In-game World of Warcraft purchases will add to esports prize pool.

For a limited time, two in-game World of Warcraft toys available for purchase will contribute to the prize pools of major esports events. 25% of each purchase will go towards the LAN finals for both the Arena World Championship and the Mythic Dungeon International.

These events already have a minimum prize pool of $250,000 USD each, so the prospect of in-game purchases feeding into the esport has a chance of raising this number significantly. Other esports titles from different genres have seen incredible success through this method, though some Blizzard fans are already criticizing the company over the relatively small percentage (25%) of in-game purchase amount going towards esports efforts.

The Toys

The in-game items in question are toys -- the Transmorpher Beacon and Lion's Pride / Horde's Might Fireworks. These toys are purely cosmetic items and, as their name suggests, are fun distractions for players to enjoy within the game. Distractions as they may be, a sub-community of collectors and completionist are sure to purchase the toys regardless of esports interest.