In light of recent events, Blizzard announced that World of Warcraft is about to get more expensive in some parts of the globe. While only specific regions and audiences will see these adjustments for World of Warcraft, the impending changes did not sit well with gamers globally, especially considering the affected countries in question.Though the price of video games and subscriptions has generally increased since World of Warcraft first launched in 2004, due to inflation and other factors, the game's recurring monthly subscription in most parts of the globe has remained relatively unchanged. In the United States, the recurring monthly subscription cost for World of Warcraft remains at $14.99 USD, with recurring subscriptions for multiple months at a time having a slight discount on a per-month basis, such as a three-month subscription going down to $13.99 per month before applicable taxes. However, as times change, so do the costs of maintaining a game such as Blizzard's long-running MMORPG. However, for gamers in two countries, the costs are sadly increasing.According to a Blizzard forum post, gamers in both Ukraine and Turkey will see the cost of a World of Warcraft subscription will change starting on July 5, 2023. Both European nations have been mired in war and controversy in recent years. At the time of writing, the price of a one-month World of Warcraft subscription in these nations is 149 Turkish lira (TRY) and 299 Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH). However, the cost of these subscriptions will increase to 199 TRY and 389 UAH per month in July, along with other price increases on World of Warcraft services such as the Dragonflight expansion and other microtransactions.
While exchange rates pit the lira and hryvnia at around $9 to $10 USD respectively, one Wowhead user pointed out that the true cost was measured in purchasing power parity (PPP), which put the increased equivalent cost at upwards of $41 to $46 USD by comparison. Suffice it to say, the price increase and the timing of the announcement did not sit well with World of Warcraft players at all. On social media, players condemned the move as a way for Activision Blizzard to capitalize on the situations in Ukraine and Turkey, while painting the company's CEO Bobby Kotick in a more negative light.
Other users chalked it up to the inevitable cost of inflation that has affected gaming globally but sympathized that the timing of these price increases was not ideal. However, given the fact that the purchasing power of the lira and hryvnia respectively remain in flux, only time will tell what the long-term effects will be for World of Warcraft players in Turkey and Ukraine.
World of Warcraft is available now for PC.
Source: Blizzard Forums (via: Wowhead)