WoW Forever's Chinese shop is already selling a paid XP advantage
One bundle includes an upgraded tent that accumulates rested XP four times faster.
Only two days left until you can finally play World of Warcraft: Forever!
If you are like us, you are probably extremely hyped about starting this game and spending weeks leveling your character, getting new transmogs, discovering the new zones, and reaching the endgame.
But even before WoW Forever launches globally, its Chinese version is already getting two paid launch bundles that do not seem to be coming to the global version.
Elspeth@elssosobado𝕏CN #WoWForever is getting two launch bundles. The starter pack is about $19 USD for 30 days of game time, four 10-slot bags, two 12-slot bags, 30 repair bots and leveling supplies.
The $133 annual bundle comes with extra transmog and pets, and a camp tent that accumulates rested…
The small bundle is 128 yuan (around $19) and includes:
30 days of game time
Four 10-slot bags
Two 12-slot bags
30 repair bots
Food, drinks, healing, and mana potions.
The more expensive option costs 888 yuan (around $125-133) and includes:
365 days of game time
A few transmogs
An exclusive pet
An upgraded camping tent that accumulates rested XP four times faster than a regular one
That is a gameplay advantage attached to an optional purchase in a game that already requires a subscription. And it is safe to say that this is not making players happy.
The offers appear to be exclusive to China for now. However, the content still raised questions about regional differences, additional monetisation, and how far Blizzard is willing to go with paid advantages in Forever.
A Controversial Tent
The tent is probably the one item that is annoying players in these bundles.
In Forever, you have a camping system that lets you gain rested XP while taking a break at a camp.
But this new version apparently speeds that up by four times. So you essentially get a really faster XP boost for the $130.
That does not mean you earn four times as much XP from everything you do, though. Rested XP doubles experience gained from killing enemies until the stored bonus runs out. So it will not increase the direct XP you gain from completing quests, for example.
Still, being able to build up that bonus much faster gives paying players an advantage during levelling.
It could also help them reach level 60 and start running dungeons and raids sooner. On PvP realms, getting ahead of other players during the levelling race could offer another advantage, even if the tent does not directly improve a character's combat stats or gear.
Why Does China Get Exclusive WoW Forever Rewards?
Price and advantage aside, there is another detail that is not making global players happy.
The bundles have no equivalent offer currently announced for Europe or North America.
This is not the first time Blizzard's Chinese games have received different promotional offers and exclusive rewards. Overwatch constantly has China-specific cosmetics and promotions, for example.
It can be explained by regional publishing and monetisation arrangements, since those are not always the same, so some offers are just not available for everyone.
Still, that does not make the difference any less painful for those who are left out. Especially because Global never seems to get the same treatment. If we got similar bundles with just different items, fewer players would complain. But for many, it looks like Blizzard is putting more effort into one side and leaving the other one hanging.
It is understandable why some question why Chinese players get access to additional rewards and gameplay benefits that are not available on their servers.
Of course, so far it is impossible to know if these bundles will really stay CN-server exclusive, or if an equivalent will be added to global. But given launch is in 2 days, it will most likely not be the case.
Is WoW Forever Going to Be Pay-To-Win?
Even if this is only for CN servers, it does raise one last question... Is Forever going to be P2W?
Access to the game already requires a World of Warcraft subscription or game time
You can also purchase optional upgrade editions for the global release, which include cosmetics, pets, mounts and other extras.
Those offers have already attracted some criticism, but cosmetic rewards are a different matter from selling a faster way to level.
The CN annual bundle crosses that line by including an item that provides a gameplay benefit unavailable at the same rate through the base game.
It is not a direct combat advantage, and it does not automatically make someone better at PvP or raiding. However, faster rested XP accumulation can save time and help players progress ahead of others.
That is why many are already describing the offer as pay-to-win. The label can be debated, but the underlying concern is legitimate. Paying for an advantage in character progression is a different thing from paying for another transmog set or pet.
A lot of people were hoping Forever would remove the optional purchases entirely, or at least keep them focused on cosmetics. Retail WoW already has a big shop-driven monetisation.
None of this proves that the same monetization is coming to global servers, but they do raise questions about the direction Blizzard is willing to take with the game.
For more information about WoW Forever, check out our latest news.