Skyline, Leading Chinese Guild, Declares Retirement from World First Race

Today, the renowned Chinese raiding guild Skyline (天涯) has officially announced their retirement from competitive raiding. After seven years of remarkable achievements and relentless dedication, the guild has decided to step back, citing financial strain and overall exhaustion. Throughout the Battle for Azeroth expansion, Skyline consistently ranked in the top 10 in every Race to World First event, even securing the impressive 8th place in Amirdrassil despite facing significant challenges against Tindral Sageswift.

Eaple, the Officer of Skyline, expressed their journey from humble beginnings to becoming the epitome of raiding prowess. They stated, "From 2017 until now, we have evolved from an initial 'idea' to becoming the ONE. It has taken us seven years to reach this point, from naivety and ignorance to absolute greatness."

Upon the defeat of the Jailer, the guild had vowed to continue their raiding endeavors for all the years to come. Even after the closure of the Chinese server, the guild persevered by raiding on the TW server for more than 400 days. However, they gradually realized that the competition with top international guilds required immense effort and dedication. Furthermore, the uncertain timeline for the reopening of the CN server posed significant challenges and increased demands on the guild. Recognizing the toll it was taking on their members both physically and mentally, Skyline decided to transition their experience into cherished memories and empower their members to pursue a better life.

As the Chinese New Year's Eve approaches, Skyline wishes everyone a Happy New Year and embraces the end of their remarkable journey.

The Rise of Professional Raiders

Raiding has evolved into a highly competitive industry, especially with the advent of the Race to World First and the increased visibility through streaming platforms. While some Western World of Warcraft guilds have recently ventured into high-level sponsorships, major Eastern raiding guilds have long enjoyed the support of large-scale corporations that provide regular salaries to their players. These corporations also fund their endeavors both during and outside of Race to World First events. Additionally, Eastern raiding guilds engage in hundreds of Mythic sales each week to earn corporate-backed paychecks, utilizing numerous alternate characters.

In the Eastern raiding scene, this approach has become a thriving business that surpasses the mere sales organized by guilds or pug GDKP runs. The concept of spending real or digital currency to save time is widely accepted and embraced. Players can purchase a full Mythic Amirdrassil clear for as little as $7 USD per week, and prices are constantly dropping. Mid-ranked Eastern raid guilds frequently sell dozens of Mythic clears daily, while private top-end guilds generate even more revenue through piloted sales.

During the Sanctum of Domination Race to World First event, Team Aster reportedly invested $1.85 million USD, including $120,000 in salary for approximately 40 raiders and staff members. In Aberrus, Huonguo Hero employed over 300 backup characters alongside 40 staff members to optimize the connection to Taiwanese servers from their dedicated e-sports hotel in Chongqing, China. These guilds, like others in the East, finance their extravagance through piloted sales, selling all twenty raid spots to piloted accounts during their World 5th finish in Amirdrassil, acquiring between $1,500 - $3,000 each. Unlike Western e-celebrity streamers, the Eastern players prioritize financial gain over personal achievements and ranks.

In the Taiwanese server, groups actively promote their services and constantly update advertisements detailing the cost of their piloted sales.

In contrast to the Western perception, the Eastern gaming population considers these practices entirely normal, accepted, and even celebrated. RMT (Real Money Trading) and gold sales are viewed differently culturally, with gold sales being somewhat more socially acceptable. However, Western competitors also resort to gold sales to alleviate their skyrocketing costs associated with the Race to World First, which include PvP boosts, raid splits, BoEs, gear trades, crafting, and consumables.

It's important to note that the business of world first raiding encompasses both RMT and gold sales, symbolizing the same trend.

Skyline's Unique Approach

Standing out from their peers, Skyline had a single committed sponsor who covered the majority of the team's expenses during Race to World First events. This sponsor provided funds for setting up the guild and supporting staff in e-sports hotels for weeks at a time. Unlike most top guilds, Skyline's players were only compensated during Race to World First events, and World of Warcraft was not their full-time occupation. Consequently, the guild did not engage in massive sales, reflecting a more Western mindset towards the game. Nevertheless, as a token of appreciation for Skyline's enduring commitment, the sponsor pledged to provide each player with a Chinese New Year bonus, serving as a symbolic severance package.

Return to China - Future Uncertain

Although Skyline enjoyed an illustrious history, its decline became evident during their tumultuous progression against Tindral. After finally defeating the boss, the guild announced a reduction in their grueling Race to World First raid schedule. Skyline managed to secure an impressive 6th place against Tindral and 8th place on Fyrakk, but the strain took a toll on their players. Reports revealed that one of the raiders had been hospitalized due to stress, and the guild's sponsor expressed gratitude for the team's loyalty, stating, "We used to be exceptional, and we had our moments of glory."

Tindral's grueling encounter nearly overwhelmed Skyline, but the guild's determination prevailed, resulting in their landmark victory of 2nd place in CN/TW.

While raiding on a different server region proved to be overwhelming for Skyline, the future remains uncertain for the guild members as the Eastern raiding landscape continues to diminish. However, there is a glimmer of hope, as rumors circulate that Blizzard may renew its partnership with NetEase, which could lead to the return of local Chinese servers. This development would restore convenience, lower latency, and reduce conflicts within the player base. Furthermore, it would rejuvenate the player base, providing fresh opportunities for world-ranked raiders who faced displacement.