It all depends on what people consider as “winning”.
See this is something I really don’t consider as “winning”. What did this person win exactly? A vault slot? An achievent?
For me pay to win would be if someone could buy something that makes their character stronger than mine while have no way of obtaining said something unless I swipe my credit card as well. And then therecare other people that consider buying store mounts/mogs/etc as pay to win.
Thats already been said, yet the clown and company just will not see it.
By that definition Diablo Immortal is not pay-to-win.
Make of that what you will.
Haven’t really read all the comments. I just responded to the original post.
According to OP to win in wow it means having more collectibles (achievments, mounts, pets, titles and so on) so when you can buy those with boosts with gold you get from token you win. But as this topic shows, its not so easy to agree on what winning is. I think more would agree to the p2w aspect if it didnt have the word win in it. Its p2w elements, you pay to be able to skip stuff. But u dont win.
Who said anything about Diablo Immoral?
I did.
As an illustration to imply that maybe the definition is a bit off, because Diablo Immortal is very much considered pay-to-win, so any definition for pay-to-win should arguably fit on Diablo Immortal in order to be accurate.
Sooo what is "winning ", then?
I mean I am not arguing, just trying to prove the point that winning in these types of games is different for each person.
I’m not the one in this thread using the word “winning” as if it’s a holy word from the heavens.
I’ve said:
Then there’s of course degrees of P2W. The level boost is less of a hit on the game’s integrity than the WoW Token, but both fit the bill in their own way.
Edit: I don’t even like the P2W term. It’s dumb. But it’s what’s commonly used, so…
I’m not either. I mentioned what I consider “winning” in this game, that doesn’t mean that my word is the law (even though it should at this point). The game is definitely P2W for people that consider achievment points/mount counts/etc as a “win”. For me it’s not.
And of course, part of that is also sunk cost fallacy.
True true.
I guess since it’s framed as pay-to-win there’s an obsession on the “win”, because that’s what you’re paying for, so what is it?
But in the context of WoW you’re not paying for “win” because that’s nonsensical to even say.
You’re paying…
…for convenience.
…for cosmetics.
…for progression.
…for power.
…for access.
…for changes.
…for exclusivity.
That’s basically what money can buy you in WoW, directly or indirectly.
Games, expansion editions, subscriptions, account & character services, Online Store, boosts, WoW Token, promotions, and so on.
It all covers the above.
“Win” is kind of a meaningless word to float around when we know exactly what we get when we buy a level boost. Power and progression. So just say that. There’s no need to decipher the true meaning of “Win”.
This has been my main mount since it was implemented:
Up until DF where dragonriding made it impossible to use it for large parts of the expansion.
It’s gonna become my main mount again in TWW when you can do skyriding with it.
I don’t think any other mount will ever beat it, for me. I couldn’t care less about other mounts.
Yes. As an ex-Hearthstone player, that sunken cost is freaking hard to get out of.
…But not half as hard as it will be to get out of the sunken cost associated with WoW. 
I like having/collecting a lot of mounts. Sure I will probably never use most of them but I like my mount to match the theme of my mog so I collect them because I never know what I would come up with in the future. Very sad that I missed Tyriels charger last year, probably biggest regret of my life.
Ok true, buuut this is the definition of P2W.
“Written abbreviation for pay-to-win : (in computer games) **involving or relating to the practice of paying to get weapons, abilities, etc. that give you an advantage over players who do not spend money.”
WoW does not provide this service. I cannot buy an 550 ilvl item if I swipe my card. Everything in this game can be acquired by playing the game in way or the other. I literally bough the whole next expansion and it’s epic edition with gold (don’t ask). I can buy each and every service, each nad every item in the in-game shop with gold.
There’s always been rare rewards, since before the token existed. Like the Battle Tank mount and title…
Forgive me for not caring about what a person working for an online dictionary thinks about the intricacies of video game design and business practices.
It’s a broad and loosely-written definition to give a crude understanding to outsiders, not a definition written specifically for WoW by someone with insight into the game, its design, or its business operations.
Why elevate an online dictionary to the arbiter of something WoW players with decades of experience and understanding of the game can’t even agree on?
May as well ask my mom what the definition of P2W is then.
Lets all make up our own meaning for words and phrases then. That’ll really get us somewhere? Sheesh
Stinks of “This doesn’t support my narrative, therefore, I am ignoring it.”