So, flying being reintroduced is what stopped the sub hemorrhaging.

[Sylvaeres]

I think it has to do more with a core audience that still stays subbed because they enjoy this game

[Thandorr]

Arbitrary assertions are arbitrary.

[tehpwner]

As much as I am pro-flying, no. Just no. Only the vocal minority legitimately care so much to stop/re-subscribe for literally only flying

[Underverse]

Correlation != causation

[theostrichsays]

I heard Pepe is really what slowed the sub loss.

Todd quit wow and now subs aren't going down as much.
Clearly Todd was destroying wow.

You can't argue with that logic, don't even try.

I did hear Todd was a douche, very likely reason.

[High-Chief Greathoof]

Yes, because the smallest change hidden in an entire list of changes is the sole reason the subscriber number stayed about the same.

It could be Timewalking Dungeons, 6.2.3, the Grove Warden limited time mount, new expansion hype and getting prepared for it, or the fact that those who are still subscribed actually enjoy the game and those who were not happy had already left.

You, sir, left your brain in the dumpster. I suggest you go retrieve it.

[xezar]

Considering flying was released in the ass-end of the expansion when people have already done most major things on foot (if they bothered), there's really no incentive for people to resub to unlock flying with Legion coming in next year. That and since the expansion ended up being Garrison-craft, it's not like there's really any reason to leave it anyways unless you're running dailies or raiding. Most of Draenor unfortunately is fugly with crap terrain, which flying would have helped, you know, at the start of the expansion instead of being forced to use ground mounts.

[beanman12345]

i mean, it is a bit strange. 2.5 mil 2.5 mil, 100k I don't know if flying is the reason, but, I don't think it can be proven either way. So everyone is assuming.

[Manabomb]

Wow that's kinda assuming a lot.

Hell, I can just as easily say "Subs stopped falling after Legion was announced. Legion saved WoW."

Well. Name dropping a bunch of popular themes and people didn't make the hemorrhage gush. Maybe the last 5 mill are the ones left that are giving Legion this one last chance. *shrugs*

[Ferocity]

While I am all up for flying, I doubt that "reintroduction" of flying did much good, personally I didn't resubscribe. They did put flying behind artificially gated grind, which lasts around month, if you don't "slack". Sorry, but there are more interesting things in video gaming world than committing to virtual job to unlock feature, which was baseline for so many expansions. And I don't feel like supporting same direction, which was confirmed for future expansions: flying being brought late in expansion and locked behind similar virtual job. There is a chance that we will hear different things during Blizzcon, but I am afraid that game will keep going the Cataclysm route.

[Daetur]

This is one of the reasons I'm glad that they're not going to be releasing sub numbers anymore. Well, not "glad." Relieved?

People constantly assume that only one variable could possibly be affecting subs at any given time, and it creates a ton of meaningless speculation based on correlation, not causation.

[Baine]

Take that, anti flyers. The massive sub bleeding that wasn't even slowed by the release of 6.2 was damn near stopped by a patch that did nothing but enable flight. Ok, well it had mercenary mode, but I don't know anyone who uncancelled their sub because of that.

I don't think something can be pinpoint to one mega factor like this. I probably played but that much? Flying gave a small boost but to the point to maintain hundred of thousands subs?

- - - Updated - - -

This is one of the reasons I'm glad that they're not going to be releasing sub numbers anymore. Well, not "glad." Relieved?

People constantly assume that only one variable could possibly be affecting subs at any given time, and it creates a ton of meaningless speculation based on correlation, not causation.

Exactly. I am really shocked by the lack of rational thought on this forum. So many topics - if not all - are debatted on extreme opinons (black or white). The "truth" usually lies within the shades of grey.

[Gourmandise]

I think the pumpkin spice candle I recently bought stopped the sub hemorrhaging.

[LilSaihah]

This is one of the reasons I'm glad that they're not going to be releasing sub numbers anymore. Well, not "glad." Relieved?

I'm a little saddened, honestly. It was always great for a laugh reading the latest theories on sub losses.

[MoanaLisa]

It's never just one thing. I wish people would stop saying that because it's incredibly over-simplified and pointless.

If the thread goes on about them not reporting subscriptions any more it will get closed. There's already a thread for that.

[Fritters154]

Take that, anti flyers. The massive sub bleeding that wasn't even slowed by the release of 6.2 was damn near stopped by a patch that did nothing but enable flight. Ok, well it had mercenary mode, but I don't know anyone who uncancelled their sub because of that.

Legion being announced almost definitely contributed more than flying.

[llubtoille]

6.2.2 didn't come out until the latest third of Q3...
Yes,it was announced way before, sometime near July... But as delayed as it was, it probably was the cause of those 100k leaving... Not the cause for the milions staying.

I am under the impression that sub numbers are determined from active accounts as at the quarter ending date, in this case 31st September 2015
So 6.2.2 coming out during the last month of the quarter is ideal for blizzard because anyone coming back for that patch (post 1st Sept) will be included.

I don't believe its quite as simple as 'oh, people stopped leaving because of the patch/flying'. Rather, the number of players leaving was for the most part counterbalanced by those returning for the patch/flying.
When I say flying, I don't mean it as a singular primary feature, but rather an another weight on a scale. Adding flying back would have tipped the balance for many in the favor of playing/returning, but that is in addition to all the 6.2 content they have also presumably not experienced, and all the other stuff in WoW they enjoy doing.

That said, there's no way to know for certain unless you can find an alternate universe where the 6.2.2 patch was further delayed into October XD

[cparle87]

While I am all up for flying, I doubt that "reintroduction" of flying did much good, personally I didn't resubscribe. They did put flying behind artificially gated grind, which lasts around month, if you don't "slack". Sorry, but there are more interesting things in video gaming world than committing to virtual job to unlock feature, which was baseline for so many expansions.

Um, yeah. Try again. If you were actually playing the game you should've had everything but the new reps completed before 6.2 even came. If eight months wasn't long enough to explore the continent, do 10ish apexis dailies, find 100 treasures the majority of which you practically trip over, and do the quests that's your problem. Two of the three reps took about 10 days of dailies, and the third could be grinded.

[emilylorange]

I understand how bicyclists must feel as people shout things at them from their cars.

It's like a tiny snippet of conversation appeared right next to me in the form of the OP, and then he drove off, satisfied in the half-sentence he managed to lob at a random stranger, never to be seen again, and forgotten by the time I reach my destination.

[Ferocity]

Um, yeah. Try again. If you were actually playing the game you should've had everything but the new reps completed before 6.2 even came. If eight months wasn't long enough to explore the continent, do 10ish apexis dailies, find 100 treasures the majority of which you practically trip over, and do the quests that's your problem. Two of the three reps took about 10 days of dailies, and the third could be grinded.

People like you are one of the reasons why game sucks now. Idea to lock flying behind this grind is completely moronic, but we can't have it fixed because of people who keep yelling "IT IS JUST ABOUT 10 DAYS OF DAILIES". People like me had enough with doing many trillions of dailies to unlock baseline stuff in MoP, and yet we are here again - complete trillions of dailies and seek 1g treasures, hidden in obscure geometry, so that you need dedicated addon and you need a hundred of those "treasures". It is fine when such things are here, but it isn't fine that they are required to unlock basic features.

Optimal approach - don't touch what isn't broken. Make flying available at Lv.100 (free of charge, because we already payed tons of gold to "unlock" flying in each expansion, which are quite obsolete now) with heirloom tome usable at Lv.90 for those who want it a bit earlier on their alts. No ifs, no butts. No need to invent bicycle with square wheels.

I hope ActiBlizzard reconsidered their position on the subject, because if they confirm during Blizzcon that flying will be introduced late in Legion too (and locked behind many trillions of dailies), it will be instant "f*ck this Blizzcon" without putting any attention to any other Legion's features (unless we speak about legacy servers, in this case Blizzard will have my money).