How much does the World of Warcraft subscription cost?

Everything you need to know about the World of Warcraft subscription

Promotional key art for the online game World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft (WoW) was first released in 2004, and while it’s been around for nearly 19 years already, the immensely popular online game is still going strong. Every year, a lot of people join the ever-expanding universe of the game, and if you’re one of those who are looking to start your WoW adventure, you’re probably wondering about its subscription cost. Read on to learn about the game’s subscription and many others in this WoW guide for beginners.

About WoW

Released by Blizzard Entertainment, WoW is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set in the Warcraft fantasy universe. It takes place in the world of Azeroth and opens approximately four years after the events of the previous game in the series, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (2003).

Since its 2004 launch, WoW has had eight major expansion packs: The Burning Crusade (2007), Wrath of the Lich King (2008), Cataclysm (2010), Mists of Pandaria (2012), Warlords of Draenor (2014), Legion (2016), Battle for Azeroth (2018), and Shadowlands (2020). The ninth and latest expansion pack called Dragonflight was released in 2022.

Dragonflight Announce Cinematic Trailer | World of Warcraft

Like other MMORPGs, WoW allows players to create a character avatar and explore an open game world in either third- or first-person view, as they fight various monsters, embark on quests, and interact with other players and non-player characters. While the game can be played solo without interacting with others, players are encouraged to team up to complete missions and engage in player-versus-player combat for a more fun and interactive gaming experience.

To keep people playing the game, WoW features a character progression system, in which players earn experience points to level up their character to make them more powerful than ever.

What is the World of Warcraft subscription?

WoW requires a subscription to allow continued play. Players have the option to sign up for a one-month, three-month, or six-month subscription plan.

Can you buy World of Warcraft permanently?

No. You can’t buy WoW permanently. The game is an ongoing subscription service pretty much like Netflix and other streaming services out there.

Do you need a monthly subscription for World of Warcraft?

Yes. You must sign up for a monthly subscription if you want to play the game. Alternatively, you can play WoW with a time card, which allows you to enjoy the game for a certain number of hours. To continue playing, you can also buy “game time” with the gold you earn in the game.

How much does WoW cost?

The one-month subscription of WoW costs $14.99/month; while the three-month and six-month subscription plans are priced at $13.99/month and $12.99/month, respectively. Blizzard Entertainment doesn’t have a regular 12-month subscription, but it occasionally offers a full-year subscription as part of seasonal promotions.

All three subscription plans allow you to play WoW with access to every expansion through Dragonflight, as well as access to World of Warcraft Classic and Wrath of the Lich King Classic. But if you purchase a six-month subscription, you will also get the Wondrous Wavewhisker mount in WoW and the Glub pet in Wrath of the Lich King Classic.

If you’re on a six-month recurring subscription with a future renewal date, you’ll receive the mount and the pet as a gift in your Battle.net desktop app at no additional charge no later than July 24th, 2023. Both of which must be redeemed by January 31st, 2024.

For first-time players, note that your subscription renews automatically once your latest subscription billing cycle ends, or your current game time expires.

Screenshot from the World of Warcraft website answering the question "How much is the World of Warcraft subscription"
How much is the World of Warcraft subscription? 1 month costs $14.99/month; 3 months – $13.99/month; 6 months – $12.99/month.

Is there a free trial for WoW?

Screenshot from the World of Warcraft Free Trial webpage
Play WoW free of charge until you reach level 20.

Yes. There’s a free trial for WoW. The free trial of the game is available to all players with an existing Battle.net account. To enjoy the free trial, download a starter edition of WoW and play for free up to Level 20. Since it’s a free version, there are other restrictions in effect.

Also, in case you’re unaware, your WoW account actually reverts to that of a free trial account whenever it doesn’t have an active subscription or non-recurring game time.

Will WoW ever be free?

As mentioned above, WoW is technically free to play but only up to Level 20. If your character reaches that level, you need to sign up for a subscription to continue playing the game.

While it seems that WoW will never be completely free, Blizzard Entertainment is actually releasing a free-to-play “tower offense” mobile game called Warcraft Arclight Rumble. Android users can now pre-register on Google Play to get notified when the game becomes available for download on November 3rd, 2023.

Is WoW Classic free?

No. WoW Classic is not free. You need to have an active subscription to WoW to play the retro version of the game.

Promotional key art for the online game World of Warcraft Classic
Players need an active WoW subscription to play WoW Classic.

How many subscribers does World of Warcraft have?

Blizzard Entertainment does not publicly release subscriber numbers for WoW, but according to MMO Populations, the game has an estimated 130 million total players or subscribers, with about 1.23 million daily players, as of September 2023.

Want to help bring more players to WoW? Blizzard Entertainment has an ongoing campaign called Recruit A Friend, which allows you to play Blizzard games (WoW, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm) with friends and receive exclusive in-game rewards.

WoW Game Time

The term WoW Game Time commonly refers to monthly periods of subscription access to the game. But it can also refer to the abovementioned WoW Time Card, which gives players access to the game for a limited number of hours. Previously, there were Game Time or Time Card options of 30, 90, and 180 days. But since March 2021, Blizzard Entertainment has ditched the 30-, 90-, and 180-day options, leaving the only available purchase option of 60 days.

World of Warcraft guides

While WoW is a fun and entertaining game, leveling up characters can be very hard for some players, especially those new to the MMORPG genre. But if you’re eager to level up your characters in a short span of time, there are a lot of WoW leveling guides available online. One of the trusted companies that offer such guides is Dugi Guides. Sign up now to become a member.

Dugi Guides - World of Warcraft Level Guides
starting from $7.99/month

These World of Warcraft by Dugi Guides will help you level up your WoW characters in the fastest way possible.

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