Dragonflight unsettles fans of World of Warcraft and major streamers. Does it really have to be that expensive? And isn’t it too early?
The next expansion of World of Warcraft has a rough release date and has already received a price tag. Later in the year 2022, players are supposed to go to the dragon islands – at least if they pay the rather high price of the expansion. Some streamers are also mocking this or expressing their concerns.
The biggest criticism is the worry that Dragonflight will be released in an unfinished state. Because Blizzard promising to release the expansion still in 2022 means that there can be at most a beta period of 6 months – and only if the beta starts in the next few days. After all, 2022 is already almost halfway done.
Many fear that Blizzard is heading straight into the next disaster and that fans will be presented with another “unfinished” expansion that will then have to be brought to a playable state with several patches.
Has WoW become more expensive? Here’s how prices have changed
Comparing the Euro amount players have to pay for the Dragonflight experience, there is definitely a noticeable price increase, especially in relation to the last addon, Shadowlands. The cheapest versions, namely the “Base Edition” of the last expansions, cost:
- Battle for Azeroth – 44.99 €
- Shadowlands – 39.99 €
- Dragonflight – 49.99 €
In comparison to Battle for Azeroth, the price for the cheapest entry has risen by 5 €, whereas compared to Shadowlands, it has even increased by a significant 10 €. It is also important to note that the Base Edition of Battle for Azeroth included a character boost – something that was missing in both the Base Editions of Shadowlands and Dragonflight. So, in direct comparison to Shadowlands, the price has risen by a substantial 25 %.
Heroic Edition is 33 % more expensive
Similarly, the price has also changed for the other versions. Comparing the next version, the “Heroic Edition,” the following prices are observed. It should be noted that Battle for Azeroth did not have a “Heroic” or “Epic” version, but only a “Digital Deluxe” variant.
- Battle for Azeroth – 59.99 € (Digital Deluxe)
- Shadowlands – 54.99 €
- Dragonflight – 69.99 €
The Heroic Edition has thus also become significantly more expensive. The increase from Shadowlands to Dragonflight is a whopping 33 %. However, it should also be mentioned that the transmog set from Shadowlands was available to players who did not purchase any of the special versions.
Epic Edition is another 15 € more expensive
Finally, looking at the most expensive digital variant, the Epic Edition. Again, it is important to note that it didn’t even exist in Battle for Azeroth, which is why the Digital Deluxe is listed for comparison here as well.
- Battle for Azeroth – 59.99 € (Digital Deluxe)
- Shadowlands – 74.99 €
- Dragonflight – 89.99 €
The price difference for the most expensive version is significant. Compared to the Digital Deluxe of Battle for Azeroth, you pay a proud 50 % more – that is, 30 €. The comparison from Shadowlands to Dragonflight is a bit milder, here you only pay 15 € more, which is around 20 %.
It is therefore not surprising that there is a lot of criticism regarding the new prices for World of Warcraft. Especially major streamers, such as Asmongold, are mocking the high price – which, by the way, is identical in Euro and Dollar.
Of course, Asmongold’s criticism of Diablo Immortal also plays into this. When he says, “that looks like 800 % additional value,” it is obvious that he does not like this pricing policy that Blizzard has displayed in the last months.
Is Dragonflight coming too early?
The second major criticism is the targeted release date of Dragonflight. Although there is no specific date yet, Blizzard has already imposed the ultimatum of “by December 31, 2022” with the pre-order.
This means that Dragonflight will only have a relatively short beta phase of a maximum of 6 months and then must be finished.
Many immediately think of horror scenarios of unfinished features and wish that Blizzard would take its time. Many see the commitment to such an early date with concern.
As a counterargument, it is often mentioned that Dragonflight likely does not need such a long beta phase – as the expansion has significantly fewer “new features” that need to be extensively tested. The biggest projects here are likely the reshaping of the talent system and dragon flying. Other features that usually consume a lot of development time (such as covenants, warfronts, islands, azerite armor) will not be present.
Not very helpful is also the fact that Blizzard showed almost no gameplay during the first presentation of Dragonflight. Apart from a few animations of the Dracthyr, there were mainly landscapes to admire. Even though Blizzard says that development has progressed well, players have seen very little of it so far.
Real reassurance can probably only come with the start of the beta, when players can see for themselves how good Dragonflight really looks – or how terrible. Until then, it would probably be wise to approach Dragonflight with healthy skepticism and to think carefully about a pre-order.
What do you think about all this?
