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Blizzard Unveils its Nefarious Plan to Make You Play World of Warcraft Again

The new Scroll of Resurrection offers up a sizable pile of perks for those who might want to dip back into the world of Azeroth.

I've abandoned my level 36 Dwarf rogue!
I've abandoned my level 36 Dwarf rogue!

You may have heard about World of Warcraft's recent drop in subscribers. Once known as the world's most ubiquitous massively multiplayer online role-playing game (hell, it still pretty much is), the game has lost a decent number of players in the last fiscal year or so, though there are still something like 10 million of them currently active.

Unsurprisingly, Blizzard is not interested in having players leave WoW. Instead, the publisher is exclusively interested in making those players who have dropped out come back. And they're removing quite a few barriers to entry in order to make it happen.

Today the publisher announced the new Scroll of Resurrection, a deeply nefarious device existing players can unleash on so-called "friends" who have abandoned the battle for Azeroth like Daniel Plainview abandoned his child. Should the wayward player happen to accept the aforementioned scroll, they'll be able to jump back into the game with the following perks:

  • A single character immediately boosted all the way to level 80
  • A FREE upgrade to Cataclysm (which means that someone who hasn’t played since the original release would receive all of the game’s additional content for free, including the Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm expansions.)
  • An optional FREE character move and faction change (specifically to the inviter’s realm and faction.)
  • 7 FREE days of game time, available immediately

    That's all well and good for the former turncoat who saw the error of their ways and came crawling back because they got a bunch of free stuff, but what of the loyal player who sent the scroll? What reward awaits them for their distribution of email fliers to their former guildmates? They will be getting free mounts. Provided the newly scrolled friend renews and pays for at least 30 days of play, Alliance players will receive a free Spectral Gryphon, while Horde characters get a free Spectral Wind Rider.

    All of this does, of course, hinge on former players having friends who still play World of Warcraft. Blizzard isn't just sending these things out all willy-nilly. Also, this is a limited time offer, so if you are planning on sending out a scroll, head over on to Blizzard's official page for this whole promotion and get crackin'.

  • Alex Navarro on Google+

    149 Comments

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    knightlyknave

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    Edited By knightlyknave

    Wow, that's so transparent. I can't believe they would basically throw their expansions and level grind out the window. Kinda seems pathetic actually.

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    Aldrenar47

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    Edited By Aldrenar47
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    Levio

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    Edited By Levio

    @cwdawg1224 said:

    This sounds like a very crummy tradeoff. The person who leaves them and then gets bribed into coming back gets rewarded greatly, but the people who always stayed loyal with a subscription and even did Blizzard's job of enticing people to return get a little pat on the back.

    blizzard has always made it easy for the people behind the leveling curve to catch up while forcing the people playing the newest content as it is released to sit through endless grinds and time-sink trash content.

    if you don't like that system, well, best stay away from WoW altogether.

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    Bunny_Fire

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    Edited By Bunny_Fire

    i am never going back to that game been a few years since i have played it ... and im glade.

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    Tidel

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    Edited By Tidel

    @Aldrenar47: If I could like comments I would like your comment. Like.

    I'll play WoW again when it stops being WoW. Sorry, Blizzard, old game is old, no matter how many different ways you try to dress it up. Call me when Titan happens.

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    Imsorrymsjackson

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    Edited By Imsorrymsjackson

    Sorry I can't hear this over all the Guild Wars 2.

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    HadesTimes

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    Edited By HadesTimes

    LOL, I think this just shows how desperate Blizzard has become. I never believed that there was a serious problem before but an automatic jump to level 80? That's DESPERATE! I would never play WoW again. There are too many good games out there to sink all my time into one game. And considering if you don't put at least a descent amount of time into the game, you really don't have any kind of descent experience. I'm a MMO addict in general, but SWTOR cured me. I now know that I just can't play MMOs; if I want to play ANYTHING ELSE.

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    Forum_User

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    Edited By Forum_User

    @Levio said:

    @cwdawg1224 said:

    This sounds like a very crummy tradeoff. The person who leaves them and then gets bribed into coming back gets rewarded greatly, but the people who always stayed loyal with a subscription and even did Blizzard's job of enticing people to return get a little pat on the back.

    blizzard has always made it easy for the people behind the leveling curve to catch up while forcing the people playing the newest content as it is released to sit through endless grinds and time-sink trash content.

    if you don't like that system, well, best stay away from WoW altogether.

    If people want to skip the majority of the content just to quickly get to the dungeon treadmill, what does that say about the game, anyway? What is the rest of the game there for, if we've not gotten to the point where everyone wants to skip it?

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    Benny

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    Edited By Benny

    @Aldrenar47 said:

    "Sir, Warcraft subscriptions are falling by the millions!"

    "Then it looks like we've..."

    (•_•)

    ( •_•)>⌐■-■

    (⌐■_■)

    "Got a real Cataclysm on our hands"

    YYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

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    deactivated-5abeb9715d7a2

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    Yeah... How about no. I had some great times in that game, but I'll never play another MMO again. I don't like what they've done to the game, and it always sucked up too much of my time. Since quitting, I've played through so many great titles, and wouldn't trade that freedom for the world. (of Warcraft.)

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    Shaka999

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    Edited By Shaka999

    @Benny: Thank you, I got a pretty good laugh out of that.

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    Forum_User

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    Edited By Forum_User

    The only thing that will interest me, given how utterly sporadically I played WoW the last time I played it, would be if they dropped the sub fee entirely, but actually, given how bored I was last time I tried one of their "please come back" free trials, I don't even think that would interest me much. I kind of found myself kind of wondering how I was ever into the game in the first place.

    Let's see Diablo III and some Titan info, Blizz. Blizzard Dota, too. Out with the old, in with the new. People who quit the game quit for a reason.

    Also, LOL, pandas. World of Retcon.

    I do applaud their decision to just give people the expansions, as long as they're going to keep getting their sub fee money, except they need to go all the way and just do that for everyone (which they probably will, soon enough), not just people using this resurrection scroll thing.

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    lethalki11ler

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    Edited By lethalki11ler

    @Benny: hahaha that was awesome!

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    Vexxan

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    Edited By Vexxan

    A friend invited me back so I might give it a go again...not likely I'll go hardcore gaming that game again.

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    sweep

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    Edited By sweep  Moderator

    @csl316 said:

    Never again.

    Amen.

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    connerthekewlkid

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    Edited By connerthekewlkid

    whats the usual amount of time to hit 80?

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    avarix

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    Edited By avarix

    15 Dollars for all the expansions i never bought is an interesting deal since it also comes with 37 days of play time, plus that other stuff.

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    Hector

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    Edited By Hector

    Just emailed my friend to send me a scroll! :O

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    fox01313

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    Edited By fox01313

    Nice try Blizzard but unless I get a job where I'm working there at Blizzard, I'm not going to play more of WoW. Already left & went back once with the last expansion & not that interested in seeing the latest expansion. I wonder if they are doing this because they feel that the next expansion with the Pandas will just drive people away.

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    SalukiJeff

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    Edited By SalukiJeff

    Oh dear god....free pass to 80. Please bypass our game and start grinding dailies. No Thank you sir!!!

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    geirr

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    Edited By geirr

    Time to resurrect account number 2, 3, 4, and 5 again so all my mains can eventually get a shiny new mount.

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    ESREVER

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    Edited By ESREVER

    Instant level 80? So... what's the point?

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    Makoto_Mizuhara_Sakamoto

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    EVE all the way.

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    G0rd0nFr33m4n

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    Edited By G0rd0nFr33m4n

    Not going to play WoW until its F2P.... it may take a decade or more but I have all the time in the world to wait >:)

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    deactivated-6041dd7056393

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    For all the people wondering what's the point of skipping to lvl 80. The reason is that the high level content, 80 to 85, features some of the latest and best work put into the game and where majority of the player base spends their time these days. And Blizzard wants returning players to get back into things and start playing with other people and see the latest content, especially the new dungeons and the Raid Finder feature which have been a big hit for them.

    Also, more importantly, MoP expansion comes out in a few months and it will feature mostly high level, 85 to 90, content. So they want people to be able to get into that new content as quickly as possible.

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    TheHakku

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    Edited By TheHakku

    Life support systems failing....

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    BoG

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    Edited By BoG

    I want back in.

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    Troglet

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    Edited By Troglet

    I love-hate blizzard so much

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    xshinobi

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    Edited By xshinobi

    They should just start selling lvl 80 toons.

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    adoggz

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    Edited By adoggz

    @gakon said:

    Transfer to Ysera US, join <Bomb Squad>, be happier

    dont do this, you would have to play horde and who would want that?

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    Pop

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    Edited By Pop

    yea they're getting pretty desperate. But also this is kind of brilliant the same time.

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    Arxalis

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    Edited By Arxalis

    Anybody who plays WoW wants a free mount please send a scroll to meh :D

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    adoggz

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    Edited By adoggz

    @gakon said:

    @adoggz said:

    @gakon said:

    Transfer to Ysera US, join <Bomb Squad>, be happier

    dont do this, you would have to play horde and who would want that?

    Oh, I dunno, perhaps forty-four percent of the free world. Alliance may hold a majority of players, but who ever said the majority was automatically right?

    oh just freedom, democracy, the ancient greek way.

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    Gladiator_Games

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    Edited By Gladiator_Games

    More power to the life support systems captain!

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    TheKbob

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    Edited By TheKbob

    That's why I come to Giantbomb... for the vague "There Will Be Blood" references.

    Good show, Alex.

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    Bubbly

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    Edited By Bubbly

    Nothing to do with the article, but I just watched There Will Be Blood for the first time this past Sunday. Quite a coincidence.

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    Pop

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    Edited By Pop

    I can resurrect, PM me, I have a EU account.

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    benspyda

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    Edited By benspyda

    I get constant free 7 day emails from them. I have cataclysm and barely played any of the new content because I'm just bored to tears of that game. Release a new MMO Blizzard and I'll think about. But if GW2 is as good as it looks for $0 a month it'll be a hard sell even then.

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    deactivated-5d8d1874be961

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    I got an account with a lvl 85 worgen hunter, lvl 83 death knight, lvl 73 paladin and lvl 71 druid. and lvl 67 shaman. I used to love WoW for the simple fact that I had plenty of friends at the time who played it, and the guild I was in back in Vanilla days were so awesome with the 40 man raid groups. Now It's just super boring because all my friends left, and it's no real excitement to play by myself. Now if I can get a scroll from the Giant Bombers who got a guild, then I might be inclined to come back. =D

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    theodyssean

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    Edited By theodyssean

    ... I suppose I'll have a conceit to my friends who've been bugging me to rejoin WoW for the past few months. And its on them! Haha!

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    McShank

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    Edited By McShank

    @Arxalis: Whats yo Battle.net email :D

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    galkaeater

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    Edited By galkaeater

    HA thank god none of my friends are still playing, nice try blizzard nice try.

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    McShank

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    Edited By McShank

    Send me yo Battle.net Email in a PM if you want a scroll sent. I want a free mount since I .... seemed to have paid for a month 2 weeks before this crap started.. which pisses me off snce i wanted a free char to lvl to 80.. like that rogue that is lvl 23 for the past 4 years.. or that lock who hasnt seen a lvl up since Vanilla wow.. poor poor characters and their never seen the light of day in years : /

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    deactivated-5d056614f191a

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    Never ever again.

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    Aelric

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    Edited By Aelric

    I just hit four years clean. I think i need to call my sponsor.

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    fishless

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    Edited By fishless

    Scroll !!!

    Do you think the Zenimax lawyers called the Blizzard lawyers and said, "Ah hemmmm... we own scrolls. Change the name or we all make a shit load more money!" To which the Blizzard lawyers replyed, " I know! Right?" And then they all laughed so hard they peed Dom Pérignon.

    yep.

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    MaddProdigy

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    Edited By MaddProdigy

    @Demoskinos said:

    What in the HELL is the point of getting a lvl 80 out of the gate? Isn't half the fun the journey to the top? I mean....fuck. =\

    Definitely not. Most of the people in top raiding guilds have fully leveled a dozen or more characters. The real fun of WOW is in using them daily in a variety of raids, keeping fully geared alts...levels of "hardcore" play that only those who truly have no life or significant others can obtain.