Loot lockouts limit how frequently your character can obtain loot from a boss.

To check what raids your character is currently saved to, press the O key, select the Raid tab, and click on Raid Info in the upper right. This will display your current lockouts and the time left until they reset.

Throughout the years, we've used three different raid lockout systems that currently coexist in the game.

Loot-based Lockout

You can kill a boss as many times per week as you like, but only loot once per difficulty: once in LFR, once in Normal, and once in Heroic.

Applies to all raid bosses of the following expansions: Warlords of Draenor, Legion, Battle for Azeroth, and Shadowlands, as well as Siege of Orgrimmar of Mists of Pandaria.

Applies to all (non WoW Classic) world bosses. 

Boss-based Lockout

You can only kill a boss once per week.

Applies to all Normal difficulty raids of Wrath of the Lich King through Throne of Thunder of Mists of Pandaria.

Applies to all WoW Classic world bosses.

Instance-based Lockout

You can only kill a boss once per lockout. Applies to:

  • All WoW Classic raids 
  • All Mythic difficulty raids
  • All raids from Molten Core through Sunwell Plateau
  • All Heroic difficulty raids of Wrath of the Lich King through Throne of Thunder of Mists of Pandaria.

Progress is tied to a fixed instance ID. Once tied to an instance ID, you may not enter any other versions of that raid of that difficulty until your raid lock resets.

If other players complete that instance while you are absent, the instance will be empty for you as well, because progress is tied to the instance, and not your character.