World of Warcraft is getting more expensive, everything costs more gold – but you get less of it. But is that really true?
In World of Warcraft, it is sometimes like in the real world – without money, not much works. Gold is basically needed for almost all activities in the game, even if it’s just to repair equipment. However, farming gold in World of Warcraft has become tougher – at least that is the opinion of some people in the various forums of the game. But is that really the case?
What is the current problem? Looking at the official forums or the WoW subreddit, a post appears every few days complaining that you earn too little gold in World of Warcraft to cover the “running costs” for endgame activities, such as repairs, enchants, or buff food. It is claimed to be harder than ever to earn solid gold to engage with the content that is enjoyable.
When was it better? Looking back at the history of World of Warcraft, the best time for earning gold was probably around a year into the “Warlords of Draenor” expansion. Here, players could earn massive amounts of gold through the garrison. Quests sometimes offered several thousand gold pieces as rewards – and those who played many characters could maximize their yield. Some amassed many millions back then and still benefit from it today.
This period was not healthy for the game’s economy, even though some may long for it today.
What is the real problem? If you look at the comments from different players, the opportunities to earn gold are actually no different than in recent years. The problem is rather that gold must be actively earned and engaged with. Many endgame activities don’t provide a passive gold flow that ensures a stable income.
Those who primarily play mythic dungeons or raids need to upgrade their equipment. Not just repairs, but also enchants, gems, weapon oils, and buff food must be purchased to truly participate.
However, raids and dungeons do not generate much gold themselves. A “Mythic+” dungeon gives only a meager 54 gold as a “consolation prize,” and a raid boss usually provides a similar amount. Wiping once usually incurs higher costs already.
Additionally, there are further spending opportunities. The professions system has NPC quests that reward you with profession knowledge upon completion. However, you often need to buy materials to complete them.
Most players wish they could earn gold in the activities they primarily play – meaning that “Mythic+” and “raids” would automatically cover the necessary gold costs required for this content.
You have to “work” for gold – that’s always been the case
Gold has always been a limited resource in World of Warcraft, primarily gained through one thing: time. You invest time by farming something. Whether it’s completing quests, gathering herbs and ores, or special items that others buy.
What often surprises me in the discussion is the lack of ability to see things holistically. People complain that enchants in the auction house cost 25,000 gold – that it’s way too much and that one can’t earn that much gold.
The answer to that: Yes, you can. Just be an enchanter and use your profession.
Every profession in World of Warcraft can currently generate a solid gold stream that can cover the costs in the game.
The only thing you have to spend for that is time.
Of course, we can debate whether that is still contemporary (Ha, pun!). I understand people who say: Hey, I just want to play Mythic+ or raids. I don’t want to have to farm gold to then be able to play the content I enjoy.
But I believe that this is an essential part of an MMORPG with a player-driven market. If gold didn’t matter, then many systems in the game would be inappropriate, and the whole MMORPG surrounding it would need to be overhauled.
How can you earn gold in WoW? There are many ways to do so, each with varying efficiency. Here are some simple ideas that anyone can do:
- World quests: Some world quests offer a daily gold reward of 800 gold or more, usually earned in under 2 minutes.
- Weekly tasks: The reward boxes from most weekly tasks grant 1,000 gold and more.
- Farm wax: Collect wax deposits. These almost always contain crafting materials that you can sell in the auction house. You can exchange the wax and buy a bag with crafting materials – for example, ores. It always contains a zero stone, which is worth several thousand gold.
If you need more detailed tips on gold farming in The War Within, our guide can help.
Conclusion: Gold is a problem if you don’t want to deal with it
World of Warcraft has changed. While previously many players played “the whole game,” many are now focused on individual content – for example, they only log in for raids or Mythic+.
However, these are content types that generate no gold at all – because they primarily generate rewards in the form of better equipment. That’s what these contents are primarily there for.
Gold does not come without some form of effort – otherwise, the inflation in the game would be even greater than it currently is. Therefore, one must specifically set aside some time with the intention: “I’m going to do something that earns me gold”.
It doesn’t have to be much time. With half an hour a week, you can usually cover ongoing costs already. And for those who cannot even accept the idea of spending time to earn gold – there’s always the WoW token and thus the option of using real money. Though opinions on that vary.
What is your experience with gold in World of Warcraft? Do you find it too exhausting to cover the daily costs in the game right now? Or are you one of those savvy auction house pros, who within seconds rake in millions of gold because they catch the perfect time?
