Blizzard creates cross-game economy for ‘WoW,’ ‘Overwatch,’ and ‘Hearthstone’

By Michael Rougeau February 6, 2017

WoW Token Overview

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Michael Rougeau

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Mike Rougeau is a journalist and writer who lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and two dogs. He specializes in video…

Gaming

Hearthstone’s standout Mercanaries mode is smothered by the main game

Heroes from Hearthstone Mercenaries stand together.

Hearthstone has always been something that has fascinated me. As a World of Warcraft spinoff, it's steeped in the lore and characters that I grew up with and condensed it into a fun card game. I had a solid go of it when it first came out; I built my decks, constructed my cards, and even climbed the ranks of Hearthstone’s ladder. However, like most games, I eventually stopped playing. It could have been out of frustration or because I found a different game to focus on -- I honestly don’t remember because it was years ago. I did want to get back into it, but as the days turned to months, months to years, and one expansion to various expansions, I felt like I could not catch up.

Hearthstone Mercenaries Cinematic Trailer

Gaming

Overwatch 2 executive producer leaving Blizzard amid lawsuit

Genji slashes a robot in Overwatch 2.

As publishing giant Activision Blizzard faces legal woes on all fronts, the company is beginning to bleed leadership. Blizzard's president, J. Allen Brack, stepped down from his post in August, and according to a report from Bloomberg, he's being followed by the executive producer of one of the company's biggest franchises.

The report claims that Chacko Sonny, the current executive producer of Overwatch, will be leaving the company this Friday, September 24. His departure was confirmed to Bloomberg by a spokesman for Activision Blizzard. Sonny's role at the studio was nearly essential, tasking him with overseeing the entire Overwatch franchise as well as the development of Overwatch 2, a job that became much more important since Jeff Kaplan, former director of Overwatch, left Blizzard in April. Multiple anonymous sources told Bloomberg that Sonny was seen as a "stabilizing force on the Overwatch team."

Gaming

Blizzard is changing Overwatch character McCree’s name amid controversy

Jesse McCree in Overwatch

Jesse McCree, the six-shootin' cowboy of Overwatch voiced by Matt Mercer, will be getting a new name according to a post on the game's Twitter page. The decision by developer Blizzard comes after the character's real-life namesake, a former game designer at the studio, was let go from the company.

"As we continue to discuss how we best live up to our values and to demonstrate our commitment to creating a game world that reflects them," reads Blizzard's statement on the Overwatch Twitter page, "we believe it's necessary to change the name of the hero currently known as McCree to something that better represents what Overwatch stands for." A new name for the hero has not been announced.