NetEase, the partner of Blizzard responsible for distributing World of Warcraft in China, is shaking things up with an eye-catching bundle priced at $260. While Blizzard only recently introduced the $90 Trader’s Gilded Brutosaur mount, NetEase has taken it up a notch, offering an even rarer mount at nearly triple the cost.
Back on October 24, World of Warcraft introduced the pricey Trader’s Gilded Brutosaur, marking it as the most expensive mount released thus far, with a price equivalent to the Epic Edition of The War Within. Despite this, NetEase isn’t holding back and has rolled out a bundle that’s nearly three times pricier. To welcome the MMO back to China, they’ve released a WoW Classic pack that includes a flying version of the Swift Spectral Tiger, along with World of Warcraft toys like the Imp in a Ball, Spurious Sarcophagus, and a Grim Campfire. However, this celebratory pack comes with a hefty price tag of ¥1,888, which converts to about $260. On the upside, for Chinese gamers who already own the ground version of the Swift Spectral Tiger, this bundle is available at a reduced price of ¥588, roughly $81.
The bundle highlights prized items from the now-discontinued World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, with the Swift Spectral Tiger topping the list as the most sought-after, typically fetching around $5,000. Before Blizzard and NetEase had their differences, which led to a year-long hiatus of WoW in China, the ground-only version of the Swift Spectral Tiger was offered through a Burning Crusade Classic bundle for a similar price in USD as today’s offer.
NetEase hasn’t stopped at just bringing WoW back to Chinese gamers; they’ve been celebrating its return with various events. They’ve thrown in a cash prize for the first Chinese team to conquer The War Within raids, organized an Ulduar speedrun competition in Wrath of the Lich King Classic, and launched some interesting collaborations, such as a WoW x NetEase music app and a Xal’atath voice feature for Baidu Maps. Additionally, the Trader’s Gilded Brutosaur is on offer for modern WoW players in China, priced around $120, which also includes 2,000 Trader’s Tender to be spent at the Trading Post.
Since World of Warcraft made its comeback in China, the success has been monumental, with over 1,000,000 gamers playing simultaneously over recent months, more than 1,000 job applications at Blizzard China, and around 100,000 fans reclaiming their accounts. With such vibrant events, exclusive bundles, and the creation of a new World of Warcraft Gorehowl statue, it’s evident that NetEase is fully committed to offering players unique and compelling experiences.
