World of Warcraft removes paid extensions for a subscription only model

Some MMORPGs are free-to-play. Others require that players buy the game and its extensions but do not need to subscribe. Now, World of Warcraft is trying something a little different.

Today is the last day of the Amazon Prime Day sale, and a ton of video games are available at a low price, including the giant who is World of Warcraft and all six (soon to be seven) of his expansions . Well, if you bought one of these items, you did not technically buy any game, just a piece of cardboard that you can put on a shelf.

According to many sites, including Polygon and PcGamesN, Blizzard Entertainment is abandoning World's Warcraft Expansion Model. Well, it still releases the expansions – including the upcoming Battle for Azeroth expansion – and shows no sign of stopping, but players do not have to buy real games. Now all extensions are "free" with a monthly subscription. Regardless of whether you want to cross Northrend as Death Knight in Wrath of the Lich King, kill the dreaded Deathwing Black Dragon in Cataclysm, or give the space-time continuum to Major in Warlords of Dreanor, you can do anything for just $ 15 a month. You do not even need to buy the basic game anymore.

Blizzard has already removed all extensions from its online store and only presents players with three World of Warcraft purchases: the subscription, the Battle for Azeroth extension the only exception to 'expansions are free with a subscription rule "), and the complete collection of $ 60 that comes with 30 days of playing time. Oh, and the $ 80 Deluxe Digital Edition. Amazon has already noticed this and updated all extensions to display the word "OBSOLETE" next to their titles and include the following description:

• Customers do not need to buy this item for access content from World of Warcraft
• This content is now included for free for all players who buy the base game
• We recommend you to buy this if you are interested in having a copy of the box in Your game collection

This news, either by planning or coincidence, coincides with the release of the pre-patch Battle for Azeroth which includes new character customization options (including the ability to finally create orcs that do not not lean, a boon for chiropractors who play), events, and an updated PvP system.

Despite the popularity of World of Warcraft, entering the game was probably a daunting task for newcomers. Not only do extensions add hundreds of hours of content to the game, but trying to buy them is a murder on the wallet. This new model, although it will probably annoy all players who have already purchased the extensions, will reduce the barrier of entry for new players.

The Battle for Azeroth extension will be available on August 14th.