The term “whale” is used to describe players who are able, and somewhat willing to spend large amounts of money to be on the top of leader boards fast. Many games in the mobile market are pay to win games, where power is bought instantly, while being competitive.
It’s mostly a mobile game thing, but since WoW also has things you can buy like gold and boosts, it’s in the same boat. With gold, you can buy carries, items, etc. Nothing’s off the table, really.
Anyone who spends to get ahead, in large amounts, is a whale.
The average player doesn’t do anything more than the subscription fee to play. That’s what’s called a ‘minnow’.
A person that occasionally buys something, like a cosmetic from the store, is a ‘dolphin’.
It’s all a spectrum of spending habits, lol.
Blizzard is the ‘shark’.
They prefer whales, because they have a lot of meat (money) on them. They are seeking out whales, trying to get them to stay forever and spend lol.