Can you have fun alone in an MMORPG like World of Warcraft? Many swear by it – and experience WoW as a single-player game.
World of Warcraft is an MMORPG. This means that there are plenty of other players and social interaction is part of everyday life – or is it not? Many find their joy in WoW by simply playing solo and letting the world sink in. A YouTuber shares how this has shaped her perception of Azeroth and provided her with a whole new gaming experience.
The Classic realms are quite popular:
Who is this about? The streamer and YouTuber Angelikatosch published a video about WoW a few days ago that received a relatively high number of views. In it, she talks about her experiences in World of Warcraft Classic and how she has found enjoyment in the hardcore game mode.
Like most, she used to play WoW with other people. However, over time her guild fell apart, and friends and acquaintances logged in less frequently. With the transition from chat programs to other forms, such as from Skype to Discord, many found they were not in touch anymore and many adults simply had less time.
This is probably how many who have played WoW for years felt. From a large, vibrant friend circle in the game, there were increasingly fewer people. And finding “new connections” again is not so simple; it takes time and energy and is also not easy for introverted people even in the online space.
How can you still have fun? Angelikatosch tells that she found her joy in hardcore WoW – long before the official hardcore realms existed. Like many other players, she imposed hardcore rules on herself through special addons: No trading, no auction house, no groups. Everything had to be done by oneself.
Even Blizzard has recognized this and explains how to best experience WoW completely solo.
This playstyle has brought her joy in WoW back and allowed her to appreciate the game world even more. Because of the hardcore threat and the fact that she doesn’t care what others achieve in the game, an interesting environment is created. There is no competition with other players, and the speed of the journey is determined only by oneself. In conclusion, she says about this experience:
There is nothing wrong with spending time alone and learning to enjoy things for yourself and on your own. I believe that if you learn to enjoy things alone, it will also help you build more meaningful relationships in the long run – in the game and in the real world. Because if you don’t enjoy spending time with yourself, why would others?
Do many people play WoW solo? Yes, World of Warcraft is for many players almost a purely solo game. This is because one can accomplish a lot very successfully alone in both Classic (such as in Hardcore) and in The War Within. The vast majority of the content can be handled solo and in the end it also depends on what one finds joy in. Whether it’s achievements in Retail or leveling a profession in Classic – achieving self-set goals alone can be a very fulfilling experience.
How do you experience World of Warcraft? Are you among those who exclusively play solo? Or could you not imagine a game like World of Warcraft without social interactions, friends, and guilds? In our survey, we found out, that 75% prefer to play solo.
