"What the f*** are these prices?": World of Warcraft fans question Blizzard's $7.50 trees, prompting swift discounts – but some say the MMO's new housing decor is "still comically overpriced"

The World of Warcraft community has been buzzing after Blizzard's big Midnight release, new housing system and all – but some of the optional accompaniments haven't exactly been impressing fans with their prices.

As a Final Fantasy 14 and Elder Scrolls Online player myself, I know the controversy that surrounds real-money purchases for MMOs very well, and World of Warcraft certainly offers no exception (if you know about the $475 mount from way back when, you know). It's hard to justify spending hard-earned cash on cosmetics when you already dish out so much for a subscription and expansions like Midnight, after all.

World of Warcraft fans are facing this dilemma right now, as new shop updates bring a slew of pretty pricey decor items for the recent housing update. "Blizzard just dropped a $180 in-game shop update," as a player writes on Reddit, linking to the official Battle.net digital storefront.

And, if you scroll down to the "housing" tab, you'll see what they mean. All of the furnishings add up to quite a bit, utilizing Midnight's Hearthsteel currency.

For reference, 100 Hearthsteel is $1, so one decor pack is $25. And, amusingly, one tree – yes, just one – from the new Spring Blossoming collection started out at $7.50 on its own. That's quite a lot for virtual furniture, especially when you don't get multiple to use.

As the top comment under the Redditor's thread jokes, "Even in-game I can look at my neighbor and say, 'Damn, he has so much more money than me.'"

A separate post dubs the new housing items "a bit pricey" (although commenters say "a bit pricey is an understatement"), echoing the sentiment that, uh, yeah… eight bucks for a tree is certainly a choice.

Elsewhere, another fan asks abruptly, "What the f*** are these prices?" Thankfully, Blizzard copped on to the complaints quickly, taking the decor down… only to put it all back up for a bit cheaper. The Spring Blossom Tree, for instance, is now $2.50

Even though, as someone so eloquently puts it in a different online thread, the prices got a "nerf," the decor is "still comically overpriced" to many. "Yeah, this is like… 5% better," a still-disappointed player admits. I'm not sure there's any winning myself, really – unless it all goes free, which is incredibly doubtful.

Nonetheless, here's hoping Blizzard keeps fans' feedback in mind with its next optional release.

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