As it approaches its 21st anniversary, World of Warcraft is facing some controversy surrounding its latest update. Developer Blizzard has confirmed that WoW is introducing a new housing-related virtual currency “Hearthsteel” with its upcoming Midnight expansion, and users are concerned it could become a microtransaction trap on a game that already costs $15 a month to play.
In its post, Blizzard said the goal of the new currency is to allow players to purchase “multiple items at once” while providing “financial protections” for the parties involved. “You may want to have a full set of chairs around a dining table, several place settings for your guest. [or]“…many candles,” the company wrote. “Using an in-game currency can help make the process of obtaining many of these types of cheap items more efficient.”
Blizzard has clarified that players will be able to purchase Hearthsteel with their Battle.net balance and in-game gold via WoW Tokens. This will also keep the Hearthsteel item catalog small compared to what you can earn through the game. “Housing items tied to the core fantasies of a player’s race or class, or that already exist in Azeroth, will not be sold in the store,” the blog states. “Important themed settings that players know and love will also not appear in the store.”
The Hearthsteel currency was first discovered by dataminers, and now that Blizzard has confirmed it, players are worried. “It’s not even about the currency,” said one WoW Reddit user. “This is a large and dedicated part of the player base that has been screaming for years that we don’t want the game to go in this direction and here it is.”
It’s hard to look at the new currency without thinking about Microsoft’s recent executive order regarding its Xbox division. Last month, the software giant reportedly implemented a “general target” of 30% profit margin for its gaming division, which it internally calls “liability margins.” That’s a figure well above Xbox’s average over the past six years of between 10 and 20 percent.
