With the recent announcement that the pre-patch for Shadowlands is on the PTR the end of BfA looms even closer. With the expansion on it’s last legs we can expect markets to grind to a halt as players focus on SL.
End-game is over
BfA end-game is about to be over. Of course there are still players going for achievments like the Keystone master, Ahead of the Curve and Cutting Edge, but the majority of players will have reached or quit their goals for BfA.
The one end-game that is not over is the goldmaking one. Players still hunting for their Bruto will be in absolutely all out mode, now that the upcoming removal feels that much closer.
Markets will die, but not quite yet
As I’ve talked about before I have found that most current expansion crafted items that give power increases (consumables, gear and gear enhancements) sell well until the last days of the expansion. It does depend on what other options are added in the pre-patch of course. Either way we will not be getting new consumables, so as long as players still play the game you will be able to get sales.
Get out while you can
Some markets will die a messier death than others. I’m currently in full firesale mode for my Ny’alotha BoEs as corruption as a mechanic will be gone after the pre-patch. Other markets that are made redundant, items that are removed or other cases like this is very important to be aware of now, as you have to start selling at a discount. The Elixir of the Rapid Mind for instance is an example. Players looking to level optimally right now may consider them, but they will be grey in the pre-patch.
Player influx
Around the pre-patch WoW usually gets a huge player influx. People like to start or restart their WoW career around expansion launches. Players will want to dive into some of the changes and try to figure out what their main should be. These players will need to get their characters up to speed. This includes getting bags and enough gear to actually try out their spec. The advantage of this and be ready with the kind of items returning players need.
Prepare for Shadowlands
You can also start preparing for Shadowlands. If you’re planning to level alt you can save it for the pre-patch when it will be faster than it currently is, even counting the +100% experience buff. I’ll betting at least 4 characters leveled to 120 (or 50) so I can level them to 60 in Shadowlands and get their professions going.
What are you planning to do in the pre-patch? Let me know!