Blizzard Implements Paid Character Re-Customization in WoW

“Looking for D to chest enchant,” might soon take on a whole new meaning for World of Warcraft players. Blizzard has implemented a character re-customization option, allowing players to change their characters’ names, facial features, hairstyle, and gender.

For $15, players will be able to re-customize their character’s appearance in all ways except for race and class. This addition is the latest in a series of paid character options for the game. In October 2007, paid character name changes were released, following paid character realm transfers in June 2006.

Worriers will be relieved to know that the additional name change provided by re-customization functions the same as the standalone character name change option. Name changes will be reflected on in-game Friends and Ignore lists. This helps ensure that the chump that steals from a player or guild bank the first time will not easily worm his or her way into good graces with the same character.

For $15, the awkwardness of this situation can go away.

Unfortunately, any character customization request requires the player keep their account logged out for half an hour for processing. The changes are then entered via the character selection screen, effective upon re-logging into the account. This means dreams of changing a characters’ sex instantaneously to astound friends and confuse enemies using GotGame’s in-game web browser Rogue will go unfilled.

Also unfortunate is the fact that the changes are merely cosmetic in nature. Likely a necessary evil in this era of game balance and gold selling, it nonetheless leaves those individuals belonging to a faction opposite that of their friends stranded. With Blizzard seeming to roll out a new paid character change feature each year, it should be interesting to see if 2009 will bring about a paid character race change feature.

Tags: Rogue, World of WarCraft, WoW