World of Warcraftfirst introduced a transmogrification system in the Mists of Pandaria expansion, and it has been one of the most beloved aspects of the game since. Players dedicate huge amounts of time and effort into making their character look perfect, and the sheer number of available appearances provide endless choices. More recently,World of Warcrafthas introduced even more ways to get ahold of the juiciest transmogs.
While games likeDestiny 2,Elder Scrolls Online,andFinal Fantasy 14all have similar transmog systems,World of Warcraftarguably takes the cake in giving players the most choice. Instead of having to collect a special currency or ability, appearances are automatically collected the moment any piece enters a player’s inventory. Most pieces are also not class-bound and can be applied to multiple if not all classes in the game.
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World of Warcraft Has Set the Standard for Transmogs in MMOs
Most transmogs are fairly easy to get, but the best-looking ones usually require a lot of effort and a bit of luck. The most desirable outfits are theElite PvP sets and the Mythic difficultyraid sets, the former of which is only available for a short time. Transmog collectors had to put in a ton of effort to collect them all, but recently Blizzard made that process much easier.
With the addition of the Creation Catalyst in thefinal patch ofWorld of Warcraft: Shadowlands, players who earned gear from any activity - be it dungeons, PvP, or questing - could transform it into a raid piece. Not only does this give players the much-desired tier set bonuses to increase their power, but it also hands out the transmogs for use anywhere else.
InDragonflight, Patch 10.0.7 added a catch-up mechanicfor players to gear up their alts. Alongside the Revival Catalyst, which functions the same way as the Creation Catalyst, players can now collect the normal and heroic transmog sets for all classes with ease. This addition feels like a loophole, but considering it came toward the end of the raid tier, it’s likely just a way for players to mop up the appearances they might have missed.
With theaddition ofWorld of Warcraft’s Trading Post, a whole new batch of cosmetic items have been offered to players. These are unique, never-before-seen appearances that are immediately added to a player’s account and usable on all characters. These special transmog sets require nothing more than playing the game, as allWorld of Warcraftactivities contribute to the Trading Post’s reward structure.
There aresome limitations toWorld of Warcraft’s transmog system, however. It can become pricey to constantly change a character’s transmog back and forth, for example, but generally this is pocket change for even those players whose gold is earned passively. Another drawback is that pieces of armor or weaponry can’t be recolored. Multiple colors are released for each piece, and they need to be collected from different sources rather than dyed. For example, when a new raid arrives, armor pieces from varying difficulty levels will have specific color pallets.
However, one thing that these raid sets never pass up on is their vibrancy, detail, and true fantasy feel. Each tier’s look not only reflects the theme of that season’s raid, but also the flavors of the classes they’re made for. Great lengths are taken to make each one as remarkable a spectacle as possible to be a great incentive for players to participate in end-game group content. Other MMOs can learn a lot from howWorld of Warcraft’s transmog helps invigorate players’ enjoyment and motivation.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflightis available now for PC.
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