The Race to World First (RWF) is World of Warcraft’s premier PvE competition. Here’s how it works, who competes, and why millions of players watch every tier.
Race to World First (often shortened to RWF) is the competition among the world’s top World of Warcraft guilds to be the first to defeat every boss in a new raid on Mythic difficulty. When a new raid tier launches, Mythic is locked for a short period; once it opens, guilds race around the clock until one clears the final boss. That guild achieves “world first.”
There is no official Blizzard-run tournament. The race is community-driven and tracked by sites like Raider.io and watched by millions on Twitch and YouTube. The winning guild is recognized by the community as the world first clear for that tier.
A new raid releases on Normal and Heroic first. Mythic difficulty opens a week or two later (often on a regional reset). From that moment, the clock starts.
Top guilds run multiple raid groups in shifts so someone is always pulling bosses. They optimize comps, strats, and gear until each boss falls.
The first guild to kill the final Mythic boss is crowned world first. Standings are tracked globally (e.g. Raider.io Hall of Fame), so second and third place are also recognized.
The race is dominated by a small number of elite guilds. The top three: Method (EU), Echo (EU), and Liquid (NA). They have defined the RWF for years: Method pioneered world-first streaming and remains a pillar of the scene; Echo and Liquid have traded recent world firsts. Guilds from China and other regions also compete. Rosters are usually 20–25 mythic-level players with deep class knowledge and extensive preparation.
Many of these guilds stream their progress on Twitch, turning the RWF into a major viewing event. Fans follow live progress on our RWF tracker and watch bosses fall in real time.
Even if your guild isn’t racing for world first, the RWF shapes the game. World-first guilds develop the strategies and compositions that trickle down to everyone else. Watching the race teaches timing, positioning, and comp choices, all of which you can apply when planning your own mythic progression with tools like our raid planner and support.
Whether you’re chasing CE (Cutting Edge) or just love the spectacle, understanding what the Race to World First is and how it works makes the game more fun to follow and play.
Track live standings, boss kills, and guild progress on our Race to World First tracker. We pull data from Raider.io so you always see the latest rankings. Want to know where to watch? Check our guide on how to watch the RWF.
Follow the race live, then build your own mythic strategies with animated raid plans. Free for everyone.