A World of Warcraft subscription costs $14.99 a month in the US on the 1-month plan, and drops to $13.99 a month on 3 months or $12.99 a month on the 6- and 12-month plans. The Midnight expansion is sold separately, starting at $49.99, and you can skip the real-money bill entirely by buying WoW Tokens with in-game gold.
This guide covers every subscription tier, the 60-day Game Time card, how the WoW Token works, what the subscription includes without Midnight, and how WoW: Forever fits into the same bill. All prices are US prices from Blizzard’s own Battle.net Shop listings as of September 2026, the live Midnight expansion (patch 12.1). Blizzard notes that prices may vary by region.
Every subscription tier and what it really costs
Blizzard sells four recurring plans on the World of Warcraft subscription page:
| Plan | Per month | Billed | Saving vs monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Month | $14.99 | $14.99 every month | None |
| 3 Months | $13.99 | $41.97 every 3 months | $12.00 per year |
| 6-Month Special Offer | $12.99 | $77.94 every 6 months | $24.00 per year |
| 12-Month Special Offer | $12.99 | $155.88 every 12 months | $24.00 per year |
The 6- and 12-month plans cost the same per month. The difference is the bonus items: Blizzard attaches in-game rewards (mounts, pets and similar cosmetics) to the “Special Offer” plans, and the 12-month plan carries both its own bonuses and the 6-month ones. Blizzard’s shop FAQ says those bonuses only come from buying the plan in the Battle.net Shop; no other way of adding game time grants them.
Every plan renews automatically when the billing cycle ends, and Blizzard states you can cancel online at any time. Outside the US, prices differ: Blizzard raised UK recurring plans on June 22, 2026, for example, taking the 1-month plan from £9.99 to £10.99, per its official forum announcement.
Game Time: paying without a subscription
If you would rather not have a card on file, the Battle.net Shop sells 60 Days of Game Time for $29.99. That works out to the same $14.99 a month as the 1-month plan, with no auto-renewal and no Special Offer bonuses. Sixty days is the only Game Time length Blizzard sells in its own shop.
The WoW Token: playing for gold instead of cash
The WoW Token is Blizzard’s sanctioned way to swap real money and gold. It works in two directions:
- Cash to gold. Buy a Token for $20.00 from the in-game Shop, list it on the Auction House, and sell it to another player for gold.
- Gold to game time. Buy a Token from the Auction House with gold. It arrives in your mailbox; right-click it to add it to your bags, then choose to redeem it for 30 days of game time or for Battle.net Balance.
The gold price of a Token floats with player demand, so we cannot give you a fixed number: check the Auction House on your realm the day you plan to buy. The trade-off is simple. If you can earn enough gold every month, the Token makes the subscription free in real money. Blizzard lists a few limits: a Token requires an active subscription or Game Time to use, Tokens cannot move between World of Warcraft and WoW Classic Progression, and they are not available on Timerunning characters.
Midnight and the base game: what you buy once
The monthly fee is not the whole price if you want current content. Blizzard’s shop spells it out: a subscription or Game Time “includes levels 1-80 in World of Warcraft”, plus access to WoW Classic and Mists of Pandaria Classic. That covers the older expansions. The current expansion is a separate one-time purchase listed on the World of Warcraft: Midnight page:
- Base Edition: $49.99
- Heroic Edition: $69.99
- Epic Edition: $89.99
Every edition includes an Enhanced Level 80 Character Boost and access to Housing, per the store page. Blizzard also states that buying Midnight does not include future expansions, which matters because Blizzard announced the next expansion, The Last Titan, at BlizzCon 2026 (full details are due early 2027, per the official BlizzCon round-up).
Midnight itself still needs an active subscription or Game Time to play. So a brand new player’s first month on the cheapest route is $14.99 plus $49.99 for the Base Edition.
Free trial and WoW: Forever on the same bill
Before paying anything, Blizzard’s free trial lets you play up to level 20. It is the cheapest way to check that the game runs on your PC or Mac.
WoW: Forever, the new classic-style version launching November 4, 2026, does not add a second monthly fee. Blizzard says access “will be included with your World of Warcraft Subscription or Game Time”. What costs extra is optional: the WoW: Forever packs sell for $29.99 (Skyborne Heroic Pack, which unlocks the new Skyborne race), $59.99 (Skyborne Epic Pack, adding beta access and 30 days of game time) and $79.99 (Warcraft Forever Collection, a limited-time bundle with Warcraft III content). The Skyborne race and its Zephras Isle starting experience require one of those packs. If you are weighing Forever, our guides on which WoW: Forever ruleset to pick and how the Legacy system works cover what the one subscription unlocks there, and how long the WoW Forever beta runs covers the Epic Pack’s beta perk.
The cheapest way to play, by player type
- Trying it out: the free trial, up to level 20, costs nothing.
- Playing older content only: a subscription or Game Time alone covers levels 1 to 80 and every earlier expansion.
- Playing Midnight casually: month-to-month at $14.99 lets you stop whenever you like.
- Playing all year: the 6- or 12-month plan at $12.99 a month saves $24.00 a year and adds the bonus rewards.
- Earning lots of gold: WoW Tokens can cover your game time entirely, at a gold price that changes daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is World of Warcraft free to play? Only up to level 20 through the free trial. Past that, you need a subscription or Game Time, and Midnight content needs the expansion as well.
Does the subscription include Midnight? No. Blizzard’s store says the Midnight expansion is sold separately, starting at $49.99 for the Base Edition.
How much game time does a WoW Token give? A Token redeemed for game time adds 30 days, per Blizzard. You can redeem it for Battle.net Balance instead.
Does WoW: Forever need its own subscription? No. Blizzard says WoW: Forever access is included with your existing World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time; only the Skyborne packs cost extra.
Can I play World of Warcraft on console? No. Blizzard lists World of Warcraft for Windows and Mac only.