BlizzCon 2023 Rewards Cause Uproar Among World of Warcraft Players
World of Warcraft players express disappointment with BlizzCon 2023 rewards, as Blizzard unveils exclusive offerings that fail to meet their expectations
Highlights
Blizzard has revealed the rewards for BlizzCon 2023, including an exclusive mount, pet, and banner for World of Warcraft.
The mount is seen as a mere re-skin and the pet as an unoriginal choice, leading to disappointment among certain World of Warcraft players with this year's rewards. While BlizzCon 2023 might suffer from low turnout due to controversies surrounding Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4, the latest expansion of World of Warcraft is being highly acclaimed.
Blizzard has unveiled the ticket rewards for BlizzCon 2023, but World of Warcraft players have expressed disappointment with this year's offerings. The highly-anticipated exclusive mount for World of Warcraft was hinted at in the program overview, but as the event draws near, the complete list of rewards has been revealed. Both virtual and physical ticket holders can now obtain new in-game cosmetics, including a mount, a pet, and a banner for World of Warcraft.
In addition to the previously teased elemental mount, players will also receive a Ysera-themed murloc pet called Ysergle the Dreamurk. BlizzCon has a tradition of awarding murloc pets related to upcoming expansion packs, and it seems likely that the new pet was inspired by the Emerald Dream, unless Ysera plays a significant role in the next World of Warcraft expansion.
However, unlike previous BlizzCon ticket rewards, the bundle for this year's World of Warcraft has received mixed reviews from players. BlizzLee1 shared the rewards on the game's subreddit, and while the Bound Blizzard mount is seen as cool by some, many fans view it as nothing more than a re-skin, making it not worth the $50 price of the virtual ticket. Additionally, TheSentinelBlue noticed a string error in the Feat of Strength achievement for Ysergle the Dreamurk when it hit the live servers. Some players also feel that having another Dragon Aspect murloc in Murkastrasza, which can be obtained by purchasing the deluxe edition of Dragonflight, is repetitive.
BlizzCon 2023, being the first BlizzCon to not sell out tickets, seems to have left fans of Blizzard games feeling apathetic or apprehensive. This sentiment may be attributed to the recent controversies surrounding Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4, which could explain why players are reluctant to fully engage. On the other hand, World of Warcraft has been receiving praise from its own community, with players considering Dragonflight to be one of the better expansions, surpassing Shadowlands and Battle for Azeroth.
Chris Metzen's return as Creative Director for the Warcraft franchise and his presence at BlizzCon could potentially spark renewed interest in Blizzard IPs. While the next World of Warcraft expansion will be announced by Metzen on November 3, the event will be streamed for free on the official website. While some players may be enticed by the exclusive cosmetics offered with the virtual ticket for BlizzCon 2023, it appears that a significant portion of the community will not participate this year. World of Warcraft is currently playable on PC.
