is the Amani troll stronghold in the Ghostlands, south of Quel’Thalas in the Eastern Kingdoms. It is a level 70 raid for 10 players with six bosses: Nalorakk, Akil’zon, Jan’alai, Halazzi, Hex Lord Malacrass and Zul’jin. You don’t need an attunement to enter, so any level 70 character can walk in. The lockout resets every three days, which means a group can clear it more than once a week.

The timed hostage run and the Amani War Bear

Inside the city, Zul’jin’s lieutenants are guarding several hostages. As soon as your raid breaks through the gates, a timer starts while the Amani prepare to execute them. Every lieutenant you kill frees a hostage, gives extra loot and adds time to the clock. If you save all of them before time runs out, the raid earns the Amani War Bear, a rare battle mount. It makes sense to learn the bosses first and try the timer once your group clears the raid without trouble.

What else changed with the Zul’Aman update

The update also changed older content, and these changes reach every level 70 player, raider or not:

• Black Temple and the Battle for Mount Hyjal no longer need an attunement.
• Heroic dungeon keys now need Honored reputation instead of the old higher requirement. The keys come from Honor Hold or Thrallmar, Cenarion Expedition, Lower City, The Sha’tar and Keepers of Time.
• All Heroic dungeons are now at their final, reduced difficulty.
• Badges of Justice now drop from every boss in Karazhan, Gruul’s Lair, Magtheridon’s Lair, Serpentshrine Cavern, Tempest Keep and Zul’Aman, and from the world bosses Doomlord Kazzak and Doomwalker. Black Temple and Hyjal are not on that list.
• G’eras in Shattrath now sells stronger items for Badges of Justice, including Nether Vortex.
• Loot from Kazzak and Doomwalker is now Bind on Equip, so you can trade it or send it to another character.
• Primal Nether and Nether Vortex are no longer soulbound.
• Epic gems can now drop from Magtheridon’s Black Sack of Gems and from the Jewelcrafter’s Brilliant Glass, but only from ones you get after the update.
• Outland faction vendors sell Leatherworking recipes for Greater Drums, the Knothide Quiver and the Knothide Ammo Pouch.

Which raids are open in Phase 4?

Every TBC raid except Sunwell Plateau is open now. That covers the T4 raids from Phase 1, the T5 raids from Phase 2, Black Temple and Hyjal from Phase 3, and Zul’Aman.

Zul’Aman never had an attunement, and Black Temple and Hyjal lost theirs on October 22. According to community guides, the older attunements for Karazhan, Serpentshrine Cavern and The Eye were already dropped in Phase 3, so in practice no raid here asks for an attunement chain any more. For each dungeon and raid one by one, with keys and levels, see our TBC Anniversary dungeons and raids guide. If your schedule doesn’t fit a raid team, you can also book a TBC Anniversary raid run with us.

What to do in Phase 4

You just hit level 70

This is the easiest time so far to catch up. Get Honored with the dungeon factions while you run Normal dungeons, buy the Heroic keys and farm Heroics, which are now at their easiest version. Badges of Justice from Heroics and from every T4 boss add up quickly, and G’eras now has stronger items to spend them on. Karazhan and Zul’Aman are both 10-player raids without attunement, so you only need nine other players for either of them. Kazzak and Doomwalker gear is Bind on Equip now, which gives you another way to fill a weak slot.

You already raid

Black Temple and Hyjal no longer need attunement, so a guild can bring a new player or a replacement straight into T6 without weeks of quests. Zul’Aman resets every three days and drops badges from every boss, which makes it a good extra run between your 25-player nights. Once your group clears it comfortably, go for the timed hostage run and the Amani War Bear. Primal Nether and Nether Vortex can now be traded between players, and new sacks from Magtheridon can hold epic gems.

You are gearing an alt

Raid attunements on Anniversary realms count for the whole account, so an alt doesn’t repeat them. Reputation still belongs to each character, but Honored is now enough for the Heroic keys, which cuts the grind for a second character a lot. Badges from Heroics and Karazhan can gear an alt without a 25-player team, and Bind on Equip loot from Kazzak and Doomwalker can be mailed over from your main. If the alt still needs levels, our TBC Anniversary leveling guide covers the route to 70.

What comes after Zul’Aman?

Community roadmaps list Sunwell Plateau and the Magisters’ Terrace dungeon as the next phase. Sunwell Plateau is a 25-player raid with six bosses. Blizzard has not announced a date for it and has not set a fixed gap between phases, so any Sunwell date you see online is a guess. Every date so far, with the raids and changes of each phase, is in our TBC Anniversary release date and phase roadmap.

Frequently asked questions

Change Log

• October 23, 2026: TBC Anniversary Phase 4 overview published.