Nerub-ar Palace in WoW The War Within
Screenshot by Destructoid

How to start Story Mode Raids in WoW The War Within

For following WoW's narrative.

In WoW: The War Within, players solely looking to experience the overarching storyline of the Nerub-ar Palace raid have the option to run the raid in Story Mode. This mode is not enabled by default, so here’s how you can turn it on.

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How to enable Story Mode Raids in WoW The War Within

If you don’t have time to experience the raid, or you simply don’t care enough to do so, Story Mode raids are the perfect way for you to find out what happens next in WoW’s overarching storyline. As a new feature added to WoW with The War Within, currently, only the Nerub-ar Palace raid has access to this mode. To turn it on, all you need to do is find Kriz the ‘Loyal’ near the entrance to Nerub-ar Palace (/way 32, 64).

Kriz, the Story Mode NPC in WoW The War Within
Screenshot by Destructoid

Talk with him and request to “Enter Nerubar-ar Palace in Story Mode.” It should be the only dialogue option he gives you, so you can’t miss it. Once enabled, simply enter the raid using the following pop-up, and you’ll be directly teleported to the final boss, Queen Ansurek herself.

Queen Ansurek in WoW The War Within Story Mode
Screenshot by Destructoid

Even in Story Mode, you must face off against Queen Ansurek and slay her to see the end-of-raid cutscene, which moves the story forward. You won’t be alone, though, as a number of capable NPCs will be by your side, allowing you to slay the queen with relative ease. All of the fight’s standard mechanics can be completely ignored, making this mode even easier than LFR (Looking for Raid).

As mentioned, this mode is currently only for the Nerub-ar Palace raid, but is meant to be a longstanding feature going forward. You can expect it to be available for every following raid, therefore.

Can you get loot from Story Mode Raids?

Story Mode is designed to allow players to stay current with WoW’s ongoing storyline without the pressures of dealing with other people. It is not designed as an alternative to completing the raid, thus you will earn no loot in Story Mode. If you want to complete the raid on an easier difficulty and still get loot, then you need to run LFR, as you can earn gear from completing each wing of it.

How hard are Story Mode Raids in WoW The War Within?

Story Mode raids are designed to be accessible for all players, allowing you to focus on the narrative without being overwhelmed by challenging mechanics. While there are mechanics in place, they are generally forgiving, ensuring that you can progress without the threat of failure. This mode emphasizes the story over difficulty, so you can engage with the story without worrying about being held back by complex encounters.


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Darrus Myles
Darrus, a seasoned guide writer and indie developer with nearly a decade under his belt, plunges into the gaming realm like a knight charging into battle (albeit with a trusty keyboard instead of a sword). With RPGs as his domain, he fearlessly slays industry challenges, turning every obstacle into XP for his quest to game domination.