With beta coming up, when will those who pre-ordered the CE outside of the Blizz Store get their codes?
I’m from Australia and ordered it through JB Hi-Fi.
Was there anything to link your physical CE to your wow account? If not, then I don’t think you’ll get any codes for Beta. How would Blizzard know you have purchased a CE from a 3rd party retailer?
The digital Epic version seems to guarantee beta access (at some stage).
Apart from that, you’d need to either opt in and hope you get chosen, or purchase the epic digital version that’s refunded when you redeem the collectors edition code.
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I believe that you have to have purchased through the Blizzard store to get certain privlidges:
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If you want to enjoy Midnight digital items and any available access before receiving your Collector’s Edition, you can buy Midnight on the Battle.net Shop. If you buy Midnight (Base, Heroic, or Epic) on the Battle.net Shop and then redeem a Collector’s Edition code later on, you will automatically be credited the cost of your original digital purchase in Battle.net Balance, as long as you redeem the Collector’s Edition code before December 31, 2026. If you have purchased a box upgrade product (e.g., Base Edition to Epic Edition), the cost of this upgrade will not be automatically credited to your Battle.net Balance. You can contact Blizzard Customer Support through Battle.net in that case for a credit of your box upgrade product.
This one says that you have to have purchased through the Blizzard Gear Store to get early access…if I’m reading it right:
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They’re asking about Beta access.
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From the JB website:
As Nephe noted, if you haven’t purchased from Blizzard, they have no way of knowing about the purchase.
Beta is applied directly to your account, keys aren’t sent out.
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I don’t believe Beta is one of the advertised bonuses for the physical Collector’s Edition. At least I’m not seeing that on the Gear Store page.
Beta access is included with the Epic Edition of the Digital version of Midnight. As Nobully indicates, if you purchase the digital version you’ll be able to get a credit based on that purchase when you redeem the Collector’s Edition code.
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So that is the scummiest thing btw. Here spend EXTRA money on our product but you won’t get everything that should be included because reasons. It should be advertised that it is NOT an upgrade from the epic edition.
That is why it is best to be sure to thoroughly read through what you’re purchasing. More often than not, people do purchase the digital epic version to get all of the perks at the time of purchase, but then get it credited back by a process they put in place every year.
But, I’m afraid that your feedback/suggestion will go nowhere here on this forum, as it is not a point of contact where the CMs collect. General discussion or sent through the in-game suggestion and feedback interface would be your best bet.
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It’s not advertised as an upgrade to any of the versions.
It’s a stand alone Collectors Edition with the physical items not included with the digital version. That’s the extra cost that YOU chose to pay.
Caveat Emptor.
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It’s a stand alone Collectors Edition with the physical items not included with the digital version. That’s the extra cost that YOU chose to pay.
Firstly, it was a gift, I wouldn’t buy it myself, epic is enough. Secondly it comes with an “epic edition game key” My point was they should specifically say “this does not grant access to beta or housing” in the advertisement and not in the fine print, like literally in the description.
Cheers!
Like I said, Caveat Emptor.
The information was there. Blizzard could put it right in peoples faces in flashing pink bold and would still get ignored by those who assume.
But only within the physical pack right? If so then until that is redeemed your wow license isn’t updated to reflect the expansion level.
You could purchase the digital epic version now (and redeem the collectors edition code before the cutoff date to be refunded the purchase).
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the key is in the box, and that box isn’t mailed to you until later. this is done to prevent scalping and key stealing.
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As part of the problem, as has been pointed out above, Beta right now is a digital benefit. Unfortunately right now if you buy the physical CE, you have to wait until you get the physical key. Perhaps the delivery will be before the games release, it will at least be there for the 3 day head start anyway.
Only by upgrading now to the Digital Epic edition, do the beta conditions apply.
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What gives Beta/Early access is PRE-purchasing the digital Epic Edition. You can see it in all documentation:
- “Pre-purchase¹ World of Warcraft®: Midnight™ and unlock benefits to aid you in your coming adventures! All editions include an Enhanced Level 80 Character Boost, Housing Early Access, and the critically-acclaimed The War Within expansion. In addition, the Epic Edition offers Beta Access and Early Access to Midnight.³ All in-game items are available immediately unless otherwise noted.”
- “Coming 2026. Pre-purchase the Epic Edition now and dive into Beta on November 11!”
- “Get 3-Days Midnight Early Access and Midnight Beta Access when you pre-purchase the Epic Edition!”
And as seen right at the top of this Support Article (http s://us.support.blizzard.com/en/article/000379843):
- “Pre-purchase of World of Warcraft: Midnight provides early access bonuses! All editions (Base, Heroic, and Epic) include Housing Early Access, and the Epic Edition also comes with Beta and 3-Days Early Access to the Midnight expansion.”
It’s 100% clear that the beta access is from pre-purchasing. In fact, it doesn’t make any sense to say the Epic Edition comes with it, because once the expansion is live, there is no more Beta. Players buying the Epic Edition six months later don’t get Beta/early access, because those no longer exist.
Now, pre-purchasing the Collector’s Edition does come with an Epic Edition key, but you will not receive that key until Launch Day. They cannot track who has pre-purchased what from a third party, because not only can that lead to many fake/fraudulent claims, but it also doesn’t guard against someone pre-purchasing, getting the Beta access, then cancelling the pre-purchase.
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The answer is still more nuanced than this. The “Epic Edition of the Digital version of Midnight” is literally what’s included with the physical CE. Obviously they have no way of knowing who has bought a physical CE ahead of time if it wasn’t specifically through the Blizzard Store, but that is where the distinction lies. Not with the version of the game you are pre-ordering. As far as digital benefits go, physical CE and Epic Edition are not even just functionally the same version, they are literally the same version. It is the same product name, same product benefits, etc.
Also, just as an example, TWW keys were emailed to people who bought the physical CE, but likely only from the Blizzard store. I know this because I got an email with a beta key for TWW that specifically said it was for buying the “20th anniversary Collector’s Edition” of TWW. In fact, I got the beta key the exact same day I ordered it, though that’s likely because I ordered it nearly 2 months after beta started.
It wouldn’t be, because it’s not. As far as digital benefits are concerned, it’s literally exactly the same as one of the versions: Epic. Though with some extra physical goodies. The actual problem here (which has been correctly pointed out already), is not a distinction in versions of the game, but who is selling it. Of course Blizzard has no way of knowing who you are if you buy it outside the Blizzard store, but if you buy from the Blizzard store, they do send you a beta key. Or at least have in the past.
The Epic key is not mailed to you, no, but a separate beta key is. Or at least has been in the past.
This is provably false. I haven’t bought an extra digital version of the game since Legion, and any time I bought the physical CE through the Blizzard store, I have gotten a beta key emailed to me for purchasing the physical edition. That said, of course you won’t get a key if you bought it from a third-party because they’d have no way of controlling it. So you will be functionally correct for some people who buy the physical edition, but certainly not everyone. Unless of course Blizzard decided to change things this year, in which case I will end up looking foolish.
When you pre-order a physical CE, you are still PRE-purchasing the digital Epic Edition, because that is the version that comes with the physical CE. Just because you get it later, doesn’t mean you didn’t purchase it earlier. In fact, none of the things you’ve quoted here are dispositive with regard to beta access (or not) after pre-purchasing the physical CE, because they don’t mention the physical CE at all. I know I sound like a broken record here, but there is functionally no difference between Epic and physical CE as far as digital benefits are concerned. The issue at hand is where you buy the physical CE. Based on personal experience I can tell you that in the past, when buying from Blizzard directly, you would get a separate beta key emailed to you. If you buy it from a third-party, you don’t.
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Hmmm.
Which CEs came with beta? I’m trying to verify this had occurred and am coming up short.
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TWW did, none have been announced for Midnight yet.
There was an outdated support article linked earlier, but that has been taken down.
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There’s a subtle distinction to be made with this, if there’s gonna be argument based on nuance-- technically you’re pre-ordering when it comes to the Gear Store:
https://i.imgur.com/ZRiJQyi.png
Additionally, the debate is ultimately moot and should be taken up in Gen. Discussion for future changes where it’s stated in the Ts&Cs on the Gear Store’s product page, emphasis mine:
If you want to enjoy Midnight digital items and any available access before receiving your Collector’s Edition, you can buy Midnight on the Battle.net Shop. If you buy Midnight (Base, Heroic, or Epic) on the Battle.net Shop and then redeem a Collector’s Edition code later on, you will automatically be credited the cost of your original digital purchase in Battle.net Balance, as long as you redeem the Collector’s Edition code before December 31, 2026.
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OK. I do see I received one for my pre-order of the TWW CE (direct from Blizzard), though I think that was precedent-setting.
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