I’ve got the trial account. I want to buy the game. But I’m hearing about the Lich King thing and all that. So if there were a receipt already printed out, what would it add up to? I need $15 for the monthly fee, but now I see that if I buy the digital game for $20 I get the first month???? Now what do the Lich King and those things do? Do I need those? If I buy the newest and most expensive one, do I need to pay $20 for the basic “World of Warcraft” game? Just straighten it out for me please.


Here’s the breakdown:
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ONE TIME PURCHASES
Basic WoW, what you need to play the game, costs $20. This covers the game plus the first month. You can level up to level 60, and get all pre-BC stuff.
Burning Crusade costs $30. It lets you level to level 70, plus you get the Outland expansion, more quests, new races, etc.
Wrath of the Lich King costs $40. It lets you level to level 80, plus you get the Northrend expansion, more quests, new dungeons, etc.
MONTHLY COSTS
And then you pay $15 a month, every month, after that first month when you spent $20 on the game and a month of play.
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So to start, you only need to spend the $20, and then every month $15. At some point you may want to buy the expansions to expand the game and increase your leveling potential, but you can think about that later. There is no overall cost to WoW – technically it could be infinite, depending on how long you play the game.
Firstly, Reign of Chaos and Frozen Throne are Warcraft III, not World of Warcraft.
Here is a list of all the payment options in World of Warcraft:
- Original WoW (Required, starts account and provides first month – $20)
Subscription Options:
- 1 Month (Online payment – $15 per month)
- 2 Months (Game card – $15 per month)
- 3 Months (Online payment – $14 per month)
- 6 Months (Online payment – $13 per month)
Expansion Packs (Optional):
- Burning Crusade (Allows access to levels 60-70, Jewelcrafting, and Dranei/Blood Elf Races – $30)
- Wrath of the Lich King (Allows access to levels 70-80, Inscription, and Death Knight class – $40)
- Cataclysm – Not Released Yet (Allows access to levels 80-85, Archaeology, and Worgen/Goblin Raves – $40)
Bundles:
-Battle Chest (Contains starting game and Burning Crusade – $40 – $10 saving over buying separate)
There are also other available purchases that are not necessary like name change and faction change.
Too much money. The total cost if someone were to start playing WoW when it was first release to this date ranges over $1,500+. Might as well buy a car.
Whatever it is, its worth it. Lol.
The basic World of Warcraft game will give you minimum access to the basic world of Azeroth and to reach a maximum level of 60. The next expansion, Burning Crusade, will allow you, at level 58, to head to the Outlands which unlocks new monsters, new quests, new terrain and to reach a maximum level of 70. Wrath of the Lich King is the final expansion (until Catacylsm in November) that allows you to go to Northrend and reach a maximum level of 80.
As for the cost of each game, it depends on where you live. They can be sold individually and each game can come in a bundle that allows you to purchase all 3 at once. I would check your local game stores for exact prices and then add your tax onto it.
Edit: Yes, even if you buy them together you’ll still get the month free. It is probably a smart idea to buy the basic one first, especially if you’re unsure about costs. That way if you continue and get close to 60, you can save up and choose then to purchase the next one, if you don’t like it, at least you didn’t spend the money buying more than necessary.