So it begins: the first Player Housing decor available for Hearthsteel will tug on your heartstrings (and purse strings)

Blizzard has come out of the gate strong with the first two Player Housing decor items available for purchase with real money from the in-game shop: an adorable plush lion and wolf. We’ve known this was coming for a while and they are certainly not the first (or last) cosmetic items to be purchasable for cold, hard cash. Yet it’s still worth taking a closer look at the details of the first decorations you can buy in bulk with real money.

The first collectible in World of Warcraft that was obtainable by purchase rather than in-game accomplishment was the Celestial Steed all the way back in 2010. Since then, the in-game shop has expanded to include a wide variety of mounts, pets, and transmog appearances alongside character services like realm transfers.

The announcement of Player Housing induced many emotions in the World of Warcraft player base. The most cynical community members didn’t take long to wonder how the system would be monetized in the same way that all aspects of video games (and indeed, being a living human) have been in recent times. In November it was confirmed that there would indeed be player housing decor exclusive to the in-game shop via a new virtual currency, Hearthsteel.

Blizzard’s original Hearthsteel announcement came with a bulleted philosophy that included promises like not locking class-specific decor behind a real-money gate and an easy-to-understand conversion rate. With the currency now live, 100 Hearthsteel costs $1 US — so a single Hearthsteel will cost a buyer a penny — in the US, anyway.

How much will the new stuffed animals set you back? You can purchase either individually for 100 Hearthsteel, or upgrade to the bundle which contains four of each (eight total plushies) for 500 Hearthsteel — the equivalent of $5. Remember, each time you want to place an item in your house, you need a duplicate in your catalogue. For comparison’s sake, the in-game shop offers pets for $10 and most mounts for $25.

Taking off my “cynical old man who hates the constant consumerist bombardment of modern capitalism” hat off for a moment, these plushies are quite adorable. I don’t need them, but I can think of several dozen ways to level up my house’s adorable factor with these two scamps. Stay tuned for continuing coverage on this developing pay-for-cuteness story.