World of Warcraft has surprised players by putting the once-free Ash'adar, Harbinger of Dawn, on sale in the game's store for a limited time. This has worried fans who fear that the game's Trading Post might turn into a pay-to-play situation with exclusive items.
(Photo : Blizzard Entertainment / Screenshot taken from official website.)
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Trading Post Basics and Ash'adar's Return
The Trading Post, introduced last year, lets players do monthly tasks to earn currency for buying cool stuff from a rotating catalog. If players complete enough tasks, they get free items like Ash'adar, a color-changing cat mount that was initially free during the Trading Post's first month.
Now, Ash'adar is back, but not for free. From now until April 1, players can buy it in the in-game store for a hefty $25, and then it's gone from the store. This has players worried that future free Trading Post items might only return as limited-time deals you have to pay for.
A Problematic Trend and WoW's History with FOMO
This move with Ash'adar makes players wonder about the fate of other Trading Post rewards. While some items have come back in later months, Ash'adar being sold as a limited-time item suggests a change in how these special items will be available.
World of Warcraft has had problems with FOMO, where players feel pressured to play or spend more money to get exclusive items. Despite recent efforts to reduce this, bringing back Ash'adar as a limited-time item doesn't sit well with many players.
While there's a chance Ash'adar and other free Trading Post items might come back in different ways, right now, it seems like players who missed out might need to keep an eye on the store to avoid missing out again. This has players wondering if World of Warcraft is moving towards making more items exclusive and something you have to pay for.
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