In a few days, World of Warcraft will finally see the release of Patch 9.1.5. However, it has little content – and that concerns players. Is it just a “FOMO” patch?
For weeks, the patch has been hotly debated in the WoW community. If it’s not the removal of jokes and flirt lines that overshadows the discourse, then it’s the actual content being discussed. And that’s where the concern lies, because the upcoming Patch 9.1.5 is quite meager.
What is the problem with Patch 9.1.5? The problem is that Patch 9.1.5 lacks a real “selling point,” nothing with the drawing power that can truly keep players engaged for a long time. Although there are a number of improvements that make grinds more pleasant and the game smoother – at its core, the update only enhances content that players have already extensively played for nearly 4 months, which even some hardcore fans find tedious.
It’s good that this content is being improved – but mainly for players who haven’t experienced it yet. And that’s likely to be a very small portion. Returnees could be a potential target group. But can returnees really be lured back to WoW with the promise that the patch fundamentally brings only the Timewalking: Legion and otherwise rehashes old content?
That a time-limited event is the highlight of Patch 9.1.5 has led many players in the WoW subreddit to conclude: It’s just a FOMO patch.
What does “FOMO” mean? The term “FOMO” comes more or less from the marketing world and stands for “Fear of Missing Out.”
It typically concerns time-limited offers that intentionally play on potential customers’ fear of missing something important and possibly never having the chance again, or getting it after a very long time, if they do not play the patch immediately.
In the context of MMORPGs, this “FOMO” often occurs with one-time events, but also with shop offers. For instance, World of Warcraft has in the past removed certain mounts from the shop and sold them with a “Goodbye” bundle and the indirect “threat” that the mounts may never return.
Content in WoW Patch 9.1.5 is only active at certain times
What does this have to do with Patch 9.1.5? For many WoW players, Patch 9.1.5 is precisely such a “FOMO” patch, as the main feature is the Timewalking: Legion along with the Mage Tower. However, this is only active every 18 weeks for one week – with the exception of the first time, as the event lasts for 2 weeks then.
The new cosmetics, which can only be earned each year for 3 weeks, since the event returns every 18 weeks, are thus perceived as a “FOMO” measure. Many players do not understand why Timewalking is not permanently active so that everyone can experience the content whenever they want.
The criticism from some players: Blizzard has only introduced this “FOMO content” to have people sign up for a WoW subscription briefly in the 4th quarter of the year so that it looks good in the quarterly figures later, even if they effectively only want to experience the 2 weeks of the event.
What do you think about Patch 9.1.5? Do you find the content okay? Or is it all too focused on “FOMO” and therefore annoying?
