What if World of Warcraft comes to Xbox Game Pass?

World of WarcraftIt has been a difficult couple of years. But with Microsoft’s recent announcement that it plans to acquire Activision Blizzard, things could be looking up for the giant, aging MMO. Microsoft would marry World of Warcraft to its growing Game Pass service, which now boasts 25 million subscribers, we could see influx of new and retired players — something Blizzard Entertainment very much needs right now.

World of Warcraft’s previous expansion, 2018’s Azeroth: The Battle, frustrated players with restrictive mechanics that limited what they could do in the game’s most important activities. And with 2020’s Shadowlands, the game’s current expansion, Blizzard doubled down on similar mechanics.

Just as Blizzard was facing lawsuits for gender discrimination and sexual harassment, 2021 saw players quit the MMO, which had been nearly 18 years old, at an increasing rate. Preach was one of the big streamers who announced their retirement from the MMO. Asmongold and key guild leaders, Limit Maximum, also began streaming WoW’s biggest competitor, Final Fantasy14 online.

Blizzard quickly reacted to this exodus, pulling back some players by lifting restrictions on certain of their games Shadowlands’ more contentious features. With the expansion’s final patch on the horizon and a new expansion announcement looming, players seem cautiously excited for what 2022 and beyond could hold for World of Warcraft. However, the damage is already done. We will be back next time. World of Warcraft hits a tough spot, it likely won’t take as long for players to get wise and move on to something else.

Game Pass may be your answer World of Warcraft’s retention issues. MMOs are expensive — not just to develop, but to play. Both World of WarcraftAnd Final Fantasy 14, Players must keep a current subscription, and also purchase expansions, if they wish to continue their adventures with friends. Microsoft could add World of Warcraft to its massive library of Game Pass games and remove both of those cost barriers, it would be a massive leg up for one of the oldest games out there — and perhaps even a chance for World of WarcraftTo retake control of the MMO throne.

Of course, money isn’t the only reason players have fallen off of World of Warcraft — the game needs good content as well. But World of WarcraftIt has come through many rough times before. Another good expansion is sure to come, just as Legion players have waited for years. What if? World of Warcraft is just sitting there on your PC Game Pass library — or maybe even console, if Xbox decides to compete withFinal Fantasy 14’s PlayStation console exclusivity — the next great expansion could be its most popular yet.

You can get character boosts and microtransactions from this game. World of Warcraft will never be “free.” But giving players a chance to play their favorite MMO — maybe one they haven’t touched since the good old days of Wrath of the Lichking — without having to pay more than the Game Pass subscription they already have? This could be the greatest thing that has ever happened to you World of WarcraftIn a long, very long time.