Blizzard introduces payback model for WoW subscription

Blizzard has announced a system that allows World of Warcraft players to easily and securely trade gold and game time among themselves. According to the game company, players will soon be able to trade the WoW Tokens through the in-game Auction House.

Players with little play gold purchase a token for real money through an in-game shop and can then sell it through the Auction House at the then current market price for gold. If a player purchases a token for gold through the auction house, the token becomes Soulbound and can be redeemed for 30 days of playtime.

Blizzard reports that the WoW token was conceived to offer players with a lot of extra gold the opportunity to recoup their subscription money. Others who would like to buy gold can now do so in a safe, easy way from other players. The token will be added in a patch soon.

The main reason for introducing the system seems to be to provide players with a safe and legal way to buy gambling gold without using unauthorized websites. These websites are the main reason for accounts being stolen, according to Blizzard. Blizzard also says that players who have accumulated large amounts of gold are known to exchange it for playtime, immediately covering their subscription costs.

In an interview on the game site Polygon, game designer Ion Hazizikostas says that it is not yet clear what the final price will be and that the gold price will probably fluctuate strongly in the first weeks and then stabilize. However, the price of the tokens will be determined by Blizzard.