Common Problems
Error: "You are ineligible to participate in at least one encounter in this instance because you are already locked to an instance in which it has been defeated"Raid lockouts limit the number of times a character can kill a boss in a week with a chance at obtaining loot. Whenever you join a raid instance in progress, a pop-up will appear and detail:
- What lockout system the instance is set to
- If you will get immediately saved or not
- How many bosses have been killed already
You will then need to accept or decline being saved to the group's progress. If you decline, you will be teleported out of the instance. If you accept:
- If it's a strict instance-based lockout, you will get saved immediately
- If it's a flexible boss-based lockout you will get saved only after you kill at least one boss
- If it's a loot-based lockout, you can repeat the raid as many times as you wish, your save only affects if you get loot
Please note that while under the effects of Chromie's Timewalking Campaigns, you will be unable to enter raids. You can disable "Chromie Time" from your faction's Capital City (Orgrimmar or Stormwind.)
Loot-based lockout
- You can kill a boss as many times per week as you like, but only loot it once per difficulty.
- Anyone can join anyone’s instance.
- Bosses are never locked to you, and you can always go back and kill them later even if you’ve skipped them by joining a group that had progressed further.
- Raid sizes can be anywhere from 10 to 30 players, and difficulty automatically scales to match.
Strict instance-based lockout
- 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.
- You may not switch between 10-player and 25-player raid size once locked to one size or the other (does not apply to Mythic, which is 20-player only).
Strict instance-based lockout
- 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.
- You may not switch between 10-player and 25-player raid size once locked to one size or the other (does not apply to Mythic, which is 20-player only).
Flexible boss-based lockout
- You can only kill a boss once per week, and you may not enter an instance where a boss is alive that you have already defeated that week.
- You can move from group to group during a week as long as you’re joining instances that don’t have bosses alive you’ve already killed.
- If you enter an instance that is more progressed than your own and get saved to it, you will be locked to all prior bosses.
- You can move between 10 and 25 raid size, given these constraints.
Note: For Siege of Orgrimmar, please see Newer Normal or Heroic
Strict instance-based lockout
- 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.
- You may not switch between 10-player and 25-player raid size once locked to one size or the other (does not apply to Mythic, which is 20-player only).
Note: For Siege of Orgrimmar, please see Newer Normal or Heroic
Loot-based lockout
- You can kill a boss as many times per week as you like, but only loot it once per difficulty.
- Anyone can join anyone’s instance.
- Bosses are never locked to you, and you can always go back and kill them later even if you’ve skipped them by joining a group that had progressed further.
- Raid sizes can be anywhere from 10 to 30 players, and difficulty automatically scales to match.
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.
Please log in to submit feedback.
Did you find this article helpful?
Great! Help us improve. Please rate the following from a scale of 1 to 5 stars:
Sorry to hear that! We'd like to know what's wrong. Please check any which apply:
Thanks for your feedback!