Just in time for its 10th Anniversary, Wizard101 is taking to Steam. It’s a move I’ve wanted KingsIsle to make for quite some time now, and I’m ecstatic that they’re finally taking the leap. However, there are a few important things that players need to know before they pack up their traditional launcher.
Current KingsIsle Accounts Will Not Transfer Over
The Steam move seems to be focusing on attracting new players to the game. All Wizard101 Steam accounts will need to start from scratch. While current Wizard101 players will still be able to access their wizards and progress through the KingsIsle launcher, it won’t be possible to merge or link the two account sources. Since most people won’t want to start over or pay for 2 different memberships, it’s safe to assume that many existing players will be sticking with the traditional launcher.
Different Launchers, Same Server
Despite the account separation, KingsIsle says that the servers will remain the same. Whether you have a Steam or KingsIsle account, all players will have the ability to meet, friend, and play with whoever they want.
Steam vs. KingsIsle
With no Wizard101 Steam achievements, there isn’t much of an incentive for current players to start a new account on Steam. Though the time played statistics and community hub/forums are nice, it’s hard to justify losing game progress. I know a lot of people are upset that existing accounts can’t be linked to Steam, but there really isn’t anything special that KingsIsle is offering to Steam players in particular. They’re just exposing Wizard101 to a new audience and giving newbies more options (which is always a good thing in my eyes).
What about Pirate101?
Unfortunately, Pirate101 will not be heading to Steam at this time. This became quite the hot topic on social media as a good majority of the community believes that Pirate101 would have much more to gain from the platform. I personally agree, and I would love to see Pirate101 on Steam in the future. As for why KingsIsle went with Wizard101, I can only assume that they wanted to test the Steam waters with their flagship game first.
Though I’m concerned with how the Steam community will react to Wizard101’s short Free-To-Play area, I do think opening the game there will present a lot of great opportunities. Hopefully we’ll see the Wizard101 community grow in the months ahead.
