Blizzard has revealed the new WoW token, a feature set to enable World of Warcraft players to buy more game time without needing to spend real money.

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Similar to systems seen in WildStar and Eve Online, the new system aims to enable those with lots of gold the option to play the game without spending their real-world money, while also offering others a safe way to buy in-game gold that doesn't depend on dodgy goldsellers.Players can purchase a WoW Token through the in-game shop using real money. If they wish, they can use it to add 30 days of game time to their account, or sell it on the Auction House at the current market price. When a WoW Token is put up for sale, players will be quoted a price and this is guaranteed regardless of how the market moves based on supply and demand. Any Token bought on the Auction House becomes soulbound, and you can't trade or sell them any other way.The hope is those players with lots of spare time but not much money, like students and teenagers, will be able to grind up the gold to keep playing without having to dip into their savings. Older players, those with jobs and families, are likely to have more disposable income but less time to try and get gold. As a result, they'll be able to keep their subscriptions running, while also buying in-game gold through a legal channel should they need any.Blizzard has said it's introducing the feature to create "a secure, legitimate way to acquire gold that doesn’t involve the use of unauthorized third-party gold-selling services—one of the primary sources of account compromises." It's also an opportunity for those who've played the game for years and have big gold reserves sitting around to put them to use.We don't know exactly when the WoW Token will be added to the game or how much it'll cost, but the decision to add it is significant as it's the first time players have been able to jump into Azeroth without an active subscription. For more on why Blizzard's decided to do this now, and what it means for the future of the subscription fee, check out our chat with lead game designer Ion Hazzikostas

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK News Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on Twitter