It’s being put through the paces via the Public Test Realm, and Blizzard will ”provide additional updates” on their plans as it progresses. Rumours started after a XP-boost spell was spotted on the PTR.
World of Warcraft has no in-game market for micro-transactions, unlike many other MMOs today, but they do enjoy a sizeable market for premium mounts and pets.
”We are currently exploring the possibility of adding a way for players in certain regions to make purchases directly within the game,” posted a Blizzard community manager. ”As part of this process, elements related to this will be appearing on the PTR. We’ll provide additional updates on our plans as development progresses.”
Activision Blizzard has already acknowledged that the flagship MMORPG is in decline with each passing year, so it seems prudent to gear it up for profit in a post-subscription era.