Raid (video games)

Large-scale group activity in an MMORPG

A 24-man raid in Final Fantasy XIV.

In massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), a raid is a type of activity in which groups of players team up to defeat a powerful superboss in an arena setting, waves of computer-controlled enemies in Player-versus-Environment (PvE) battles, or rival players in Player-versus-Player combat (PvP). Raids typically take place in instance dungeons—separate server instances isolated from the main game world.

Raiding is one of the most complex activities in MMORPGs, requiring careful planning and coordination among large groups of players, typically eight or more.[1][2] While some games use matchmaking to assemble raid teams, others—especially older MMORPGs—rely on raiding guilds or informal methods like word of mouth and pickup groups (PUGs).[1][3]

## Origin

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The term "raid" derives from its original military meaning: a planned attack by a military group that is done suddenly and unexpectedly and is intended to destroy or damage something.[4]

Raiding as a gameplay mechanic originated in a class of text-based MUDs known as DikuMUD, which heavily influenced the 1999 MMORPG EverQuest and helped introduce the concept to modern 3D MMORPGs.[5]

## Mechanics

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The combat encounters comprising a raid usually require players to coordinate with one another while performing specific roles as members of a team. The roles of tank, healer, and damage dealer are known as the "Holy Trinity" of MMORPG group composition.[6] Other common roles include buffing, crowd control, and pulling (selectively choosing targets with which to initiate combat).[7]

Raids feature a variety of challenges for players to overcome. These may include strict time limits, dodging area-of-effect attacks (AoEs), solving raid mechanics using visual cues or buff and debuff markers, and managing mana and ability cooldowns, among others.

One or multiple raid leaders or "shot callers" are often needed to direct the group efficiently due to the complexities of keeping many players working well together. Raiding is often done by associations of players called guilds or clans who maintain a consistent schedule and roster. These guilds may "range in size from a small handful to several hundred players".[1] Typically, there are two types of raiding guilds: "hardcore" guilds, which follow a strict weekly schedule of intense, mandatory raiding; and "casual" guilds, which are more flexible and usually raid for fewer days per week.[8][9]

## Rewards

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Completing raids usually rewards players with a variety of valuable or exclusive in-game loot.[1] These items are often unique gear pieces with superior stats or special abilities, providing strong incentives to participate. While some players are motivated by the social experience or the challenge, loot is widely regarded as the primary reason many engage in raiding.[10]

Commonly, there is not enough loot to reward every player individually, so players have invented various systems, such as Dragon kill points (DKP), to distribute loot fairly.[11][12] Games like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV include built-in systems that distribute loot using a random 1-to-100 die roll as well as a "need," "greed," and "pass" system.[13] Final Fantasy XIV also rewards players with tokens, a certain number of which can be exchanged for raid gear—a system comparable to a "pity" mechanic.[14]

## World-first races

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See also: Speedrunning

Raids are often the subject of so-called "world-first" races, in which guilds, groups of players or even esports teams compete to be the first to complete a newly released raid.[15][16] These races can take days to conclude and often amass thousands of viewers across various livestreaming platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.[17][18] Blizzard, the developers of World of Warcraft, have been holding formal world-first tournaments since 2007. Viewership for the world-first race for Battle For Azeroth's first raid peaked at 263,000 viewers in June 2025.[16]

## Noted raids

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An attempted raid in the game Final Fantasy XI against the Pandemonium Warden lasted 18 hours and reportedly resulted in players "passing out and getting physically ill."[19]

The winners of the world-first race for Final Fantasy XIV's "The Omega Protocol" raid were found to have cheated during their attempt, prompting a response from the game's director, Naoki Yoshida. At least one team member used a mod to extend their camera distance beyond the intended limit, providing a competitive advantage.[20][21]

## See also

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* Esports
* Instance dungeon
* Loot (video games)
* Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
* Speedrunning

## References

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1. ^ a b c d Nardi, Bonnie A. (2010), "What Is World of Warcraft and Who Plays It?", My Life as a Night Elf Priest, An Anthropological Account of World of Warcraft, University of Michigan Press, pp. 9–18, ISBN 978-0-472-07098-5, retrieved 2025-07-28
2. ^ Royce, Bree (2024-07-02). "The Daily Grind: How many players constitute a proper MMORPG raid? | Massively Overpowered". Retrieved 2025-07-23.
3. ^ Ross, Travis L.; Collister, Lauren B. (2014-07-01). "A social scientific framework for social systems in online video games: Building a better looking for raid loot system in World of Warcraft". Computers in Human Behavior. 36: 1. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.023. ISSN 0747-5632.
4. ^ "RAID | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary". Cambridge English Dictionary.
5. ^ "What is a Diku? » Raph's Website". Raphkoster.com. 10 January 2009. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
6. ^ "Rethinking the Trinity of MMO Design". Gamasutra.com. 17 December 2009. Archived from the original on 2015-05-20. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
7. ^ Jennings, Scott (2005-11-23). Massively Multiplayer Games For Dummies - Scott Jennings. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780471793113. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
8. ^ Nardi, Bonnie A. (2010), "An Ethnographic Investigation of World of Warcraft", My Life as a Night Elf Priest, An Anthropological Account of World of Warcraft, University of Michigan Press, p. 31, ISBN 978-0-472-07098-5, retrieved 2025-07-28
9. ^ Simon-Jones, Lindsey (2015). Studies in Medievalism XXIV: Medievalism on the Margins (New ed.). Boydell & Brewer. p. 220\. doi:10.7722/j.ctt12879b0.20. ISBN 978-1-84384-406-8.
10. ^ Simon-Jones 2015, p. 223-225.
11. ^ Simon-Jones 2015, p. 219.
12. ^ Simon-Jones 2015, p. 229-233.
13. ^ Ross, Travis L.; Collister, Lauren B. (2014-07-01). "A social scientific framework for social systems in online video games: Building a better looking for raid loot system in World of Warcraft". Computers in Human Behavior. 36: 5. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.023. ISSN 0747-5632.
14. ^ Thomas, Jackie (2022-01-11). "Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker's endgame is the same as ever, and that's a good thing". TechRadar. Retrieved 2025-07-23.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
15. ^ Silverman, M. (2006). Beyond fun in games: The serious leisure of the power gamer. Concordia University. p. 91. Quoted in Malone, 2007
16. ^ a b Serafico, Lawrence (2025-06-24). "World of Warcraft Esports 101: How the competitive scene works". Esports Insider. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
17. ^ Marshall, Cass (2019-07-09). "World of Warcraft's Race to World First raids are undergoing an ownership controversy". Polygon. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
18. ^ Bailey, Dustin (2025-03-17). "World of Warcraft's latest raid race ends in disappointment after 12 days with a final boss so lackluster the team who won was visibly confused to have beaten it". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
19. ^ Cavalli, Earnest. "Pandemonium Warden: Final Fantasy XI's 18 Hour Boss Battle". Wired.
20. ^ Diaz, Ana (2023-02-01). "Yoshi-P is 'extremely disappointed' that record-setting Final Fantasy 14 raid used mods". Polygon. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
21. ^ Siu, Jason (2023-01-30). "UNNAMED_ Unofficially Claims 'The Omega Protocol Ultimate' World's First in FFXIV". FullCleared. Retrieved 2025-07-23.