In the in-game shop of World of Warcraft, toys will soon be available for purchase. This doesn’t sit well with some players.
In recent weeks and months, the in-game shop of World of Warcraft has faced a lot of criticism. The poor timing of the release of an otherwise beautiful mount caused angry players. The “farewell package”, in which items will “disappear from the shop for an indefinite time,” sparked a huge discussion.
Now Blizzard has revealed the next step for the in-game shop, stating that toys will soon be available for purchase in the shop.
What happened? Blizzard has unveiled its eSports plans for 2019 in World of Warcraft. This year, there will once again be an arena championship for PvP players. Additionally, the “Mythic Dungeon International,” an evolution of the “Mythic Dungeon Invitationals,” where teams can qualify to complete challenging “Mythic+” dungeons as quickly as possible.
Both tournaments will feature a prize pool, which will be funded not only by a fixed amount but also from another source – new toys in the in-game shop.
Toys for cash: Throughout spring 2019 (between April and June), Blizzard plans to add two new toys to the in-game shop. A portion of the revenue generated will go towards the prize pool of the two tournaments. Which toys these will be, their costs, and how much will go towards the prize pool have not yet been announced.
The community is dissatisfied: The current feedback in the forums and on Reddit is quite critical. Many players do not understand why they should pay extra for in-game toys. After all, World of Warcraft not only has a purchase price but also monthly subscription fees. The fact that more and more types of collectible items are ending up in the shop is hard for many to understand. This seems more fitting for a free-to-play title, not for a game with monthly costs.
There are also positive voices: However, there are some players who fundamentally like this idea. They would like a way to support the two eSports tournaments and thereby the winning teams. With the toys in the shop, there is then an opportunity to show appreciation by contributing to the prize pool.
Cortyn says: Honestly, this decision bothers me quite a bit. I love collecting toys, whether it’s through difficult achievements, long farming, or various events. Having to spend real money to fill gaps in my collection is very frustrating – even though it’s possible, as usual, to buy it with gold using the WoW Token. I hope that the situation with the toys remains an isolated case.
What do you think about Blizzard expanding the in-game shop with even more offers? Is it a good or necessary thing, and is it okay in connection with eSports? Or is it further exploitation of a game that already has high costs?
Stay informed: If you don’t want to miss any news about World of Warcraft, give a like on our WoW Facebook page and always be the first to know.
