After four years, Blizzard have introduced a paid character customization service to World of Warcraft, as revealed at BlizzCon earlier this year.

In addition to the free changeable hairstyles that were added to the game in October, players can now change their character's gender, face and skin colour for a fee of $15.

However, this is currently only available in the US, Europe and other zones are yet to see this feature become available.

So, regret making your Blood Elf Rogue a male? You could be playing a sassy little female Elf slipping in and out of the shadows in no time!

Read the full announcement after the break, along with the full FAQ.

	Blizzard Quote: (Source)
	This service lets you change your character's gender, face, hair and skin color, hairstyle, name, and other cosmetic features determined by their race and gender combination. You cannot, however, change your character's race or class. Each Character Re-Customization costs $15.00 USD (not including applicable taxes). This covers a single customization for a single character. A character may only be customized once every 30 days. If you change the character's name during this process, the name you choose must be available on the character's realm, and must be within the World of Warcraft Naming Policy. A Character Re-Customization cannot be reversed once completed, except by a second customization operation (subject to the above costs and limitations). If you change the character's name during this process, then once the name change is completed, your character's old name will be locked from use on the realm for 90 days. After that time, the old name becomes available again and can be claimed by anyone on its realm on a first-come, first-served basis. Please review the Character Re-Customization FAQ for answers to common questions about this service.

Character Re-Customization FAQ


What is Character Re-Customization?

Character Re-Customization is a paid service that lets you change an existing character's gender, face, skin color, and other cosmetic features determined by his or her race and gender combination. When you perform a Character Re-Customization, you may also change the character's hair color and hair style (similar to the in-game barbershop) and select a new name, if desired.

Can I change my character's race or class?

No, you cannot alter a character's race or class. You may only change cosmetic features of a character through Character Re-Customization.

How much does this service cost?

A single Character Re-Customization costs $15 (not including applicable taxes). This flat fee covers all customization options available for a single character.

How do I know if I will be taxed?

Players in select states in the U.S. may be subject to taxation when using the Character Re-Customization service. This list includes but is not limited to:
- New Mexico
- Texas

How will my guildmates and friends know I customized my character?

The re-customized character will remain in the same guild and will stay on the friends lists of anyone who had added it. If you changed the character's name, the new name will appear on friends lists in place of the old one, so we recommend you tell your friends and guildmates about the re-customization as soon as possible.

Can other players use this feature to get off my ignore list?

No. Characters whose names have been changed will remain on your ignore list, and their names will be updated automatically.

Will this affect a character's mail or auctions?

Existing in-game mail and auctions will not be interrupted or canceled. However, after you change a character's name, other players will need to send new mail to the new character name.

Can I customize multiple characters at once?

The Character Re-Customization service only allows one character to be customized per transaction. If you would like to customize multiple characters, you will need to process and pay for each one separately.

What will happen to the character's Armory profile?

Once you have completed the Character Re-Customization process, the Armory profile will be updated to reflect the character's new look and name.

When will I be charged for the customization?

You will be charged immediately upon pressing the confirmation button on the Character Re-Customization page.

Is there any way to cancel the re-customization while the process is pending?

Because the credit card is charged immediately upon confirmation, you cannot cancel the process once you have pressed the confirmation button and the character customization process is underway.

After I've paid, how do I go about selecting the new gender, face, name, and so on for the character?

After your payment has been processed, you will see a new button when you log in to World of Warcraft that lets you re-customize the character's features (and name, if desired) at your convenience. You do not have to re-customize the character immediately.

Are there any brand-new faces, horn styles, or other cosmetic options available only through Character Re-Customization?

No. The face, skin color, and other cosmetic options available through Character Re-Customization are the same as those already available to players at character creation.

What if the name I want is already in use?

Character names are unique on a per-realm basis. You will not be able to choose a character name that is already in use by another player on the realm.

If I change the character's name, what happens to the old name?

Once the name change is complete, the character's old name will be locked from use on the realm for 90 days. After that time, the old name can be claimed by any player on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want to use the name again, you will have to reclaim it before anyone else does after the 90 days have passed and the name is made available again.

Can I change my character's appearance and name again if I want to?

Yes, but after completing a Character Re-Customization, that specific character cannot have his or her appearance or name changed again for 30 days. After 30 days have passed, you would need to purchase another Character Re-Customization or Paid Character Name Change if you would like to choose a new appearance or name. For more information on Paid Character Name Changes, please refer to our FAQ.

Is there any way to revert to the character's original name after Character Re-Customization is completed?

Once you have selected the confirmation button to complete your name change, there is no way to immediately revert back to the old name. The old name is locked from use on the realm for 90 days, and you will have to perform another Character Re-Customization or Paid Character Name Change after the name is made available again. For these reasons, and because the Character Re-Customization charge is immediate and non-refundable, please be certain of your selection before you complete the process.

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