World of Warcraft Takes a Jab at Final Fantasy 14 With Its Housing Plans

Blizzard Entertainment has exciting news for World of Warcraft fans: player housing is on its way with the upcoming expansion, World of Warcraft: Midnight. The WoW team recently provided an initial glimpse into how housing will be integrated into the game, even playfully critiquing Final Fantasy XIV's approach to housing in the process.

In a recent developer blog, Blizzard outlined its goals for housing, emphasizing "A Home for Everyone" as a key objective. The team is committed to making housing accessible to all players, stating, "As a part of our focus on wide adoption, we wanted to ensure that Housing is available to everyone. If you want a house, you can have a house." This approach eliminates the need for high purchase costs, lotteries, and rigorous maintenance, and ensures that players won't lose their homes if their subscriptions lapse.

Player housing in MMOs allows players to purchase and personalize their own spaces within the game world, which others can visit. It's a feature that has been incredibly popular in Final Fantasy XIV, leading to creative endeavors like theater productions, nightclubs, cafes, and museums. However, Final Fantasy XIV's housing system has faced criticism due to its limited plots, high costs, lottery system, and the risk of demolition if left unattended.

World of Warcraft aims to address these issues head-on. Housing will be shared among the Warband, allowing characters to access homes regardless of faction lines. For instance, while a Human character can't purchase a home in a Horde zone, a Troll character within the same Warband can, and the Human can then utilize it.

The housing system will be divided into two zones and "Neighborhoods" with about 50 plots each. These are instanced and will offer both Public and Private options. Public Neighborhoods will be dynamically created by the game servers as needed, suggesting there won't be a hard cap on available housing.

Blizzard is dedicated to making housing a significant and enduring part of World of Warcraft. Alongside "boundless self-expression" and "deeply social" aspects, the team envisions housing as a "long-lasting journey" with ongoing updates and expansions. This commitment reflects an awareness of the challenges faced by other games, including Final Fantasy XIV, and a desire to create a more inclusive and engaging housing experience.

As we await further details, the summer unveiling of World of Warcraft: Midnight promises more insights into how this exciting feature will evolve.