On February 1, World of Warcraft's brand-new Trading Post feature will finally open its doors. This feature was announced at the end of last year, and it will serve as a nice bit of evergreen content that will allow players to unlock a treasure trove of new cosmetics for their characters. These cosmetics will come from the cash shop, retired promotions, and never-before-seen pieces of content. It feels like a fantastic new addition to World of Warcraft, but not everything about it is perfect.
The Trading Post is unlike anything that Blizzard has added to the game, and it will really help bring old cosmetics to the masses. If it works then it has the chance to be one of the first bits of content that carryovers to the next expansion, and the community seems very excited about it. However, Blizzard has also chosen to limit this feature with a monthly cap and hefty prices. This feels like it will hurt the overall enjoyment of it, and may prevent it from being as good as it can be.
The Trading Post Opens Old Transmog to the Masses
The Trading Post will serve as a way for players to earn all sorts of fun cosmetics for their characters. It will offer all sorts of different mounts, transmog, and pets for players to claim every month. Some of these offerings will be from the cash shop or retired promotions, and some of it will be brand-new. It will allow Blizzard to pump out new cosmetics beyond the current expansion's central theme, and will give players a reason to keep logging in every month. The best part about the entire feature is that players will be able to obtain these items just by playing the game.
Every month, players will have a list of activities that they can do to earn Trader's Tender. These activities range from completing quests and running Mythic+ dungeons to participating in holidays and emoting. Players will also obtain some free tender just by logging into World of Warcraft. This tender can then be spent on cosmetics at the Trading Post, and players can track all the different activities they can do via the new Traveler's Log. It sounds like a fantastic way to earn new cosmetics, but it also has a pretty glaring fault that may hurt it in the long run.
It is Impossible for Players to Get Everything the Post Offers
Players can only earn 1,000 Traveler's Tender a month, and that limit is account wide. Players with multiple characters cannot farm more, and once they hit the cap they will have to wait until the next month to earn tender again. Players will be given free tender just for owning Dragonflight and for being subscribed, but their activity earnings are capped. While 1,000 may seem like a lot, the prices at the Trading Post seem to paint a very different picture.
The Trading Post's cosmetics seem to be very pricey, and the monthly cap on tender will make it impossible for players to buy everything. The catalog will reset every month, and that means that players may lose out on items they want. Instead of being able to buy things at their leisure, players will be forced to pick and choose what cosmetics they want the most. They will only be able to freeze one item from the rotation, and they will want to choose wisely. If the price of the Celestial Steed is anything to go by, players may only be able to buy one or two items per month.
There is nothing wrong about a monthly rotating catalog, but the monthly cap on tender may hurt players' overall enjoyment of the Trading Post. They should be able to buy what they want, and be able to earn as much tender as they want. Capping tender makes it so that players can only really interact with this system for a limited amount of time. This feels like it will take away a bit of the fun factor of this unique new feature, but time will tell.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC.