Last week, Activision Blizzard announced that it would be increasing World of Warcraft subscription prices in both Ukraine and Turkey. Alongside the increased subscription prices, players in those countries were also due to see the price for expansions and microtransactions go up when everything was set to be implemented on July 4. The fan outcry, regardless of where they live, was felt almost instantaneously, with many upset that Blizzard would increase prices in a country that is currently in the middle of an actual conflict. With everything over there being so in turmoil, having a price increase hit felt like a step too far.
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Blizzard has seemingly heard fans’ opinions and has announced that it is no longer going forward with the price increase, at least in Ukraine. The announcement was very short, but a World of Warcraft community manager post went up on the official forums to let everyone know that Blizzard has “decided to not adjust prices for players in Ukraine at this time.” They did not give an exact reason for the change, but it seems likely that the backlash, at the very least, helped move the needle. After all, the original post said effectively said that the global marketplace had led to the price increase. It’s highly unlikely that market conditions could change enough in seven days to make this reversal happen.
What isn’t clear is if Blizzard will continue with the price jump in Turkey. The backlash might’ve not been as strong for the increase in that country, but it would be strange to keep the increase in place in one country and not the other. That said, Blizzard only mentioned Ukraine in its follow-up message, so we’ll have to wait and see if it announces any further changes. For now, World of Warcraft players in Turkey should expect to see prices go up on July 4, as originally scheduled.
It’ll be interesting to see if this choice sticks around in the long term. Blizzard may wait until things cool down and try the increase again somewhere down the line. That wouldn’t be a surprising move, especially if the current conflict in Ukraine ends. In any case, Blizzard will not currently be going forward with the previously announced price increase, which is a small victory for players in Ukraine.
