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 including a playful comparison to Final Fantasy XIV's housing system.

World of Warcraft’s upcoming expansion, World of Warcraft: Midnight, will finally add the highly anticipated housing feature. A key goal, as highlighted in a recent developer blog, is to make housing accessible to everyone.

Blizzard stated, "Our focus is on wide adoption, ensuring housing is available to all. Want a house? You'll have one. No exorbitant costs, lotteries, or burdensome upkeep. Even if your subscription lapses, your house remains safe."

Player housing, as the name suggests, allows players to purchase and personalize homes within the MMO world, open for visits from other players. This feature is incredibly popular in Final Fantasy XIV, inspiring player creativity with in-game constructions such as theaters, nightclubs, cafes, and 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 within a Warband, allowing characters to access and share rewards regardless of faction. While a Human character can't purchase a house in a Horde zone, a Troll Warband member can, granting access to the Human character.

Although World of Warcraft will initially feature two housing zones with "Neighborhoods" of approximately 50 plots each, these are instanced and offer both public and private options. Public areas are server-maintained and dynamically created, meaning the number of Neighborhoods isn't currently limited.

Blizzard's commitment to World of Warcraft housing is evident. Alongside "boundless self-expression" and "deeply social" features, the team aims for housing to be a "long-lasting journey," with ongoing updates planned for future patches and expansions. This commitment, while acknowledging FFXIV's pitfalls, suggests Blizzard is learning from past experiences.

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