WoW Is Offering Paid Expansion Early Access For The First Time, And Fans Are Divided

gamespot.com:

The $90 Epic Edition of The War Within grants a three-day head start.

By Cameron Koch on

World of Warcraft's next expansion is The War Within, and for the first time ever, Blizzard will provide players who pay more with the ability to play the expansion early.

The standard version of The War Within, slated to arrive in Fall 2024, costs $50. A Heroic edition upgrade, which includes more Traders Tender currency to use in-game, a transmog set, and unique mount, is priced at $70. Shelling out $90 for the Epic edition includes everything from previous editions, but additionally includes a unique toy, pet, hearthstone effect, 30 days of game time, guaranteed beta access, and, most critically, three days of early access to the expansion.

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Now Playing: World of Warcraft — The War Within Expansion Announcement Cinematic

It's that last bit that has divided players in the WoW community, many of whom aren't exactly excited about the idea of a paid head start. Though Blizzard has long offered Heroic and Epic editions with added bells and whistles, they've always only granted additional cosmetics or bundled together game time. Paying more money to play a game early isn't uncommon in recent years and has become an increasingly common practice. It is, however, more uncommon for community-focused MMOs where the act of playing is somewhat of a shared experience, though it does happen. Final Fantasy XIV grants early access to players who preorder, for example, and Lost Ark, despite being free-to-play, let players pay for early access.

Gett