In some countries, the subscription costs for World of Warcraft have risen drastically. Now players here are also concerned that the costs will increase.
World of Warcraft is one of the few games that still relies on a subscription model after more than 15 years. Those who want to play must pay for their game time. For some players, the price is also what deters them from WoW. Now WoW is raising subscription costs in several countries.
What has happened? In recent days, there have been some reports about changes to the sales models for game time at Blizzard. Some countries are facing drastic price increases, particularly regarding the subscription for World of Warcraft. So far, there have been significant price hikes in Russia and Brazil:
- In Russia, the subscription costs for monthly payments will increase by 18%.
- The longest subscription (6 months) will become 30% more expensive in Russia.
- In Brazil, the subscription costs for monthly payments will rise by 25%.
- The longest subscription (6 months) will become 34% more expensive in Brazil.
At the same time, Blizzard is slightly lowering the costs of additional services, such as character renaming or server transfer.
However, it should be noted: Almost all players have to pay monthly subscription costs; additional services are only of interest to a fraction of the players. Many people will therefore bear a heavier financial burden.
Is Germany also affected? So far not. In Germany, the subscription costs remain at €13 per month and are somewhat cheaper for those who commit for several months. Even after 15 years, the costs here have not increased. One can only hope that this will continue to be the case.
The change comes almost parallel to the announcement, that Blizzard has massively restricted the offers for game time in the Battle.net shop. The intention behind this seems to be clear. More players should commit to a subscription, which is also increasing in price in some countries.
But let’s ask our community: Would you still play WoW if the subscription price were to rise by about 25%, i.e., to €16?
If you want to elaborate on your answer a bit, please leave a comment.
Series of negative reports continues
In recent weeks, reports related to World of Warcraft and Blizzard have been increasing again, portraying the company in a negative light: Many people were recently laid off at Blizzard while the CEO pockets a hefty bonus. Furthermore, the next Patch 9.1 seems to be a long way off.
All of this currently gives many WoW players a rather bad feeling, overshadowing even announcements like the start of the beta for Burning Crusade.
