The Drowned City is a new level 35–40 WoW Forever dungeon built inside ancient troll ruins that have suddenly risen from the ocean off Stranglethorn Vale. Trolls, naga, and a wrecked pirate ship are already inside. This guide covers its location, story, bosses, quests, loot, group setup, and everything currently confirmed.
The Drowned City is one of the nine new dungeons coming to World of Warcraft: Forever.
It is designed for characters between levels 35 and 40 and sits off the coast of Stranglethorn Vale. Blizzard's updated dungeon list confirms that level bracket.
The dungeon is built around ancient troll ruins that have unexpectedly risen from beneath the ocean.
BlizzCon presentation coverage describes players being able to see the newly surfaced ruins from the Stranglethorn coast. Trolls and naga have been spotted inside, and a pirate ship appears to have crashed directly into the structure.
That immediately makes The Drowned City different from many traditional Classic dungeons.
It is not simply an underground cave.
It combines:
ancient ruins,
tropical coastline,
partially submerged architecture,
troll history,
naga activity,
pirates,
and a mystery surrounding why the city suddenly emerged.
The dungeon was also playable on the BlizzCon 2026 show floor, making it the first of Forever's newly announced dungeons that players could directly test.
The confirmed level range is:
Level 35–40.
This places the dungeon after City of Dalaran and before Krol'dok Stronghold in Forever's new dungeon progression.
At this stage of leveling, characters have significantly more of their toolkit than they did in early instances such as Hall of Thanes.
Tanks have stronger Threat tools.
Healers have more efficient healing choices.
Damage dealers have more crowd control and interrupts.
Talent builds are also beginning to develop much clearer specialization identities.
That means The Drowned City can reasonably ask more from players than an early-level dungeon.
Level 35 is the bottom of the intended bracket.
You can enter around that point, but a group closer to levels 36–38 may find the first clear more comfortable.
A few levels can provide:
additional talents,
higher-rank abilities,
better quest equipment,
more health,
more Mana,
and improved weapons.
By levels 39–40, the dungeon should still be relevant, particularly if you have unfinished quests or important equipment upgrades.
The best time to run it is when both its XP and its rewards still contribute meaningfully to your character.
The Drowned City lies off the coast of Stranglethorn Vale.
Wowhead describes it as an ancient troll ruin in the sea near Stranglethorn, while BlizzCon coverage says the ruins have risen high enough to become visible from shore.
That location fits Stranglethorn especially well.
The region is already heavily associated with:
troll ruins,
pirates,
coastal dangers,
jungle expeditions,
ancient civilizations,
and hostile creatures.
The Drowned City takes those familiar Stranglethorn themes and pushes them out into the ocean.
The precise final entrance route has not yet been officially documented.
Blizzard has confirmed the dungeon's coastal Stranglethorn setting, but there is not yet a published entrance coordinate or finalized map showing exactly how players reach the instance.
That means players should avoid assuming they will:
swim directly to it,
take a boat,
use a quest vehicle,
enter through a cave,
or use some other special route.
Those details need verification from the playable Forever version.
That is one of the main mysteries.
BlizzCon presentation coverage specifically says the ancient troll ruins have suddenly risen out of the ocean.
What caused that event is not yet public.
We do not know whether the city emerged because of:
naga activity,
troll magic,
an ancient artifact,
elemental disturbance,
tectonic movement,
or something entirely different.
The correct answer right now is:
Blizzard wants players to discover why the city surfaced inside the dungeon.
That mystery gives the instance a stronger narrative hook than simply entering an old ruin that has always been there.
Trolls are confirmed inhabitants of the dungeon.
That is unsurprising given Stranglethorn's ancient troll history.
The region is filled with remnants of troll settlements and civilizations, and the newly surfaced city appears to belong to that wider cultural landscape.
What has not yet been fully revealed is:
which troll group controls the ruins,
whether every troll inside is hostile,
how long they have been there,
and whether they caused the city to rise.
Those details should come from the Forever dungeon story rather than assumptions based on existing Stranglethorn factions.
Naga are also confirmed inside the ruins.
This immediately creates interesting questions.
The naga are naturally associated with the sea.
A city that was submerged until recently would therefore have been much easier for naga to reach than surface-dwelling trolls or pirates.
That raises several possibilities.
Were the naga already occupying the city before it surfaced?
Are they invading now?
Are they searching for something inside?
Are the trolls and naga working together—or fighting each other?
Blizzard has not revealed those answers yet.
The only safe conclusion is that naga involvement is a confirmed part of the dungeon's story.
The third major visual element is a pirate ship that appears to have crashed into the newly risen ruins.
That gives The Drowned City an unusually varied setting.
Players may move through ancient troll architecture one moment and a wrecked pirate environment the next.
The ship also fits naturally with Stranglethorn's long association with pirates and Booty Bay.
What is not yet confirmed is:
who owned the vessel,
whether its crew survived,
whether the pirates are allies or enemies,
and whether the crash happened because the city suddenly rose beneath them.
These questions may form part of the dungeon's quest story.
The official boss roster has not yet been published.
Despite the dungeon being playable at BlizzCon, Blizzard's public dungeon recap and current reliable dungeon references still do not provide a confirmed boss-by-boss list.
That means we should not invent:
troll chieftains,
naga sea witches,
pirate captains,
sea monsters,
or ancient guardians
and present them as real bosses.
They may fit the setting.
They are not verified.
We do not yet have reliable final information for:
the total number of bosses,
boss names,
the final boss,
boss mechanics,
optional encounters,
boss-specific quests,
or boss-specific drops.
Because The Drowned City was playable at BlizzCon, footage may eventually allow more of this information to be verified.
But creator footage and demonstration builds can also contain temporary names, incomplete encounters, or unfinished tuning.
For a long-term guide, final verified data is more useful than rushing to publish uncertain details.
The exact mechanics remain unknown, but Forever's general dungeon philosophy is well established.
Blizzard wants dungeon combat to preserve Classic-style Threat, crowd control, focus fire, and deliberate pulls rather than encouraging every group to gather entire rooms into one unrestricted AoE pack.
That means several skills will likely matter throughout The Drowned City.
Troll and naga enemies are both commonly associated with spellcasting in Warcraft.
If dangerous casters appear, interrupting key abilities can dramatically reduce incoming damage.
At levels 35–40, many classes already have meaningful interruption or control tools.
Polymorph, Sap, Fear, Roots, Hunter traps, stuns, and other control effects can make difficult packs much safer.
Do not assume every enemy needs to be tanked simultaneously.
An environment containing ruins, water, narrow pathways, and wreckage may create positioning challenges.
Tanks should avoid moving enemies unnecessarily.
Ranged players should remain close enough to receive healing.
Everyone should watch for patrols and additional packs.
The complete dungeon quest list has not yet been published.
Blizzard confirms that Forever includes dungeon quests and new rewards, but the individual Drowned City quests are still undocumented.
We therefore do not yet know:
quest names,
quest givers,
prerequisites,
required boss kills,
collection objectives,
or reward choices.
Because the dungeon is located off Stranglethorn Vale, players should pay close attention to quest hubs in the surrounding region once the Forever version becomes playable.
Likely quest hooks could involve:
reports of the newly emerged city,
troll activity,
naga sightings,
the crashed pirate vessel,
or investigation of the event that raised the ruins.
Those are logical possibilities—not confirmed quest names.
The safest approach is to check nearby quest hubs before your first run.
Classic-style dungeon quests often begin outside the instance rather than directly at its entrance.
Dungeon quests become increasingly valuable as your character approaches the second half of leveling.
A complete run can potentially provide:
enemy XP,
boss XP,
quest XP,
gold,
equipment,
and story progression.
Forever is also improving old and new quest rewards to give more relevant options across different classes and roles.
That means a dungeon quest reward can sometimes be more important than the boss drop you originally entered for.
Whenever possible, combine the dungeon clear with all available associated quests.
The boss-by-boss Drowned City loot table remains unpublished.
However, Forever's global dungeon-loot changes are confirmed.
Blizzard has reviewed dungeon loot throughout the game, added hundreds of new items, improved weaker rewards, and made unique dungeon boss items Rare blue quality.
This means Drowned City bosses should offer meaningful equipment for characters in the 35–40 range.
Levels 35–40 are an important gearing period.
You may still be carrying equipment obtained several zones earlier.
A strong blue drop can replace:
an outdated weapon,
a low-level green armor piece,
a weak ring,
or an item whose stats no longer match your developing build.
Physical classes can gain enormous value from weapon upgrades.
This includes:
Warrior,
Rogue,
Hunter,
Paladin,
Shaman,
and Feral Druid.
Caster and healer weapons matter more in Forever too because Blizzard is improving spell-oriented itemization rather than leaving weapons as mostly stat sticks.
The actual items are not known.
The setting could naturally support:
troll-themed gear,
naga-related equipment,
pirate weapons,
water-themed items,
or ancient relics.
But none of those should be presented as confirmed drops yet.
Forever is deliberately trying to make itemization less solved by introducing more situational items and redesigned dungeon rewards.
So the important rule will be:
judge the actual item, not just its color.
A blue item is not automatically better for your character if its stats or effect do not suit your build.
Forever adds hundreds of profession recipes and uses Blueprint drops from specific dungeon bosses for some advanced crafting unlocks.
No specific Drowned City Blueprint has yet been confirmed.
That means players should not assume the dungeon drops:
a pirate Engineering recipe,
a troll Alchemy formula,
a naga Enchanting pattern,
or any other profession reward
until a real boss table confirms it.
If the dungeon eventually receives valuable Blueprint drops, it could remain worth farming even after level 40.
Forever's optional Transmog system gives dungeon equipment longer-term value.
Eligible Bind-on-Pickup green and blue dungeon appearances can be unlocked for players who qualify without forcing someone to take an item solely for the appearance.
A visually unusual dungeon like The Drowned City could be particularly interesting for collectors.
Ancient troll ruins, naga, and pirates offer strong opportunities for distinctive gear designs.
Again, the exact appearances are not public yet.
But the system means a run can remain useful even after you no longer need its stats.
The safest structure is the traditional five-player party:
one tank, one healer, and three DPS.
At level 35–40, each role has enough tools that group execution begins mattering much more.
Warrior, Protection Paladin, and Bear Druid are the natural tank options.
Your priorities are:
establish Threat,
control enemy positioning,
protect the healer,
watch for patrols,
and use crowd control when a pull is too large.
Do not assume the tank should hold every enemy in the room.
Forever is intentionally designed around more controlled pulls.
Priest, Paladin, Shaman, and Druid can heal.
Watch Mana.
Use efficient spells when the party is stable.
Save expensive emergency healing for genuine danger.
If naga or troll enemies use dispellable magic, poisons, curses, or diseases, removing those effects may become especially important once their real abilities are documented.
Damage dealers should:
follow priority targets,
interrupt dangerous casts,
use crowd control,
watch Threat,
and avoid breaking controlled enemies.
The group's fastest clear is not necessarily the pull with the largest number of mobs.
A controlled pull completed cleanly is faster than a wipe.
No class can yet be declared the definitive best class for this dungeon because the full enemy roster and boss mechanics are unpublished.
Still, several utility categories should be valuable.
Polymorph, Counterspell, slows, and ranged damage make Mage excellent at controlling uncertain pulls.
Sap, Kick, stuns, poisons, and strong priority-target damage give Rogue excellent dungeon utility.
Shaman provides interrupts, Totems, damage, and healing flexibility.
Hunter traps and ranged attacks can help manage packs while the pet adds another layer of control.
Priest brings strong healing, shields, buffs, dispels, and Fear.
These are general strengths rather than Drowned City-specific rankings.
Preparation can remain simple.
Repair your equipment.
Clear bag space.
Train new class abilities.
Bring food.
Bring Mana drinks if needed.
Check Stranglethorn quest hubs for dungeon-related objectives.
Make sure your weapon is not significantly outdated.
If you are tanking, bring appropriate defensive gear.
If you are healing, make sure you have enough drinks for multiple pulls.
And if nobody in the group has completed the dungeon before, communicate.
Forever rewards groups that actually talk to each other.
No faction restriction was mentioned when Blizzard presented the dungeon.
That differs from early dungeons such as Hall of Thanes and Ruins of Lordaeron, which are explicitly framed around Alliance and Horde respectively. Presentation coverage likewise notes that no faction restriction was announced for The Drowned City.
The safest current conclusion is:
The Drowned City appears intended as shared content for both factions.
Quest chains and travel convenience may still differ.
But the dungeon itself has not been identified as Alliance-only or Horde-only.
The 35–40 bracket makes this dungeon a natural complement to Stranglethorn-area questing.
Instead of completing outdoor objectives and then traveling across the world for every dungeon run, players can potentially combine:
Stranglethorn quests,
the new dungeon,
profession gathering,
pirate-related content,
and surrounding travel routes.
This fits Forever's design principle of making the world itself the center of progression.
Dungeons are meant to be part of Azeroth rather than disconnected queues that replace exploration.
The Drowned City demonstrates Forever's design philosophy extremely well.
The dungeon takes things already associated with Classic Stranglethorn—
trolls,
pirates,
jungle exploration,
dangerous coastline,
ancient history—
and adds a location that feels like it could always have existed just beyond the visible horizon.
Then it adds a mystery:
why did an ancient city suddenly rise from the ocean?
That is exactly the sort of unanswered corner of Azeroth Forever is built to explore.
Blizzard describes its wider approach as looking deeper into original Azeroth rather than abandoning it for another continent.
The Drowned City turns that philosophy into a dungeon.
Yes, when it continues serving a purpose.
Repeat runs make sense if:
you still have dungeon quests,
a confirmed item is a major upgrade,
you need a profession Blueprint,
the XP remains useful,
you want appearances,
or you simply enjoy the instance.
Once you outlevel the rewards and have completed the relevant objectives, returning to outdoor questing may be more useful.
Forever emphasizes the journey through the world, not replacing the entire leveling process with dungeon grinding.
Several important pieces still need final Forever data.
No official complete boss list is currently available.
The dungeon's final encounter is not verified.
Specific abilities and strategies remain unpublished.
Quest names, NPCs, prerequisites, and rewards remain unknown.
The city is off Stranglethorn Vale's coast, but the final route into the instance is not officially documented.
Forever's general dungeon-loot rules are known, but individual Drowned City drops are not.
Blueprints can come from dungeon bosses, but no specific Drowned City recipe is confirmed.
Blizzard has intentionally left the cause unexplained.
These gaps should be filled with verified beta or live information rather than assumptions.
The biggest mistake is treating the dungeon as fully solved simply because it was playable at BlizzCon.
A demo does not automatically give us a final boss table, final loot, or final tuning.
Another mistake is assuming the naga caused the city to rise.
They are confirmed inside.
The cause of the event is not.
Do not assume the pirate ship belongs to a specific known pirate faction until the dungeon confirms it.
Do not follow unrelated sunken-city dungeon guides from other versions of WoW.
Do not attack before the tank establishes Threat.
Do not break crowd control.
And do not equip every blue item purely because it is Rare.
Forever's redesigned itemization is intended to make actual stats and effects matter.
The Drowned City is designed for levels 35–40. Blizzard's updated list of the nine Forever dungeons confirms this bracket.
It is located off the coast of Stranglethorn Vale. The dungeon consists of ancient troll ruins that have risen from the sea.
Trolls and naga are confirmed inside the ruins. A pirate ship has also crashed into the city, although the status and allegiance of its crew have not yet been fully explained.
Blizzard has not revealed the reason yet. Discovering what caused the ancient ruins to surface appears to be part of the dungeon's mystery.
The full boss roster has not yet been officially published or reliably verified.
A confirmed final boss is not currently public.
The complete quest list has not been published. Players should check Stranglethorn-area quest hubs when the Forever quest data becomes available.
Individual boss drops are not yet confirmed. Forever's global dungeon system makes unique boss items Rare blue quality and adds hundreds of new or redesigned dungeon items.
Forever includes profession Blueprints from specific dungeon bosses, but no particular Drowned City Blueprint has been confirmed yet.
Yes. It was the new Forever dungeon available for hands-on testing at BlizzCon 2026.
No faction restriction has currently been announced. The dungeon appears to be shared content for both sides.
The Drowned City already has one of the strongest concepts among WoW Forever's new leveling dungeons.
An ancient troll city has suddenly risen from the ocean.
It sits just off the coast of Stranglethorn Vale.
Trolls are inside.
Naga are inside.
A pirate ship has crashed into the ruins.
And nobody has yet publicly explained why the city surfaced at all.
That mystery is exactly what makes the location interesting.
The confirmed foundation is already enough to understand its place in progression:
The Drowned City is designed for levels 35–40.
It lies off Stranglethorn Vale.
It contains ancient troll ruins.
Trolls and naga are involved.
Pirates are part of the setting.
It was playable at BlizzCon 2026.
What we should not do is invent the missing pieces.
The official boss list is not published.
The final boss is not verified.
The dungeon quest list is not verified.
The individual loot table is not verified.
Those details can be added once beta or final Forever data makes them reliable.
For now, The Drowned City represents something central to Forever's direction:
taking a familiar coastline, placing a mystery beyond it, and finally giving players a reason to sail toward something that was never there before.
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