Concerns and Suggestions for Free-to-Play Characters in WoW

Community General Discussion
1

Hello everyone,

Many people ask me why I spend so much time playing a level 20 character in World of Warcraft. The answer is simple: it’s stress-free.

I love the fact that I can enjoy all my account-wide rare findings, toys, mounts, and more on a character that stays the same forever. Having played WoW since 2009, my life has changed drastically, and because of that, committing to a subscription and the time and effort required to maintain a max-level character isn’t feasible for me. However, my love for the game remains strong, and playing free-to-play allows me to stay connected with the community I cherish.

Running dungeons, participating in battlegrounds and duels, engaging in RP, and exploring nostalgic zones are some of the activities that bring me joy. Yet, I’ve noticed over the years that changes are being made that seem to limit and even discourage playing WoW as a free-to-play character. Some notable restrictions include:

  1. Battleground Queues: Level 20 characters are placed in the same queue system as level 29 characters with XP turned off. This results in level 20s being outmatched, often dying in one or two hits against level 29s.

  2. Gear Changes: Recent patch updates have adjusted item levels (ilvl). Unfortunately, epic gear for level 20 characters, which is already difficult and time-consuming to obtain, was downgraded from ilvl 87 to ilvl 89, while level 29 characters saw their gear upgraded from ilvl 112 to ilvl 140, significantly widening the gap.

  3. Party and Group Changes: Free-to-play characters can no longer invite players to a party, even when promoted to party leader.

  4. Chat Restrictions: Level 20 free-to-play characters’ chat messages are not visible to higher-level players in /s chat, limiting communication.

  5. Mail and Auction House Access: Free-to-play accounts cannot access the mailbox or use the auction house, making it difficult to trade or manage items efficiently.

  6. Professions and Crafting: Free-to-play characters are restricted in their ability to level up professions beyond a certain point, limiting their ability to craft useful items and gear.

  7. Guild Membership: Free-to-play characters can join guilds but face restrictions in participating fully, such as not being able to create guilds or access certain guild perks.

There are numerous other limitations on level 20 free-to-play characters. While I understand these restrictions are intended to protect the game from bots and other bad actors, they impact genuine players who simply want to enjoy the game without the pressures of a subscription.

Blizzard labels free-to-play players as “free starter edition,” yet many of us have purchased all game expansions, including “The War Within,” to enhance our beloved level 20 characters. We understand that maintaining hosting services requires Blizzard to charge a subscription fee, and nothing in life is truly free.

However, in 2024, World of Warcraft isn’t the only MMO available. For players like myself, it remains our favorite, but we can only dedicate a few hours a week to play, making it difficult to justify a monthly subscription.

I am part of a WoW community called “Project for 20s,” where hundreds of players organize wargames and events to have fun. The rumor circulating is that Blizzard might completely remove the free-to-play option with the release of “The War Within.” Is this true?

Does Blizzard have a plan to support casual players like myself and many others who have loved and played WoW for years but can only spare a few hours a week?

Thank you for considering our perspective. We hope for a solution that allows us to continue enjoying the game we love.

3 Likes
2

Wut? You literally have Dragonflight achievements lol.

3

that’s correct, I purchase every extension because I love the game.

I also like to have any new usable features on my level 20.

I just play without a sub most of the time.

4

Alrighty, whatever you say. Clearing Mythics in Season 4 definitely fits lol.

5

lol tried it 1 time to see what it was about. I honestly tried to play endgame with some friends but quickly noticed it isn’t what I’m into. I prefer less skills and etc, guess i’m turning old lol

6

No theyre not removing the free trial.
No you shouldnt get treated as an actual player if you’re only on the free trial.

1 Like
7

I agree however if I’ve gotten expiations and etc under my account, I believe I shouldn’t be treated like a first time player who is trial.

I really hope blizzard doesn’t remove it.

8

Haven’t heard anything about them removing it.

9

heard a lot of people talk about it. really hopping its just a rumor

so I decide to make this post to confirm and see what people say

10

I understand your point OP; but as you said youtself, everything is done to keep bots, spammers and scammers in check, and removing any of these limitations would negatively impact the wider playerbase.
Blizz has a choice to degrade your experience or degrade the experience of paying customers, we don’t need to discuss which one they’ll pick.

11

Yes, they should expand the free version of the game.

But they won’t because of bots.

12

Actually yeah, that part does kind of bother me - often I’ll let my sub expire and just play my 20s for a while. It bothers me that there is zero difference between someone who’s paid for subs in the past compared to someone who’s never paid a dime. In fact, the person who’s bought subs might even be at a disadvantage, because unlike a complete free-rider, they can no longer touch their characters who’ve over-leveled the threshold.

1 Like
13

Playing a toon up to level 20 for free was meant to be a way for new players to give the game a try and see if they like it, not something people do permanently and just stay at 20.

How can you even add a starter toon to an account that has toons higher then 20? I didn’t know that was even possible. But I also started in 2009 and I notice we are on same realm, I would love to hear your story as I have also faced drastic changes in my life, including homelessness, that have affected my ability to play WoW, but luckily things got better… And I also got old, and don’t have the skills I once had, but I could not imagine not being able to afford the sub and trying to play as a 20 all the time, there is just sooo much I couldn’t do.

I know there are people who can’t afford expansions and thus must stay in old zones, but I had no idea there were people who play a starter toon at level 20 all the time.

14

I seriously doubt this. I think all the restrictions are supposed to serve as an incentive to get free-to-players to subscribe. They’re supposed to make life on “the other side” more appealing, but mostly they keep players from being exposed to what is on the other side.

As the years and expansions have passed, end game less and less resembles what low levels on starter accounts see. If you like the one, you probably aren’t going to like the other as much.

You can have 8 accounts on a bnet. They are subscribed separately.

15

Do free accounts have access to Chromie time?

Whats interesting about that is, if they can, indeed, access Chromie time, outside of a limited rotation, a toon stuck at 20, can do pretty much EVERYTHING in Chromie time, and it all just scales to 20. Not really different than if you were 50, or 60, or anything else.

Get quest, chase down mobs, kill 'em, loot 'em, rinse and repeat.

Not being subject to how some zones are 35, etc., just opens up the entire game to a F2P player. Imagine doing the 100,000 quests from Vanilla through DF…on a 20.

1 Like
16

They don’t care about you. I hate to say it but you are not on their radar. As long as we continue to purchase game time they will continue to limit the ability for free to play. And since WoW is still the most popular MMORPG franchise, and you get multiple version of the game for the same subscription, there’s zero incentive for Blizzard to even care about the free to play players.

Personally I’m fine with the subscription, it not only keeps the bots down but also keeps the cash shop from being completely predatory. I also wouldn’t care if they let the 1-70 crowd be completely free to play.