I Bought the World of Warcraft Mount that Outsold StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty

OK, let me clarify before I even begin. I bought the World of Warcraft mount that outsold StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty, in-game, entirely for free. Now let’s back this up a little bit. In September 2023, former Blizzard developer Jason Thor Hall revealed that a paid mount in World of Warcraft netted Blizzard Entertainment more money than sales for StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty. The mount, at the time, cost $15 and could only be purchased with real money. However, as of August 1, 2024 the infamous mount is now available to obtain entirely for free, in-game, for 900 Traders Tender (a free currency) for the entire month of August.

I should also clarify that Hall did not explicitly reveal which mount outsold StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty, but internet users have done their sleuthing and have more or less come to the conclusion that the mount in question could possibly be the Celestial Steed. It’s a horse made up of constellations, and in my opinion, not the best looking thing out there. But I guess given that the T&W Trading Post probably didn’t exist in 2010, and mounts were more of a challenge to obtain, I can see the appeal of buying one right out of the shop and having one (especially since it seems to have flying) ready to go. Granted, you would still need to level up to unlock the ability to ride it, but I guess I get the appeal.

I suppose, above all else this mount is a time capsule of sort. It was probably incredible looking for the time it came out, with it’s semi-transparent body and unique effects that sprinkling out stars around the horse and it’s rider. At the same time, this mount more or less reaffirmed that corporations could make a hefty chunk of change for microtransactions. I, myself, am guilty for purchasing things through in-game stories. I’ve bought several Fantasias in Final Fantasy XIV, and a couple of cosmetic items. I’ve even purchase an outfit in World of Warcraft, or sometimes I buy characters in games like The First Descendant to get access to who I want to play immediately. I fully acknowledge I’m part of the problem.

It’s just incredible to see a mount, that potentially set a trend, available for free in the long-running MMORPG. And I guess even more-so that I could just grab it and go without dipping into my wallet. A part of me wonders what long-time players feel about things that were originally only available for real-money now being available for free. And another part of me wonders what other mounts potentially made more profit in World of Warcraft than the Celestial Steed. I suppose we may never know that, and it’s probably for the best. Because there’s a part of me that feels a physical sort of pain when I know that this horse potentially contributed to the death of one of my favorite RTS franchises.

World of Warcraft is available for PC.