As the years went by, Blizzard Entertainment would come to employ this format during the content drought periods of an expansion pack, offeringWorld of Warcraftplayers exclusive mounts and transmogrification outfits in exchange for guaranteeing their subscription for the next six months of the game’s content cycle. These subscription offers became frequent enough that many players started to take notice, and even criticize what they felt was a predatory business practice.
RELATED:World Of Warcraft Mount Revealed as a Twitch Drop Reward
The rewards introduced through this twelve-month subscription are: Telix the Stormhorn, a lightning-themed beetle that functions as a flying mount; a Gargantuan Grrloc ground mount in the shape of everyWarcraftfan’s favorite amphibian; the Nether-Gorged Greatwyrm mount from the recent six-month subscription program; and a Lunar New Year pet reward that Blizzard has yet to reveal. Furthermore,Wrath of the Lich King Classicplayerswill receive an exclusive Festering Emerald Drake mount, a Tabard of the Flame, and a different Lunar New Year pet from the retail version.
While there will always be an argument that these high-qualityWorld of Warcraftmountsshould come as in-game rewards rather than store purchases, the timing of introducing a twelve-month subscription incentive less than four weeks away from the launch of a new expansion is curious. Players are already worried that likeShadowlands,Dragonflightwill also have a long content drought before its first major patch drops. Though Ion Hazzikostas went on record saying that content cycles inDragonflightwould be better handled, the precedent introduced inShadowlandsstill remains.
World of Warcraftis available now for PC.Dragonflightlaunches on November 28.
MORE:World of Warcraft: Some Lesser Known Changes that Came with the Dragonflight Pre-Patch
