Amid the buzz created by the forthcoming release of "World of Warcraft: Legion," the subscriber base of the highly-popular MMORPG has fallen to 5.5 million.
This figure represents a 100,000 drop from the past three months' figures, reported the Tech Times, quoting a report by the game's developer.
In response to this development, Activision Blizzard has decided to stop reporting on the status of its subscriptions but will instead focus on other metrics.
Although the company did not reveal exactly what these metrics will be, it reassured fans that "World of Warcraft" still remains the top MMORPG game in the world.
No release date has yet been set for "World of Warcraft: Legion" but followers are expected to learn more about the game during the much-anticipated BlizzCon to be held this week.
The latest "World of Warcraft" installment will feature the new Demon Hunter hero class, customizable Artifact weapons, class order halls, plus new raids and dungeons.
Over the past several years, subscriptions for the "World of Warcraft" has steadily declined, reported EuroGamer.
From a high of 12 million subscribers in 2010 when the game's third expansion "Cataclysm" was launched, subscriptions have dropped to less than half within a period of five years.
In between, things weren't exactly so bad.
When the "Warlords of Draenor" was released last Autumn, the game's subscription even rose to a high of 10 million before plummeting to a nine-year low of 5.5 million by the end of September.
Despite the huge drop in its paid subscriber base, 5.5 million still means big business for Activision Blizzard.
But how does the Santa Monica-based company stop the subscriber bleed?
First, a "World of Warcraft" movie by Duncan Jones is due to be out by the summer of 2016.
And second, through the highly-anticipated release of "World of Warcraft: Legion," which may be rolled out by the end of next year.
However, it appears that Activision Blizzard isn't unfazed by the steep decline in subscriptions, as it attempts to steer the conversation towards other facets of the company's business.
For instance, the company may want to show that it now has more games in operation.
Or that it is currently turning in bigger profits through its gold-selling WOW Token business.
Regardless, "Word of Warcraft: Legion" is expected to be a "game-changer" in more ways than one, as fans anticipate its official release date.
