Blizzard is making it easier and cheaper for World of Warcraft players to keep one foot in Azeroth at all times. The mobile app for World of Warcraft is now completely free to use on both iOS and Android devices.
World of Warcraft Remote previously restricted some features behind a pay wall. You needed to pay a small subscription fee to buy and sell goods through the in-game Auction House or collect gold. Guild chat was a premium service as well. However, both can now be used by anyone who downloads the app.
The app also has a host of other features. You can view 3D models of characters and check out their recent activity, stats and Achievements. The realm status tool will let you see if your server's maintenance period is over yet. Guild profiles, a talent calculator, and item browser are all included as well, making World of Warcraft Remote an all-in-one information resource.
The plunging subscriber numbers of Star Wars: The Old Republic and slow bleeding of WoW have made many question the viability of subscription MMO's. I don't necessarily agree with that pessimism, but I do think asking people to pay a separate subscription for a mobile app on top of a monthly fee for the game was pushing it. Making this app completely free will make it much more used. While Blizzard won't make any money off people using the app, it seems that players are more likely to stick around if their social ties to the game are strong. This app's social features could indirectly help the game's subscriber numbers, then.
You can find the free version of the app now through the App Store and Google Play store. A few screenshots of the iOS edition are below.
