WheneverWorld of Warcraftputs out a new raid, the top guilds from around the world compete to try and defeat the Mythic versions of the final bosses. One of the guilds shared the estimated gold cost for their race to World First for thefinal boss ofShadowlands: Eternity’s Endand converted it to real money to show how expensive the competition can be.
The Jailer encounter in the Sepulcher of the First Ones was the target of theWorld of Warcraftguilds racing to World First this season. Though neck and neck between several competitors, the EU guild Echo claimed the first kill on the Jailer.
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Liquid, the North American guild and one of their major competitors, shared the bill of their race to World First so far. Through the purchase of gear, runes, enchantments, and consumable items to give the guild the edge they needed to push through phases, Liquid spent approximately 723 million gold–535 million of which was borrowed.When converted intoWoWtokens, Liquid has spent the equivalent of 4,600 tokens, or $93,000, and is in debt with about $69,000 of that total.
Every MMORPG with high-difficulty endgame content has World First races, butWorld of Warcraftis one of the few with a legal RMT system, meaning the cost of those races can be quantified into real money. World First races inWoWhave become large, broadcasted events sinceBattle for Azerothas streaming has grown more popular. The World First race for the Jailer has been one of the most expensive in years, with an 18-day run, the longest since the Tomb of Sargeras raid inLegion.
Though manyWorld of Warcraftplayers pay attentionto World First races, few realize the amount of resources and dedication that truly went into such endeavors. Fans were floored at the amount of gold spent to fuel their race, especially considering each of the several other guilds was likely spending similar amounts. What’s better, Liquid’s race is not quite finished, meaning this number will increase before they take down the Jailer.
Some fans look at these numbers in a less-favorable way by calling these races “Pay-to-Win.” Though gear, upgrades, and consumables are all obviously required for these hardcore raiders to succeed, it takes a good deal of skill and dedication as well. Many of these guilds, including Liquid and Echo, also raise thousands of dollars forcharity during their streams andWoWevents–further proof they are anything but selfish or lazy, as some detractors claim.
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