Why is a hugely divisive expansion locked behind a £35 pay wall? People have bought the expansion, paid their monthly subscription just to be treated like second class citizens to the cash whales.
The not so new trend of locking items behind a pay wall is getting out of hand. Take the housing items now how much of that is also locked behind a pay wall?
I believe Beta invites are still being handed out, hence the opt-in. Though that said, a lot of people make the mistake of treating Beta like an early launch, which is not it. Even in Beta itself, a lot of people who log in come to get their hopes crushed as they realise the servers are full of lag, bugs and that feedback is a must.
But you don’t have to play the beta. I have it and I’ve played like 3 hours of it tops.
The Beta opt-in is still as present, they’ve simply added the access as part of the pre-order.
Thusly, it is not locked behind a paywall.
Feel free to opt-in like people did in the past and try your luck!
Beta & Game Updates
Opt-in for a chance to beta test Midnight before it’s released. You’ll also receive news and the latest updates about the game.
See the BETA OPT-IN in the top right corner of the page.
If you want to participate in the Alpha or Beta testing of our game, you can sign up on the official World of Warcraft website. The sign up is only available when the testing is open, or shortly before testing starts. Alpha or Beta testing dates are subject to change.
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If your Battle.net account is selected to participate in the testing or has guaranteed access, the Alpha or Beta client will be available for install in the Battle.net App once testing begins. Completely exit out of your Battle.net App and then start it again to ensure it has updates needed to grant you access.
https://eu.support.blizzard.com/en/article/134449