Blizzard now lets players convert in-game gold from World of Warcraft into Battle.net credit that can be used across other Blizzard titles, including the popular Overwatch and Hearthstone, the company announced on Monday. The exchange is possible thanks to WoW Tokens, a currency introduced in 2015 that has now expanded.
As the video states, WoW Tokens can be purchased within World of Warcraft using real money, or in-game gold earned through quests, item auctions and more. As of Monday, those Tokens can then be converted into Battle.net credit in addition to being used to purchase more game time inWoW or transferred to other players.
WoW players can drag their WoW Tokens into the auction house interface to sell them for in-game gold, but to exchange them for game time or Battle.net credit, you can simply “use” the Token from your inventory. The game then presents a pop-up that lets you choose between World of Warcraft game time and Battle.net credit. Players with inactive accounts can buy tokens to exchange for game time directly from the character select screen.
“The Wow Token is an easy and secure option for players who would like to purchase some extra gold from other players, or would like to pay for their WoW subscription, pets, mounts, and other Blizzard products using gold,” the video said.
The practical effect of these confusing economics is that in addition to other possibilities, players can now trade their in-game gold for WoW Tokens, then use the Tokens to buy balance on their Battle.net accounts that can be used in other Blizzard games. So as Polygon points out, players who have accumulated lots of surplus gold in WoW or who have some gear they wouldn’t mind selling off can turn their investment directly into Overwatch loot boxes, Hearthstone card packs, and more.
