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

Player housing is coming to World of Warcraft, and Blizzard has offered a first glimpse into its implementation. A recent preview detailed early plans, even playfully contrasting their approach with Final Fantasy XIV's housing system.

World of Warcraft: Midnight will introduce this highly anticipated feature. A key goal, as stated in a recent developer blog, is to make housing accessible to all players. Blizzard emphasizes that acquiring and maintaining a home will be straightforward: "If you want a house, you can have a house. No exorbitant requirements or high purchase costs, no lotteries, and no onerous upkeep (and if your subscription lapses, don’t worry, your house doesn’t get repossessed!)."

Player housing, as the name suggests, allows players to purchase and personalize physical homes within the game world, inviting others to visit. This feature, hugely popular in Final Fantasy XIV, has fostered incredible player creativity, leading to in-game theaters, nightclubs, cafes, and even museums.

However, Final Fantasy XIV's housing system also has its drawbacks. Limited plots per server, high Gil costs, lotteries, and the risk of demolition due to inactivity are well-known issues.

World of Warcraft aims to address these concerns. Housing is shared amongst the Warband, allowing characters to access and share rewards regardless of faction. While a Human character can't buy a house in a Horde zone, a Troll Warband member can, granting access to the Human character.

Although housing will be limited to two zones with "Neighborhoods" of around 50 plots each, these are instanced and offer both public and private options. Public areas are server-maintained and generated dynamically, meaning the number of Neighborhoods isn't currently capped.

Blizzard's commitment to World of Warcraft housing is evident. Alongside "boundless self-expression" and "deeply social" experiences, they envision housing as a "long-lasting journey," with ongoing updates planned for future patches and expansions. This demonstrates awareness of potential pitfalls while subtly contrasting their approach with Final Fantasy XIV.

Further details are expected before the anticipated summer reveal of World of Warcraft: Midnight.