World of Warcraft Should Add a Real Photomode

I spend a lot of time in World of Warcraft now. Either by choice, or obligation. (I write a lot of guides, OK.) And the one thing that I, as a casual player, feel is missing from the otherwise content-packed MMORPG is a photomode. Yes, I know you can get something like a photomode in World of Warcraft, either through an optional quest that unlocks a camera of sorts, or through the use of add-ons. But I want something in-game, something more substantial, because of those that aren’t as artistically inclined, in-game photography is a way for us to express ourselves and show off our characters.

While I don’t dabble in Final Fantasy XIV as much as I used to, the photomode in that MMORPG is pretty great by comparison. It doesn’t have the same heft as something you’d see in your stock-and-standard AAA game, but it works and players have gotten creative with it. Square Enix has also expanded upon it’s features, adding the ability to freeze frame combat poses, add additional effects to your character, and so forth.

What I’m craving in World of Warcraft is a few of those features. That freeze frame is something I constantly think about when my Death Knight uses Howling Blast, and I yearn for the ability to take a freeze frame of him pointing his sword, surrounded by the swirling cold. I yearn to zoom in to get a nice profile shot of my character, or even allow him to look pensive as he stare out over the unforgiving tundra of Northrend. I know in the screenshot below it looks like he’s doing just that, but I want a closer zoom in without entering the body of my character and swapping to first person mode. I want to frame the picture in a way that highlights him and the environment. Not one or the other. And I wanna do it easily!

World of Warcraft has some truly stunning vistas, especially in The War Within, and getting attractive screenshots of this is fairly easy. Especially if you’re traveling using the in-game flight paths that give you scenic tours of these gorgeous new areas. But please Blizzard, I just want to take cool screenshots of my character.

One of my favorite pastimes in Final Fantasy XIV, or even in MMORPGs, it just taking pictures. Whether it’s to make an edit, or just to make something cool that I can show off to friends that more or less encapsulates the vibe of my character. I want to tell a story with my screenshots, I want people to look at my character and wonder what their deal is, or just appreciate the lighting and composition. I wish I could do the same in World of Warcraft. Not just for my Death Knight, but for my Marksman Hunter or my Assassinate Rogue. Getting pictures of them using their skills in action, as janky as they are would just be neat.

It’d be another way to show off your transmogs as well. All of the items you’ve worked hard to farm from Mythic and Heroic Raids and Dungeons. And your mounts as well! There are some cool ones that I’ve picked up, and being able to take screenshots with them, much like I can do in Final Fantasy XIV would be awesome. (Square Enix please don’t get mad at me for installing a Summoner mod that replaces Bahamut with Ultima. I just love Ivalice too much.)

But who knows, adding a photomode to World of Warcraft might no be possible given how old the game is, and I might have to cave in and use and add-on to make this happen. If that’s the case, well, I might report back and tell all of you how that goes. If not, then know that I’m still standing around in Northrend at odd hours of the day, waiting for the lightning to strike behind Ice Crown Citadel and praying that my character turns his head slightly to the left.

World of Warcraft available for PC. Final Fantasy XIV is available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X.