The inevitable merger of Battle.net and Gamepass

[Unholyground]

So I have been thinking about this a lot and it is a certainty that it will happen. I am wondering how long they will wait and how they will go about it.

My best personal guess is that they move the WoW sub into Gamepass Ultimate when it happens and then phase out the battle.net app and then make some kind of season pass you can get for cosmetic rewards.

[Kavenoff]

Honestly, as long as I don't have to pay for more than GamePass OR WoW, I'm in.

[Unholyground]

Honestly, as long as I don't have to pay for more than GamePass OR WoW, I'm in.

That is just it, it almost becomes a must have service if that happens and combines two communities into one mega community.

[Polybius]

So I have been thinking about this a lot and it is a certainty that it will happen. I am wondering how long they will wait and how they will go about it.

My best personal guess is that they move the WoW sub into Gamepass Ultimate when it happens and then phase out the battle.net app and then make some kind of season pass you can get for cosmetic rewards.

You're playing with fire.

[Unholyground]

You're playing with fire.

There's no benefit to keeping them separate once the acquisition is complete. Especially since every single game that's on battle net PC is gonna be available on game pass there's no point in having in 2 places. Microsoft also has the most advanced server network system on the planet, even better than Google's.

It does potentially make game pass better though if they have to rework it to incorporate wow into its interface.

[Hobbidaggy]

How does Microsoft handle Elder Scrolls MMO and other MMOs on Game Pass?

[Polybius]

There's no benefit to keeping them separate once the acquisition is complete. Especially since every single game that's on battle net PC is gonna be available on game pass there's no point in having in 2 places. Microsoft also has the most advanced server network system on the planet, even better than Google's.

It does potentially make game pass better though if they have to rework it to incorporate wow into its interface.

At best I think they'll merge but not phase out. The brand name is still recognizable, and the game uses Blizzard's own framework both in-game and out. Microsoft mergers are rough (hello, Minecraft) and phasing out Bnet would potentially anger millions, with the risk of closing old ActiBlizz* accounts.

[Unholyground]

At best I think they'll merge but not phase out. The brand name is still recognizable, and the game uses Blizzard's own framework both in-game and out. Microsoft mergers are rough (hello, Minecraft) and phasing out Bnet would potentially anger millions, with the risk of closing old ActiBlizz* accounts.

First step will be allowing people to link their accounts together, but it will phase out over time once people are used to seeing Microsoft on the bnet app. The app is perfect for advertising Gamepass too

[SniperCT]

How does Microsoft handle Elder Scrolls MMO and other MMOs on Game Pass?

No idea on gamepass but it still uses the launcher it always does. Does gamepass even have a PC launcher?

Honestly I don't actually expect much of a change on that front. Even if WoW and other games are on the game pass, they'll just have you install battle.net to access them.

ETA: oh I used the MS store for PSO2 before it went to steam and it still used the PSO2 launcher.

Battle.net isn't going anywhere. (probably too much work to rewrite the back end anyway, all blizz games are deeply tied into the service)

[huth]

No idea on gamepass but it still uses the launcher it always does. Does gamepass even have a PC launcher?

Honestly I don't actually expect much of a change on that front. Even if WoW and other games are on the game pass, they'll just have you install battle.net to access them.

ETA: oh I used the MS store for PSO2 before it went to steam and it still used the PSO2 launcher.

Battle.net isn't going anywhere. (probably too much work to rewrite the back end anyway, all blizz games are deeply tied into the service)

Heck, the last time they just tried to rename it caused enough of a fecal hurricane that they completely abandoned the idea.

[PACOX]

There will be a merger. Will it include WoW? Yes but I don't know how much beyond some sort of base versio - see how ESO is handled among a few other online games on Game Pass. They aren't getting rid of the sub. People have been paying $15 a month for 50 years. Ironically a WoW sub will cost more than a Game Pass sub, crazy.

If course the other games will be on game pass.
I can see Classic:x being part of Game Pass without a sub.,

- - - Updated - - -

No idea on gamepass but it still uses the launcher it always does. Does gamepass even have a PC launcher?

Honestly I don't actually expect much of a change on that front. Even if WoW and other games are on the game pass, they'll just have you install battle.net to access them.

ETA: oh I used the MS store for PSO2 before it went to steam and it still used the PSO2 launcher.

Battle.net isn't going anywhere. (probably too much work to rewrite the back end anyway, all blizz games are deeply tied into the service)

Microsoft has no problem putting launchers behind Game Pass. You get EA's service with Game Pass and it's is all behind a separate launcher.

[rrayy]

So I have been thinking about this a lot and it is a certainty that it will happen. I am wondering how long they will wait and how they will go about it.

My best personal guess is that they move the WoW sub into Gamepass Ultimate when it happens and then phase out the battle.net app and then make some kind of season pass you can get for cosmetic rewards.

Link showing the annoucement. There is no certainty. They aren't rermoving a money maker.

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There's no benefit to keeping them separate once the acquisition is complete. Especially since every single game that's on battle net PC is gonna be available on game pass there's no point in having in 2 places. Microsoft also has the most advanced server network system on the planet, even better than Google's.

It does potentially make game pass better though if they have to rework it to incorporate wow into its interface.

There is a benefit. It's called money, specifically players who have both. You will make far less money off of those players if you put it on game pass. Then there is also the WOW token. They won't kill that off either.

[LordVargK]

I don't mind getting a 2 in 1 deal. WoW's subscription is way too high anyway considering how server costs have dropped since 2005, even if you factor in inflation. WoW basically finances most other Blizzard games and of course the never released games, too.
So if the financialy structure changes under Microsoft, then I'm all for it.

[Pandragon]

They didnt make us use Gamepass when they bought Mojang and got control of Minecraft. They made their windows 10 version, but didnt make it moddable like the Java version which pissed us off, but we digress. They just started funding Mojang and let them work on the game.

[Hobbidaggy]

Looking at game pass on PC you get elder scrolls and morrowind expansion and that’s it.

Wow will probably give you the base game and the base game experience which is free to like lvl 20

There is every reason to believe they might reduce the cost but doubt the sub will go away

[Fencers]

I would be likely to try out World of Warcraft again if it was included as part of the Ultimate Pass. I already pay for ultimate pass so it would be no sweat off my back to install WOW after over a decade. Just to see what has changed since The Burning Crusade. I played WoW for a little time during Wrath of the Lich King but the game was never really my thing and thus paying for it was never attractive to me.

However, I do try out tons of games I would normally never buy directly on Gamepass. Such a great value. There is probably a lot of folks who would pay for gamepass but not directly for an MMO sub that would give it a go as well.

[bloodmoth13]

Pay millions of dollars for franchise that gets money from sub
remove sub
...
Profit.
Am I missing something here or is that the dumbest move ever?

[shoc]

I think it's just a matter of time too. I believe putting all WoW titles on Game Pass is the main reason Microsoft bought Blizzard. That's 3-4 million new Game Pass subscribers overnight without really affecting WoW sub revenue. Even if there was a dip in revenue from current WoW and Game Pass concurrent subscribers like me, I think it would still be worth it for the share value it would bring.

Plus, making WoW available to the 25 million current Game Pass subscribers would be unreal.

[SniperCT]

Looking at game pass on PC you get elder scrolls and morrowind expansion and that’s it.

Wow will probably give you the base game and the base game experience which is free to like lvl 20

There is every reason to believe they might reduce the cost but doubt the sub will go away

That's what you get if you buy the ESO basic box purchase. The other expansions require separate purchases or a VIP sub (except the most recent which requires purchase, they role it into the VIP sub when the new one comes out)

The VIP sub cost has not changed at all either. (VIP includes a bottomless crafting bag, all DLC (think if WoW charged you for each patch), all expansions but the current one, and monthly store currency, among some other stuff)

WoW is a bit different. You sub to get all but latest expansion and have to buy the latest for access. Not sure how you work something like that into game pass without straight up just merging the subs.

[Nerph-]

I can't see them removing the WoW sub if/when WoW comes onto the game pass, it's just too much of a money maker.