Blizzard opens WOW pet store

By Oli Welsh Published 5 November, 2009

Buy yourself a sidekick for nine quid.

Blizzard has put two in-game World of Warcraft pets up for sale at the Blizzard Store: a Pandaren Monk, and Lil' K.T., a baby version of the villainous Lich Kel'Thuzad.

The pets cost £9, $10 or €10 apiece. Half the proceeds from sales of the Pandaren - the first incidence of Warcraft's joke race of kung-fu pandas in WOW - will go to the Make-a-Wish Foundation charity if you buy it before December 31st.

It seems even the biggest subscription haul imaginable doesn't make Blizzard immune to the lure of micro-transactions. This is the first time the company has offered in-game WOW items for sale for real currency, although it has been ramping up the sale of services such as race changes and faction transfers of late. It can't really argue the cost of the pets is a deterrent, though.

Expect further pets to be added in future. More info at the official WOW webiste and Pet Stor FAQ.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (17) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Pirotic #1 2 years ago

    This is such a shame. Won't anybody think about the poor in-game pet merchants who have ugly little orc babies to feed! Who for years have stood in the exact same spot selling snakes for 20 silver, only for Blizzard to decide suddenly they can start charging £9 for a bloody pet.

    I could understand if it was for charity, but only one is for charity, and even then the cheeky sods will keep half the money.

    Paid character swapping, paid pets. How long until the latest raid gear is up for sale on the blizzard store before it even drops anywhere in the real world of warcraft?

  • login_name #2 2 years ago

    You'd have to be insane to waste £9 on a pet. There is more to life, seriously.

  • SeventhSon #3 2 years ago

    Totally agree.

    Someone needs to stop these big multi-million pound companies stealing customers from the smaller local merchants.
    Edited by 1 at 05/11/09 @ 09:09

  • berelain #4 2 years ago

    This is pretty disgusting really. I suppose its better than charging extortionate fees for ingame items that you can actually use, since these are for cosmetic purposes only, but how long before Blizzard do offer useful in-game items for cash? Considering the amount of money they're raking in from the subscriptions fees, this sort of thing should not be tolerated by the community.

    But it will. And that will open the floodgates for other games to do the same.

  • kestral #5 2 years ago

    let's buy 5!

  • kangarootoo #6 2 years ago

    £9. £9! Do my eyes deceive me?


    "Half the proceeds from sales of the Pandaren - the first incidence of Warcraft's joke race of kung-fu pandas in WOW - will go to the Make-a-Wish Foundation charity if you buy it before December 31st."

    Good news.

    And after Dec 31st the price will halve? No? Oh.

  • Digital_Forge #7 2 years ago

    Have to remember a lot of MMO players only do play that one game, so while they play it till their eyes bleed they are still only spending £9.99 a month on it. Throw in the occasional £10-£15 every 2-3months on micro transactions and they are still spending less than many of us who buy 1+ games a month.

    I don't necessarily agree with the system and despise micro transaction but with SWTOR going down this route as well possibly it's here to stay, and just like avatar clothing as long as people buy stuff - it'll be supported.

    Can't blame the developers, I know I'd do exactly the same in their shoes.

  • prolific8 #8 2 years ago

    My gripe would be why the Yanks pay $10 for it yet we pay the equivalent of $15(ish)!

  • MBar #9 2 years ago

    Yes, £9. And yes, it's bloody ridiculous for what you get. Micro-transaction, my arse. There's nothing micro about it.

    And yes, there are people out there who will still buy it (already saw two people with the Panderan Monk in Stormwind last night), lending justification to Blizzard's continued heavy-handed pricing of these things, as well as their name change, race change services etc.

    But hey, if you don't like it, don't buy it, I guess.

  • Tyranix #10 2 years ago

    Greed, thy name is Activision.

  • MaxiSleep #11 2 years ago

    Every day Bliz seams more a business unit and less a games maker. Inevitable but a real shame.

  • davisorle #12 2 years ago

    I used to love WoW. Now each time they do somethign to the game is to invite noobs and drain money from new pl by atracting with something dumb , making it easier for the kiddos and adding the one service after the other. You can change even race now, let alone genre. Wtf is wrong with you Blizz? They show no respect to such a milestone of a game.... They literally humiliate it for me the way they turned it to make some more money till it dies out.

    Easier, convinient... Everything for the incapable friendly. Its just not worth the time no more. I lost every interest when i was actually reconsidering to renew my account cause nothing else captures me to lvl and PvP as much. Thanks Blizz. You fucked it all up. I guess you felt you had to.

  • Darkjinxter #13 2 years ago

    If we all went into a bank today and asked for a $10 bill, 'and i'll give you £9 for it' the banking industry would be saved overnight.

  • login_name #14 2 years ago

    My gripe would be why the Yanks pay $10 for it yet we pay the equivalent of $15(ish)!

    Import tax on virtual kung fu pandas is quite high, didn't you know? Not to mention the hassle of putting them through virtual quarantine for 6 months. We're lucky it's that cheap!

  • thebuzzard #15 2 years ago

    Dont like it dont buy them? Its only the same as the DLC you get for many games and the clothes for avatars on 360 and Home. If they started selling items that actually changes gameplay that would be a big deal but these dont.

  • sneetch #16 2 years ago

    @login_name
    You'd have to be insane to waste £9 on a pet. There is more to life, seriously.

    More to life than money? I agree completely. :p

    @Pirotic
    Paid character swapping, paid pets. How long until the latest raid gear is up for sale on the blizzard store before it even drops anywhere in the real world of warcraft?

    Paid-for-armour is due sometime around never. That completely destroys the game. Why raid and hope for drops when you can buy? Why play when you already have the epic armour? Why pay your subscription if you don't actually play anymore? Naw, they'll never do that.

    Paid-for-vanity items on the other hand are ok. They have no game effect.

    I couldn't be arsed buying one myself but still.

  • Shikasama #17 2 years ago

    I love the way they just make up a price out of thin air, knowing people will pay it.

    Also, all of this sort of stuff has come after the Activision takeover. Any Bobby Kotick haters about?