WoW Race to World First Guide – How it Works, Schedule, and Top Streamers

It’s that time of the year again, another Season of World of Warcraft. We are hours away from the start of the climactic chapter of another World of Warcraft: Race to World First (RWF). Considered by most to be the holy grail of WoW raiding, RWF is the event the community waits for with bated breath.

For the uninitiated, here’s everything you need to know about how the WoW RWF works and which streamers to watch.

What Is the Race to World First?

The RWF is a community-driven competition between top raiding Guilds to clear a new WoW Raid on Mythic difficulty before anyone else. Mythic, the highest level of difficulty in grinding World of Warcraft, requires pitch-perfect coordination and execution from a team of 20 players.

The latest raids to be released for World of Warcraft: Midnight are Voidspire and Dreamrift. With March on Quel’Danas releasing soon after on March 31st. The race officially begins once Mythic difficulty is released, which will be March 24th for North America and March 25th for EU.

Top Guilds, such as Team Liquid and Echo, raid for 12 to 16 hours a day as they progress through boss after boss. This RWF is slightly odd, however, as the “final” raid of the three releases is later, as mentioned above.

Each boss presents unique mechanics that players must master, all in real time, with thousands of people watching. The first Guild to defeat the final boss on Mythic difficulty earns the unofficial title of World First. While Blizzard does not officially organise it as an esport, they now acknowledge it, and there is a feeling in the community that the early raid “tuning” is based on the RWF.

While Blizzard is not directly involved, the RWF event does bring eyeballs to WoW that would not otherwise, so Blizzard does try to make it a competitive experience.

How the Race Actually Plays Out: Splits and Time Zones

• March 17th: Heroic Week starts
• March 24th: Mythic opens, and RWF officially starts for NA
• March 25th: Mythic opens for EU
• March 26th: Mythic opens for Asia
• March 31st: March of Quel’Danes opens

Unlike most similar competitions, preparation plays a huge role in Raids (a characteristic of MMORPGs in general). Before Mythic even opens, top Guilds spend time gearing their characters through Heroic splits, Mythic+ dungeons, and other activities.

This often involves using multiple characters in order to switch to the best possible class setups and combinations, gear, depending on the boss. In fact, players prepare characters with specific builds for these Raids.

• Regional Head Starts: North American servers reset on a Tuesday, roughly 12-16 hours before players on European servers reset, which happens for them in early AM on Wednesday. While North American servers do typically take a little longer to come up the first time, it does give NA guilds a head start. This “issue” is debated every race, with the overall feeling being NA’s headstart is lost after the first week, as they are “freely” giving away proven tactics and end up wasting time on bugged bosses or fights that are too hard.
• The Streaming Era: The biggest game changer for the RWF is the era of streaming. Before, things were private, but now everything is out in the open. Method, one of the guilds to pioneer streamers, has a history prior to that, alongside other guilds.

Top WoW RWF Streamers to Watch

If you want to follow the action live, each guild will be streaming the Race to World First, and we have a guide to them in our RWF Preview. However, you can also follow along with some alternative points of view below in our Players to Watch section.

Maximum from Team Liquid

Maximum is one of the most recognisable figures in the RWF scene. As the Raid Leader of Team Liquid, he plays a central role in strategy and decision-making. His stream can often offer insight into how top teams approach boss mechanics and adjust according to the situation. With Liquid dominating the War Within RWFs, they will remain one of the top contenders for Midnight. You get to hear real-time calls, problem-solving, and get an idea of what it’s like to manage the pressure of leading the reigning champions.

Scripe from Echo

While Rogerbrown is a legend, Scripe is the Raid Leader and primary strategist for Echo. Watching his stream is essential for seeing how the European powerhouse dismantles bosses. While Maximum has a more “jovial” style, Scripe is calm, focused, and has a “dad ” aura about his style. It’s very interesting to compare and contrast the two.

Biff from Method

Method has a long history in the RWF and remains a key player in the scene. Biff’s stream offers a more personal look at progression, offering a glimpse into the grind behind the scenes. While Method has not taken the RWF title for a while, their star has been on the rise, and they bring a lot of personality to the race. Biff’s perspective helps balance the high-pressure environment with a more relatable experience.