Blizzard Entertainment has announced the cancellation of its highly anticipated Wrathion statue, a collector's item that had garnered significant interest among the World of Warcraft (WoW) community. The statue, which depicted Wrathion, the Black Prince and a pivotal character in the WoW universe, was initially available for pre-order at $350, promising to be a unique addition to any collector's array with its intricate design and light-up features.
The cancellation news came as a disappointment to fans who had pre-ordered the statue, eagerly awaiting its August 2024 delivery. Blizzard cited "challenges with production" as the primary reason for halting the project, without delving into specific details. However, speculation suggests that the cost of materials, particularly for the statue's light-up features, may have exceeded initial estimates, making it financially unfeasible to proceed with production.
I know right Giorgia, it was something I was so genuinely hyped about... The emails are slowly rolling out, and his page on the gear stores (US, UK and EU) are 404'd. 🫠😭🫠😭 pic.twitter.com/Ga85y8CtkW
— ⚜️ ASH ⚜️ (@ClaretAsh11) February 2, 2024
To mitigate the disappointment, Blizzard has extended an olive branch to those affected by offering a full refund for the statue alongside 30 days of free World of Warcraft game time. This gesture, while appreciated, has left many in the community pondering the future availability of the Wrathion statue, with Blizzard expressing hope but no firm commitment to reoffer the item for sale.
This incident is part of a series of setbacks for Blizzard, which is still grappling with the repercussions of recent layoffs following Microsoft's acquisition. The layoffs, which led to the disbandment of the team working on an unannounced Blizzard survival game, have cast a shadow over the company's physical merchandise endeavors, including the now-canceled Wrathion statue.
Despite these challenges, World of Warcraft continues to thrive as a cornerstone of the MMORPG genre, with its latest expansion, Dragonflight, introducing new gameplay mechanics, a raised level cap, and a fresh race and class. The community remains resilient, looking forward to future releases and updates with the hope that Blizzard will overcome its current production hurdles.
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