Top 10 Overpriced Items in Online Games

“Runescape” (2001)

It’s astonishing that a game like “Runescape” has gone on for as long as it has, but what’s even more astonishing is the amount of money folks are willing to pay for a single hat for their avatars. One elusively expensive item in the game is the blue partyhat, a basic crown in a very basic shade of blue that was only available during a holiday event all the way back in 2001. Though it did return in the 2013 Christmas event, the hat is still a rarity to witness, and in 2021, someone bought it for six thousand seven hundred dollars. And we’re only getting started on these ridiculous trades!

“EVE Online” (2003)

One of the most surprising aspects of “EVE Online” is how the community functions and treats the game like a second life, documenting conflicts and of course, paying chunks of change for virtual goods. The most expensive item in the game, however, is the Revenant Supercarrier, a massive ship that very few players own. For a mere nine thousand dollars, this ship can be yours and paint you as a big target for pirate players. In 2015 and 2016, two Revenants were downed by two factions of rogue players - Pandemic Legion and TEST. Best be aware of what you’re getting into when buying this ship.

“World of Warcraft” (2004)

In a manner almost like “EVE Online”, “World of Warcraft” has long been a game where players treat the world as their second life. However, there is one second life that has passed between players only once. Zeuzo was a level seventy rogue-class Night Elf character build with some exceptionally rare equipment attached. The character had almost all pieces needed for Tier 6 armor, and for weaponry, they wielded the Twin Blades of Azzinoth, which can only be obtained at the Black Temple from looting Illidan’s carcass. The price paid for this account? Nine thousand seven hundred dollars! Can’t buy it anymore, though, as Blizzard banned the account due to violating Terms of Service. (Account selling is forbidden.)

“Team Fortress 2” (2007)

When it comes to hats, no other community lives and breathes headwear like the “Team Fortress 2” player base. This community fawns over hats, even the most basic kind. But when it comes to rare pieces, like the Burning Killer Exclusive, well, traders go into a frenzy. The Burning Killer Exclusive has exchanged hands a couple of times, the most recent being in 2016 for nearly eleven thousand dollars worth of in-game materials. The hat was bought for a thousand keys and three gold frying pans. For you trading aficionados, that’s well over four thousand keys pure worth.

“Diablo III” (2012)

“World of Warcraft” is not the only title from Blizzard Entertainment to see some enthusiasm in the trading space. Remember the Auction House? In case you don’t, this was a market in the game where players could buy, sell, and exchange in-game items. Of them all, the Legendary mace known as Echoing Fury was the priciest. Just a few weeks after the game launched, Echoing Fury sold for nearly thirteen thousand dollars worth of in-game gold. Unfortunately, the mace’s value has tanked ever since the Auction House shutdown in 2014.

“Age of Wushu” (2013)

Developed by Chinese studio Snail, “Age of Wushu” has seen a quiet following within the MMO space, gaining enough support from players to warrant a potential sequel that entered beta in 2017. Surprisingly enough, one in-game item has been sold for a price as absurd as our previous entries, and it happened before the game left beta! In 2011, one Chinese man bought a sword called the Dragon-Slaying Sabre for sixteen thousand dollars. Yes, it's an intricate and well-designed sword, but would we pay that exorbitant amount of money for it? Mmmmm, not really.

“Dota 2” (2013)

MOBA games such as “Dota 2” feature tons of cosmetics and gear for players to outright murder their wallets with. Of them all, only one of them has been named by Guinness World Records as the Most Expensive Item in “Dota 2”. The Ethereal Flames Pink Wardog sold at an auction for thirty-eight thousand dollars! What exactly was so special about this item, you may be asking? Well, it’s a courier that is supposedly extremely hard to get. And that’s pretty much it. It’s a courier. All it does is transport items from shop to player, nothing more.

“Second Life” (2003)

If you need proof that the “metaverse” was a thing long before Facebook took an interest in it, “Second Life” is your evidence. For years, players have been buying and selling virtual land to each other, no different than in real life. The most expensive sale in the entire game, though, was for the virtual city known as Amsterdam. Before you ask, yes, this is essentially a virtual recreation of the capital city of the Netherlands and includes the infamous Red Light District. …And it was sold on eBay in 2007. (How honorable.) The lucky buyer only had to fork over fifty thousand dollars for the virtual city to be theirs.

“Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” (2012)

Honestly, it’s kind of alarming that a simple weapon skin managed to be way more expensive than a massive starship or a virtual city. The Souvenir AWP Dragon Lore Sniper Skin is a pricey cosmetic more tailored to those ingrained in “Counter-Strike’s” eSports scene, though. The rifle comes with a small assortment of stickers dedicated to various “Counter-Strike” eSports players, and it can only be obtained through the obscenely-priced Cobblestone Souvenir Packages. But how much do you need to pay to bypass the randomized lootboxes? Well, one sold in 2018 for roughly sixty-one thousand dollars. Best start saving!

“Entropia” (2003)

“Entropia” could have very easily dominated this list with just how many insanely expensive things have been sold in this game. While a handful of motherships can go for up to nine thousand dollars, the real value is in owning virtual land. Twin Peaks Shopping Mall? Thirty-five grand. A moon known as Monria? Nearly ninety-five thousand! But the most notable ones are those only the massively wealthy can cash confetti their way into owning. Whereas the Crystal Palace Space Station will run you about a hundred fifty thousand bucks, the famous resort, Club Neverdie, will cost you well over six hundred thousand dollars to own!