World of Warcraftwas once the unbeatable kingpin of the MMORPG genre. Many competitors have launched and died in the timeWorld of Warcrafthas been around, but times are changing with other high-quality MMOs pulling players in, a loss of faith by many players, ongoing lawsuits, and now Microsoft’s acquisition of Activison Blizzard. This is a turbulent time for the aging MMO, which makes it the perfect time for Microsoft to shake up its formula.
World of Warcraftinvites players into an expansive fantasy world with a story spanning 28 years, starting in 1994 withWarcraft: Orcs & Humans. This world is known as Azeroth, and has created fun memoriesand countless Internet memesfor millions of players. The game has changed with eight different expansion packs, but one thing has remained constant throughout the entire lifespan is its the cost of entry.
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The Cost of World of Warcraft
To access the world of Azeroth, players must spend $15 USD per month, or they can purchase a multi-month subscription with discounts. On top of the subscription cost, whenever a brand-new expansion rolls around Blizzard asks for anywhere between $40 to $80. If that wasn’t enough, there is also theoption to purchase certain mounts, cosmetics, items, and pets through a shop with real-world money.
This cost to enter isn’t unique toWorld of Warcraft.Elder Scrolls Onlinehas a subscription option for $15 USD/month,Final Fantasy 14 Onlinecharges $15 USD/month, and even the classic MMORuneScapehas an option for $11 USD/month. The monthly cost that these games charge usually go to server maintenance, content creation, and all the employees that run a game of that magnitude. It allows the developers to keep creating without filling the experience with microtransactions. However, when that game content begins to falter, players become less inclined to pay the fee.
World of Warcraft’s Falling Fanbase
In recent years, many conversations aroundWorld of Warcrafthave beenplayers airing their grievances. People have expressed feeling forgotten, that the game has become too focused on keeping players logged in with a blander story. Some have been leaving to other titles they feel provide the content thatWorld of Warcraftis missing, which has contributed to the rise ofFinal Fantasy 14andThe Elder Scrolls Online.
World of Warcrafthas also begun totime gate certain content. Instead of allowing players to complete the content how and when they want, the game has put barriers up so they cannot complete it until real-world time has passed. This applies to story chapters that last for weeks, the need to max out faction reputations before gaining power, or even daily quests that are needed to progress.
The world of Azerothalso feels a lot smaller to players as each expansion throws them into a completely new area, ignoring all the previous landmasses that make up the world. The current expansion,Shadowlands, brought players to an entirely different dimension. To some it feels no longer like theWorld of Warcraft,but instead the Islands of Warcraft.
When players feel abandoned by a game, they’re less likely to justify paying $15 per month. While active player counts are not clear after Blizzard stopped sharing them in 2015, it’s likelyWorld of Warcraftfans have been dropping the game. The last time Blizzard reported the numbers was around 5.5 million players, a nine-year low for the game. Since then, the fanbase has only gotten louder.
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Ongoing Activision Blizzard Lawsuits
Last year the California Department of Fair Employment and Housingfiled a lawsuit against Activision Blizzardover sexual harassment and a “frat boy” culture at the company. There were calls to boycott Activision Blizzard games, which includesWorld of Warcraft. Virtual sit-ins and log-outs alike were staged across the MMO, and many content creators even begun focusing on other titles.
The lawsuits are still ongoing, with Activision Blizzard attempting torebuild its critical public imageby hiring, firing, and changing policies. But the damage has been done, and angry fans who wanted to leaveWorld of Warcraftwere given a bigger reason to do so.
Game Pass Could Save World of Warcraft
Despite that aforementioned news, early this yearMicrosoft announced it will purchase Activison Blizzardin the gaming industry’s largest acquisition ever. This worried many, as it has a huge effect for some of the largest video game franchises on the planet, but it may just be the perfect thing forWorld of Warcraft.
World of Warcraftis available now on PC.
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