Battlepass

Community General Discussion
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Battlepasses are popping up in blizzard games all over the place these days. This seems to be a buisness model, Blizzard is exploring in all their games. Renown in Shadowlands is basically a battlepass, Hearthstone revamped their reward system to battlepass a little while ago, Diablo Immortal has a battlepass, and Overwatch 2 recently confirmed they are replacing lootboxes with a battlepass, and rumors go that Diablo 4 will have a battlepass system for seasons aswell.

I feel conflicted about this, and worried about what this means for the future of WoW. Generally speaking, battlepasses is one of the lesser agressive monetization models, but it does come with its own issues.

Since this is a WoW forum, ill adress Renown first. Renown is not a battlepass in the traditional sense, because it is included in the subscription fee along with the rest of the game, but i can’t help wonder if blizzard used Renown to test the waters for a potential future free to play WoW with a premium battlepass instead of a subscription.

Seeing how the battlepass has played out in Diablo Immortal, with it being very cheap (5 euro) but also pretty insignificant regarding character power progression, compared to Immortal’s other very predatory microtransactions, i fear what this could mean to the future of WoW, if WoW goes down this path.

Another issue with Battlepasses, is that you dont nessecarily get what you pay for, you just get the option to earn it. Battlepasses have a expiration date, and if you for whatever reasons in your personal life, can’t put in the time/effort to complete the battlepass, some of the rewards you paid for are just gone. Overwatch 2 is a example of this; with loot boxes you always know that you arent guaranteed the item you are hoping for, but at least there is always another chance at the next loot box. When Overwatch 2 replaces lootboxes with a battlepass, the cosmetic items in the battlepass are on a deadline, fail to meet that deadline, and you missed your chance.
Obviously, there is an upside to this system too, if you are able to complete the battlepass, you are guaranteed its rewards.

Sorry about the rambling, i hope you get the point. To sum up, Battlepasses seem to be the new prefered monetization model at Blizzard, and it can be a two sided coin.

How do you guys feel about battlepasses, and do you think Battlepasses could be the future of WoW, either along with, or in replacement of the subscription fee?

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I’m not sure I see the connection to Renown. It was a new way to approach reputation which they are carrying on in DF but not tying us to one like they did with the covenants.

What would happen to players who don’t want to pay for a battle pass? Would they still get the expansions and what would they miss? For example if I don’t buy the battlepass for Destiny 2 I can still play the game and take part, I’m just not eligible for certain things or rewards.

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Most of the stuff is garbage cosmetics that no one would care about of it wasn’t limited time only.

Battlepasses are just a way to sell people stuff they wouldn’t even want to buy if you gave them the option to.

I wouldn’t buy a WoW one on top of a sub.

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It’s nothing more than a business model they are pushing into their games. I’m worried about the future of gaming.

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I don’t have a problem with them per se, but they don’t fit into wow. Where would you put them? Rewards in wow are given out based on different thresholds, 2400 in arena, every +15 in M+, aotc in raids etc, battle passes give out rewards based on just spending time in the game. I don’t see how it would even slot into an MMO.

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Eh, more like extra rep on top of regular rep. Unnecessary feature if you ask me.

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According to Feasel, Dragonflight will feature four different reputations, each with their own set of Renown levels and rewards that are exclusive to it. Those rewards can be cosmetic, but they can also be additional questlines associated with that reputation, or additional gameplay.

It seems a better approach in DF at least.

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Blizzards free to play games. Only heartstone and diablo immortal have it right now, soon Overwatch will have it too because they are also going free to play model. Warcraft is not a free to play game.

Renown is far from battle pass. Battle pass usually lasts a season or expansion and new one comes up in new season. If you missed last season, there is no way getting items from that season. Renown is here since Shadowlands started and you can get max level while leveling.

Don’t think this will happen while warcraft stays pay to play game model. For battlepass, you have to pay either real money or in game currency. We are already paying for playing Warcraft, how many people would pay twice ?

I’m playing apex legends. Got in game currency for playing 3 seasons without a battle pass and now I can afford battle pass every season. So I never paid for that game but got their battle pass.

Also warcraft has in game shop. Any item you would get by battle pass can be added there.

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Covenant would be good if the items and illusions you got were better. I know i’ve complained a lot about cosmetics before, but for me the only really good transmog i’ve seen in all of shadowlands been SOD mythic set, and no it’s not because i use it, cause i don’t have it yet

So in general i dont like battlepasses as most people, but if they were able to make the rewards better it wouldn’t be such a pain to farm out renown. Also i don’t think battlepasses should give playerpower, just like covenants give 2% HP boosts i think that shouldn’t be in the game etc

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the new dragon expansion will be a big cash and grabb, they will test the limits on how they can continue to increase their micro transactions while the game will not be the main focus, it will be a withered and broken expansion like all activision expansions became after wotlk

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Atleast we didn’t have to pay for it.

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maybe next expansion u will :smiley:

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I wouldn’t be surprised lol

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in shadowlands they had a buisness model, trying to hi jack your dopamine level release, which was bombarding you with different quests, daily quest, renown quest, weekly quest, campaign, choregast quests, kortia quest, pvp quest, pve quest, raid quest. world quest, all at once popping up as soon u open world map

they will just change the names keep the same buisness model and try to condition you to what ever their agenda is

as diablo immortal was their latest product released it can be a good guide line for your imagination to ponder on this question

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It’s also called a subscription. Battle passes are the sneaky way to add a sub to a free to play game.

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Battlepasses are used in free to play games as a way to earn money.

I fail to see how this is even remotely connected to renown? Like what renown will be a battle pass good I won’t need to pay anything to get a pair of fairy wings then…

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Passes give rewards for tasks; renown gives rewards for levelling it up.

Similar, I guess.

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Battlepasses give power normally for cash I.e ptw

Renown gives me some more conduit slots and fairy wings.

I really don’t think the two are connected in the slightest.

Renown is timegating not paygating

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The only way I see a battle pass being introduced is if the sub vanished, it’s a free to play model, not a sub.

They would have to be pretty sure enough people would buy a battle pass to drop the monthly sub. If the sub was gone I would also expect he shop to sell more things.

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I’d personally like seeing a free battle pass with cosmetic rewards, but you can skip levels with your credit card.