The Queue: We have trees at home

I know that Blizzard has a cool new bundle featuring two treehouse-style home exteriors, but we have trees at home. We don’t need to spend $40 (or $75 if we get the bundle with matching accessories) to build a treehouse. We have trees at home!

We have to build them ourselves, but still, we have trees at home.

This is The Queue, our daily Q&A column where sometimes we have to tackle the important topic of treehouses in video games. Let’s get to your questions.

Since Player Housing launched at the end of 2025, we have gotten two new exterior housing options: Blood Elf houses for Horde and Night Elf houses for Alliance. Two new designs. That’s it.

And I wouldn’t complain about that. Housing is a huge, ambitious addition to the game. There are tons of things out in the world to collect, which in turn will help you build the perfect home in Azeroth. To make the inside and the outside just the way you like. But still, there are only two home exterior options for each faction, and even though you can customize their size, their finishes, and some details like window and chimney placement, there are just two houses per faction.

Except now there are three options per faction with a new treehouse exterior that is only available via cash purchase. You can buy the treehouse on its own (in two color variants) for $40.

The pricing may not be unfair, exactly. I’ve bought mounts, pets, and transmog sets in the past. I’ve spent far more than $40 on different in-game purchases. But the treehouse exteriors feel bad because there are so few in-game options for housing exteriors. If I want to make a cool transmog look, I can pick from two decades of in-game fashions. If I want a flying mount, I can buy one in game at practically any street corner. I don’t have to spend cash.

And, yes, you can make a DIY treehouse. I am working on one. But it’s a painstaking process to put together. I am making mine based on ideas from Building Mouse, who created a large “tree” by taking Razorwind Acacia Trees, scaling them up, and turning them upside down, so they became massive tree roots. Placing a bunch of them next to each other gives the look of a massive tree trunk, which you can build whatever you like on top of, then put more trees on top for a green canopy to complete the look. Building Mouse used Founder’s Point Apple Trees, which are absolutely massive when scaled to 200%, and make a nicely scaled canopy above your new creation. Mine doesn’t follow their plan, and it’s still a work in progress, needing a lot of detail work, and probably more trees. (We have trees at home!) But it’s long and painstaking project, which makes me look at those pay-for treehouses and sigh.

There are many features of Blizzard’s treehouses that I won’t be able to replicate. The roofing style and windows are unique. There are no trees in the game that replicate the tree in this house, or the leafy protrusions that neatly compliment the design. Building a spiral staircase like the one here is also a challenge, as there are no pre-built stairs, and making a neat curve around the tree is possible using planks, but making a good looking railing to match would probably be impossible. I’ve only built straight stairs so far, and they look extremely janky. (In fact, the whole platform my custom treehouse is sitting on looks quite janky in the way it defies gravity and its edges don’t properly snap together.)

The fact that Blizzard has made items for sale isn’t the problem. It’s that they’re making items for sale instead of offering options in the base game to use. If there were a dozen housing exterior options in the game already, then adding a treehouse for sale wouldn’t feel as bad.

But as it stands, it feels like Blizzard is only invested in making cool housing items for purchase, not just for players as part of their subscription fee, because the cash store is where those development resources are going. That feels especially bad in a game that already requires a subscription.

So I’ll just make my own treehouse.

I’m no stranger to replaying games, but think before you dump your new games for an old favorite. There are incredible new games coming out all the time, especially in the indie spaces which are simply packed with killer titles. There’s so much to play. Coffee Talk Tokyo is coming out next week!

Persona 5 will always be there for you, but you won’t experience the joy of playing something brand new if you constantly go back to replay it. Find some downtime between titles you’re looking forward to to spend replaying Persona or other favorites, but leave yourself time to discover new favorites, too.

We can cling to our past favorites while also enjoying new things, but we have to make room for new things in our busy gaming schedules to do so.

I have really been enjoying playing a Death Knight this tier, except for all of the Blood Elves who look down on me. I remember when the Scourge attacked, they’ll tell me. Yes, I remember too, I was there, being murdered by Arthas is what I am not allowed to say back. Where is your dark master, Death Knight? they demand. You mean Bolvar? I don’t know, I think he may have retired to the Shadowlands? Can’t keep up with that guy. 

Anyway, other than that I really enjoy the Death Knight. The class is ridiculously sturdy even outside of tank spec, and I feel this is the best survivability I’ve ever had. The Rider of the Apocalypse hero spec is not the meta, but strengthens a major weakness of the class by adding significant mobility. Plus I have some unique utility that gives me things to do and think about other than just hitting bad guys with my sword, like Death Gripping adds and casting Anti-Magic Zone. So I feel like I’m contributing a something to a group even when my DPS is not great (and my DPS is not really great).

I’m playing Frost, which is also not the meta, and is a bit undertuned compared to Unholy, but I really enjoy the spec. It has what I think is the best apex talent in the game, where not only can you call down an undead dragon to attack your enemies, you can also call it back to you. It’s just the most satisfying thing ever. (It does more than that, but man the extra dragon is just so satisfying. It’s such a great button to press.)

So I have fun playing, I’m clearing content without trouble, I feel like I almost never die, and I think I bring some useful extras to a raid group. All told, that’s a pretty good raid tier.

(I could still use some buffs.)

Both of these options are bad. Can’t we agree that both of these options are bad and that WoW Classic should aspire to improve upon itself? To fix the mistakes of the past?

Admittedly, Siege of Orgrimmar in Mists of Pandaria Classic is already set up to be a lengthy tier: Blizzard has not yet announced any content for Classic progression realms after this phase, which launches on June 2, three months before BlizzCon when major announcements are likely to happen. (Though there are lots of rumors going on about Classic+ right now, which could steal the show and our hearts in one massive heist.)

We’re speculating that Warlords of Draenor Classic will launch after BlizzCon, in October or even November. That gives people a solid four months in Siege (or more) before the next big thing arrives. It’s less than 18 months, but it’s not nothing… and it’s almost certainly enough time for people to get tired of it.

Let the kids have fun. They don’t know how good they have it, but let them have fun.

That’s all for today, my friends. I am heading out of town so I may not see you in the comments section until later, so I will simply wish you a good afternoon. I’ll be back here with the Queue next week!