Blizzard Selling New WoW Pet For Make-A-Wish Foundation

Blizzard Entertainment has introduced two World of Warcraft in-game pets, Lil' Ragnaros and the Moonkin Hatchling, the latter of which it will sell to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The two pets are available for $10 each through the online Blizzard Store, and the publisher intends to donate 50 percent of the Moonkin Hatchling's sales until December 31st. Players on the Alliance faction will receive a purple version, while Horde members will have a brown Moonkin Hatchling. Blizzard ran a similar promotion for the MMORPG last year with its Pandaren Monk pet, which raised over $1.1 million for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. These virtual pets do not affect combat in World of Warcraft or other aspects of the game, as it's meant to serve as a vanity item and companion. "We're looking forward to making another big contribution to this great cause on behalf of the World of Warcraft community following the close of this year's promotion," said the publisher in a statement posted yesterday. Though World of Warcraft remains a subscription-based online game, Blizzard has experimented recently in offering premium virtual goods, such as the $25 Celestial Steed mount. Over 140,000 players queued for the creature (and other virtual pets) on the night of its release, making the company potentially millions of dollars in a few hours.