World of Warcraft Introduces Stylish Housing Exteriors for $40

Blizzard has just revealed an exciting new exterior option for player housing in World of Warcraft: Midnight, and it’s absolutely stunning. Picture a magical treehouse that comes in a vibrant spring green and a lovely cherry blossom pink. Just look at how beautiful it is!

So, how do I get my hands on one?

Is it available in the Shop? The real-money shop?

Wait, it costs how much?!

This gorgeous housing exterior will set you back forty real-world dollars! That translates to 4000 “Hearthsteel,” which you can only purchase in increments like 2500 for $25 or 5000 for $50, making it effectively a $50 purchase.

This is a bummer! At $40, it’s the priciest item in the housing store so far, unless you consider the $75 bundle that includes this exterior along with a bunch of interior decorations. Yes, you’ll need to shell out $75 to grab this beautiful springtime set.

Blizzard has a history of offering real-money-exclusive cosmetic items in its store, like mounts, pets, and transmogs. However, this addition feels particularly disappointing, especially since it’s the first truly appealing new housing exterior introduced in the game. Currently, there are only four other housing exterior options, and they’re faction-locked, meaning each character can only access two at a time. No new options have been added since Midnight launched.

And let’s be honest, the Horde options are pretty lackluster! I’m stuck with a shabby hut made of mismatched wooden boards and metal or a flashy red-and-gold elf house. Maybe I’m being too picky, but as a tauren shaman, neither of these really fits my character’s vibe. Meanwhile, Alliance players have a charming human cottage and a more nature-inspired elf house, both of which I prefer, but I can’t access them since my guild is in a Horde area. Just look at this:

I’m making the best of what I have. I’ve bought a ton of plants (with in-game currency earned from defeating foes, of course), which helps, but the house is still what it is. There’s only so much a cow can do.

This would sting a lot less if there were more options available in-game. Sure, it would still be disappointing to miss out on the fancy springtime treehouse, but if I wasn’t already frustrated with the current choices, I’d be less bothered. I absolutely refuse to spend $40 on a cosmetic treehouse. That’s about the cost of a three-month subscription to the game. It’s also $10 less than the entire Midnight expansion. With $40, I could upgrade to Burning Crusade for World of Warcraft: Classic and snag four mounts, two toys, two pets, and two Hearthstone effects.

Nice try, Blizzard. I’ll be sticking with my orc shack.