Summary
Blizzard has revealed the ticket rewards for BlizzCon 2023, thoughWorld of Warcraftplayers have found this year’s offerings to be somewhat underwhelming. TheBlizzCon 2023 exclusive mount forWorld of Warcraftwas previously teased through the program overview, but with the event’s date rapidly approaching, it was time to reveal the full slate of rewards. Both virtual and physical ticket owners can already receive their new cosmetics in-game, which comes in the form of a mount, a pet, and a banner forWorld of Warcraft.
In addition to getting the previously-teased elemental mount forWorld of Warcraft, players will also receive a Ysera-themed murloc pet appropriately named Ysergle the Dreamurk. BlizzCon has almost always awarded fans with murloc pets themed around upcoming expansion packs, and unless Ysera plays a central role in thenextWorld of Warcraftexpansion, it would seem that the new pet was conceived with the Emerald Dream in mind.
However, as opposed to previous BlizzCon ticket rewards,World of Warcraftplayers have mixed feelings about this year’s bundle. The rewards were shared by BlizzLee1 on the game’s subreddit, and while the Bound Blizzard mount does have a cool factor, many fans see it as little more than a re-skin, and thus not worth the $50 price tag of purchasing a virtual ticket. Furthermore, as pointed out by TheSentinelBlue, Ysergle the Dreamurk hit the live servers with a string error in its Feat of Strength achievement. With Murkastrasza being obtainable by purchasing a deluxe edition ofDragonflight, some players feel that having another Dragon Aspect murloc is a retread.
Ultimately, with BlizzCon 2023 being the first BlizzCon to not have its tickets sold out, a sense of apathy or apprehension seems to permeate among fans of Blizzard games. Given the recent controversies thatOverwatch 2andDiablo 4have dealt with, it may help explain why players are hesitant to show up in full number. By contrast,World of Warcraftseems to be receiving plenty of praise from its own community, as players considerDragonflightto be one of thebetterWorld of Warcraftexpansions, and a definite upgrade overShadowlandsandBattle for Azeroth.
With Chris Metzen becoming thenew Creative Director for theWarcraftfranchise, coupled with his return to Blizzard Entertainment, having a familiar presence at BlizzCon could help to reinvigorate interest in Blizzard IPs. Even though the nextWorld of Warcraftexpansion will undoubtedly be announced by Metzen on November 3, the event will be streamed for free on the official website. Some players will almost certainly be enamored with the exclusive cosmetics offered in the virtual ticket for BlizzCon 2023, but it seems that a good chunk of the community will sit this year out.
