WoW Players Call Out Anubisath Guardian Pack as Predatory During Trading Post Anniversary

Blizzard dropped a new cash shop bundle during the worst possible time, at least from the player perspective.

The Anubisath Guardian Pack went live this week for £20, packing an Uldum-themed transmog set alongside 700 Trader's Tender. Sounds decent on paper. The timing? Terrible.

February marks the three-year Trading Post anniversary in World of Warcraft. To celebrate, Blizzard opened a special Trading Post Outlet featuring over 200 returning items from previous months, including bonus rewards that were previously unobtainable with Trader's Tender. Four goblin vendors set up shop in Dornogal's Forgegrounds, hawking everything from mounts to transmog sets.

Here's the thing. Players earn Trader's Tender through their active subscription and monthly challenges. The anniversary event offers an extra 500 Tender as a bonus. But with hundreds of items suddenly available, that earned currency gets stretched thin fast.

Enter the Anubisath Guardian Pack.

Breaking Records, Breaking Trust

This bundle includes the biggest single chunk of purchasable Trader's Tender to date. Previous bundles offered smaller amounts: 200 from the Corsage Pack, 500 from the High Scholar's Pack, and 600 from the Enchanted Sweeper Bundle. The new pack tops them all with 700 Tender, not counting expansion pre-purchase bonuses.

The transmog itself consists of copper and red recolours. South Guard's Copper Raiment, Anubisath's Copper Blade, and Anubisath's Copper Greatblade mirror their golden variants currently available in the regular Trading Post for 1,030 Tender combined. Add the 700 bonus Tender, and the pack's estimated value hits 1,730 Tender total.

Compare that to Lana'thel's Crimson Couture at £16 with zero Tender included.

Worth noting: these items will eventually appear in the Trading Post rotation, but not before June at the earliest. Three months minimum after the pack leaves the shop on March 2nd.

History Repeats Itself

This isn't new ground for Blizzard. Last February, during the Trading Post's second anniversary, they released the Enchanted Sweeper Bundle at £24. Same situation. Same timing. Anniversary outlet opens with discounted items, then a Tender bundle appears in the cash shop.

The pattern sits poorly with the community. Players on MMO-Champion and social media voiced frustration about what they perceive as manufactured scarcity. One commenter noted the items are "recoloured crap" not worth the price tag. Another predicted future bundles will include other premium currencies.

The Trading Post Problem

Blizzard initially marketed the Trading Post as a reward system for active subscribers. Complete monthly tasks, earn Tender, buy cosmetics. No real money required.

Then came expansion pre-purchase bonuses with Tender included. Followed by limited cash shop bundles. Now we're seeing these bundles timed specifically with high-demand Trading Post events.

The anniversary outlet vendors offer monthly bonus rewards for the first time ever. Items players missed from 2024 are suddenly available, but the earned Tender from subscriptions and monthly activities doesn't stretch far enough to grab everything on offer.

That's where Blizzard's bundle comes in. Need more Tender? Pay up.

Your Money, Your Choice

Players do have options beyond opening their wallets. WoW Tokens purchased with in-game gold convert to Battle.net balance, technically allowing free-to-play acquisition of the bundle. Emphasis on technically, since Token prices fluctuate based on player-driven market forces.

The copper transmog variants look sharp, especially for Egyptian-themed character designs. The 700 Tender provides genuine value for collectors swimming in available items right now. Whether that value justifies £20 depends entirely on your priorities and wallet thickness.

Blizzard will keep releasing these bundles as long as players keep buying them. That's basic business logic. The anniversary outlet vanishes when March arrives, taking its 200+ discounted items with it. The Anubisath Guardian Pack leaves the shop on March 2nd when World of Warcraft: Midnight launches.

The community's voting with their wallets either way. Some players see predatory monetization. Others see optional cosmetics in a subscription MMO. Both camps have valid points, neither will convince the other.

What's your take on the timing here?