The streamer Josh Strife Hayes is considered an MMORPG expert on YouTube. In a stream, he explains that Blizzard offered him a lot of money to promote the new expansion for World of Warcraft, The War Within, and why he declined.
What was the deal about?
- Josh Strife Hayes does not go into the exact circumstances of the deal, but it was apparently a lucrative advertising deal for the WoW expansion “The War Within”.
- According to Hayes, the deal would have been advantageous for him, as there were “a lot of zeros on the contract,” and he would have also met some people:
“I would have met people, and I’m sure they would have offered a truckload of money. The number of zeros on the contract was pretty impressive. But I just said: I don’t think my audience wants that.”
YouTuber prioritizes his content over personal luxury
Why did he decline? The YouTuber explains that he simply doesn’t need a lot of money. If he had wanted, he could have bought himself a Lamborghini or decorated his bathroom with gold two or three years ago.
He is not interested in that: It is important to him that he creates timeless good content and stands for his principles. A deal that would require him to retract previously made statements does not suit him.
Strife Hayes says he has always positioned himself against what modern MMORPGs stand for, so he can’t make a deal with Blizzard now.
Does he reject sponsorships in general? No, he says he has done advertising for products he can stand behind in the past, such as for Guild Wars 2.
And currently, he has a deal with GOG, which provides him with CD keys, and he says that he has keys from them. He values such deals, completely without a contract, as “Gentlemen’s Agreements,” from which both sides benefit.
Even Josh Strife Hayes has his price, it’s just very high
Would he advertise for WoW? Yes, he would. At around 10 million USD, he would weaken, he says.
Because then it would be about money that not only secures his livelihood but that of his family for 4 to 5 generations. Although he does not plan to have children, it still matters.
With the money, he could also do something good:
Ultimately, it’s a question: Profit or integrity. For what sum would I sell my integrity?
Strife Hayes says he does not condemn anyone who takes money to pay their bills. But for him, it was never the goal to earn as much money as quickly as possible.
He comes from humble beginnings. His parents fought their way up from the working class to the middle class in the UK. They had a car and a little house with a mortgage. He is doing well. And at the moment, he is saying “No” to many things because he is focused on developing the best content.
What bothers him about WoW? If you follow Josh Strife Hayes for a while, it’s probably the payment model. Here, Blizzard takes everything: full price for expansions, subscription model, and also a cash shop. Blizzard also charges for each service separately.
Hayes probably has difficulties standing behind such a monetized product with his face and name.
It could also be that as an MMORPG expert, he dislikes going into the mainstream and promoting the big players instead of an indie gem.
In September 2023, Blizzard received a rejection from Hayes when they wanted him to promote Hearthstone.
When asked how much advertising would cost him, Hayes replied Nothing
. He would gladly promote Hearthstone for free. However, the condition would be that they create a good game.
Instead of giving him money to praise Hearthstone, they should invest the money into the game and improve it. An MMORPG that Hayes actually promoted is inspired by WoW: New MMORPG wants to bring back the golden age with WoW – It could actually become something
