GamesMMOWorld of WarcraftBlizzard employee snags a decade of WoW game time just before being laid off, will not have to pay a cent until 2033When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesMMOWorld of WarcraftBlizzard employee snags a decade of WoW game time just before being laid off, will not have to pay a cent until 2033When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

Kalecgos, aspect of the blue Dragonflight from World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, flashes a hopeful smile - he is a blue-haired mage of considerable power with a vulnerable expression.

The recentdeluge of layoffs at Blizzard(and Microsoft’s wider gaming division) has been utterly brutal—especially since several employeesuprooted their livesto come and work at the company, with some employed there forjust four months.

While there’s no way to soften that sort of blow, one crafty ex-Blizzard employee did manage a small win on the way out: Free WoW for a decade. Adam Holisky, the former core technology product lead at Blizzard,posted his last-minute manoeuvre to Twitterlate last week.

Image1of2(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

Image1of2(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

Image1of2

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

A post that reads: “Once I realized what was happening and that I was gonna be laid off, I made sure to jump into keyring and use all the 1-year subscription codes I have left. 😂”

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

(Image credit: @AdamHolisky on Twitter/X.)

An image of @AdamHolisky on Twitter’s World of Warcraft subscription, showing that his game time runs until 2033.

Holisky’s current game time will now expire October 14, 2033. That’s nearly a whole decade where he doesn’t have to pay a single cent to the company that just laid him off (bar expansions) and while it’s a small consolation prize, it’s one hell of parting gift.

Holiskyrightfully notesthat these codes are a “well known employee benefit”, so it’s not as if he walked out of Blizzard with an armful of office supplies. Still—as aformer customer support workernotes: “I tried this mid-meeting and we crashed the keyring site… so I have a lot I didn’t get to claim.” Holisky had to be quick on the draw to cash in, it seems.

Just to quickly figure out how much money Holiskydoesn’thave to pay Blizzard to keep playing World of Warcraft, let’s take a look at current US subscription prices. Assuming his last subscription was January 14, 2024, Holisky has 117 months of free game time in his pocket.

If he paid monthly, Holisky saved around $1,754 over the course of 10 years. Even if he bought his subscription yearly, that would still be about $1,520. These numbers only matter if WoW’s still kicking in a decade, or that its subscription price never changes. Or if Holisky wants to play WoW for that long. It’s more symbolic than anything.

In alater tweet, Holisky writes: “You know, maybe it says something that I’m more relaxed today than I have been in weeks. Or months even? Longer? No Slack or email worries. No thinking about whatever drama or political heat is happening.”

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TOPICSBlizzard Entertainment

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PRODUCTSWorld of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft: Dragonflight

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