WoW Mocks FF14's Housing in New Update

Blizzard has exciting news for World of Warcraft fans: player housing is on its way with the upcoming expansion, World of Warcraft: Midnight. In a recent preview, the WoW team shared early insights into this much-anticipated feature, even taking a playful swipe at Final Fantasy XIV's housing system in the process.

The core principle guiding Blizzard's approach to housing is inclusivity. As outlined in the recent dev blog, one of their main goals is "A Home for Everyone." Blizzard emphasized, "As part of our focus on wide adoption, we wanted to ensure that Housing is available to everyone. If you want a house, you can have a house." They've promised no steep requirements, no high purchase costs, no lotteries, and no burdensome upkeep. Plus, if your subscription lapses, your home remains safe from repossession.

Player housing in MMOs allows players to purchase and personalize their own spaces, which can be visited by others. This feature has been a hit in Final Fantasy XIV, where it has spurred creativity, leading to player-run theaters, nightclubs, cafes, and museums. However, Final Fantasy XIV's housing system has faced criticism for its limited plots, high costs, lottery system, and the risk of demolition if left unattended.

World of Warcraft aims to address these concerns head-on. Housing will be shared among the Warband, allowing characters to access homes across factional lines. For instance, while a Human character can't buy a house in a Horde zone, a Troll character in the same Warband can, and the Human can then use it. The housing will be divided into two zones and "Neighborhoods" of about 50 plots each, with both Public and Private options. These neighborhoods are instanced and dynamically created by the game servers, suggesting no hard cap on the number of neighborhoods.

Blizzard is committed to making housing a "long lasting journey" with ongoing updates and expansions. Alongside "boundless self-expression" and "deeply social" experiences, they plan to keep housing evolving through future patches and expansions. While taking a light-hearted jab at Final Fantasy XIV's system, Blizzard shows a clear understanding of the challenges and is dedicated to avoiding similar pitfalls.

More details about World of Warcraft: Midnight and its housing feature are expected to be unveiled this summer, promising an exciting new chapter for WoW players.