Why I Play WoW Alone - The Solo Experience

I have been playing WoW for most of my life, and as an adult I realised that I am more inclined to play by myself because it's hard to have time for other people, guilds and just keeping up with the grind in general. This is my experience as a WoW solo player.

[Angelikatosh]

Any other solo WoW players here? 🙋🏻‍♀️

[Mangs]

I enjoy playing WoW solo, but I love seeing the capital cities bustling with people and the world constantly alive with activity. It makes everything feel dynamic, like I'm part of a living, breathing world. While I don’t always feel like interacting when I’m on my solo grind, I appreciate having the option, even if I rarely take it. There's something immersive about playing alone while the world around me is full of movement and chatter, it’s like being in a busy café or sitting on a bench in a crowded mall. You're alone, yet surrounded by life.

[MelvinVinyl]

I had a very close friend in wow, i am in my 30s, she was in her 60s, we were friends since i was 15. She sadly passed away last december just before turning 70, it left a massive hole for me in WoW. I talked to her every day, she had bad eyes and never did group content because of that, so i took her under my wing and help where i could. I felt super alone after that, i still had a guild and some old friends, but it felt different, empty, the passion went away. 2 months ago i decided to go to the roleplay realm more on my alt, and that felt so good. Everyone was so friendly, they accepted you and helped you, it felt like old times, it gave a completely new view of the game, last months i moved my main to that server and now the passion is slowly coming back, while joining late night campfire talks and events! I will always be more like a solo player, but this gives a connection back.

[cassattack]

All my friends I met 19 years ago have moved on in life or passed away. Its rather depressing. Azeroth holds such special memories.

[tunasub]

“If you don’t like spending time with yourself, why would anyone else enjoy your company?” that is some wisdom right there

[JJonez_]

I just started playing WOW a month ago and I can whole-heartedly say that it's been the best fun I have had in a very long time playing solo. Not having someone scream in your ear about what and what not to do, is very nice :)

[glashoppah]

I've been soloing for 20 years. I'm happy that you can now solo your way up to the upper gear tiers and there are more ways than one to skin the cat. Really fun.

[impcatcher]

I don't even play WoW but I like these kinds of videos

[chicowildarizona]

I too am a loner when I play. 82 years old and it's a bit daunting to find a community for those of us in this class.

[Jediwarlock]

Played alone for over 12 years on small private servers growing up, never realized the experience of guilds, raiding, world chat, PvP until I joined SoD... Solo is what let me enjoy the leveling, questing, and lore for over a decade uninterrupted and really shaped my view of the game. :) Solo WoW is amazing... love your content!

[jniles]

I am so glad to have come across this video. I have been playing since 2009, and except for my first few months playing, I've always played solo. It took me a long time- years- to learn how to properly play my character, and in the meantime, any time I tried to group up, I was bullied and ridiculed for not knowing how to properly play. I was constantly ridiculed and booted from groups for not having BiS gear/high enough ilvl. Or not knowing the dungeon routes, or which NPC's to attack and when, or what specific spell rotation to use. So because of these negative social experiences, I was really turned off from the prospect of grouping up and playing with others. As a result, I always felt like I was missing out on major aspects of the game by not being able to run the latest dungeon or raid, or not partaking in PVP or M+. Over time though, I have come to embrace playing solo, and when I really think about it, I prefer it. I can go at my own pace, and do my own thing. I'm not tied down to anybody else's schedule- or a group schedule. My life is quite unpredictable, so it's hard to get in with people who expect you to be here, playing on certain days at certain hours, playing your role like it's another job... I like WoW specifically because it's an escape from the real world. I don't want a virtual job also. I enjoy the freedom and lack of responsibility that solo playing offers. And you don't get grief from other players for how you choose to play.

[franciskeys]

About 30 years ago, I met Shawn while playing Magic the Gathering. I was a fairly serious tournament player; if you ever heard of the deck Big Blue, I created and qualified with that during the first Mirage block Pro Tour Qualifier in Chicago. That's right, I was a dragon master long before Brian Kibler.

Shawn and I went on to play EverQuest together, and then World of Warcraft when it was released. He played a warrior named Steel and I played a druid. We had many grand adventures together in life and in games, including a very high-speed road trip in California and Nevada and a guys' trip with two of our other friends to Jamaica.

Three years ago, Shawn had an unexpected heart attack. He was only 42 years old and left behind a wife and three young children. After other losses in my life, I had no idea how to take on more grief.

I found a new way to play WoW and celebrate Shawn's life. On a private vanilla server, I recreated Steel and learned to play warrior as best I could with my fading vision and slowing reflexes. Today, Steel has defeated Kel'Thuzad and cleared Naxxramas 63 times. He wields the very best weapons including Gressil, The Hungering Cold, Iblis, and the legendary Thunderfury. His armor is magnificent, and he rides the majestic purple winterspring frostsaber with a hyacinth macaw named Indigo at his side.

Miss you, Shawn. Miss you, Wade and Clint. Miss you, Tecmos. Miss you, Hutto. Miss you, Cyrus. Miss you, Gohk and Lehstrange. Thank you all for the great times we shared. I'll never forget you.

[PseronWyrd]

I treat WoW as a single-player game too. I play Elder Scrolls Online and Star Wars: The Old Republic this way too. To me, other players are just NPCs with unpredictable AI. :)

[MakerTom]

Long-time soloist WoW player here, and new subscriber. Thanks for this video. Your insights are spot on, and your English has come along way from not being able to say much online, as you mentioned. I loved learning to play WoW back in the mid-2000s, making friends, joining guilds, seeing the sights, the responsive sounds of the characters, the addiction of gearing up, on and on. I enjoyed feeling important as a raid healer. Then came the guild drama. Then it was like a second job to stay active in raiding. Then, after playing solo a while, I saw a pattern of guilds going from "a social, laid-back guild" to "you don't exist unless you raid with us." Still playing WoW solo, just old grey names on my friends list, which I just went ahead and cleaned up. Still a comforting home away from home. Looking forward to player housing in retail. Cheers! 🙌

[yhcetgl]

I am sure there are others here like myself. I am very shy and have extreme anxiety when meeting new people. The community has become toxic and elitest along with trolls and gankers becoming out of hand. However, I would gladly drop whatever I am doing to group or help out others like yourselves who feel the same., you are all the best part of the game.

[marwood]

I've always been a bit of a loner and although I have an amazing wife and children, in my working life and social life (outside of family) I've always mostly kept myself to myself. I suppose under it all I feel I have nothing to bring to the party. I did play WOW in groups back in the day but always had that sense of not completely fitting in and soon I'd find myself questing alone again. This is hopefully not to sound self pitying, but just to highlight a reality of life for many folk. I have very fond memories of those times I did engage in groups and wish in many ways I'd done more of it, but it's just not really my thing. On Friday morning I'm riding my motorcycle from London to Scotland to meet my Son and Daughter in law but it'll be a long, solo ride. It's the 2025 equivalent of questing alone 20 years ago. Blessings to you all and particularly to those who feel a bit like round pegs trying to fit into life's square holes.

[RedSeaGull]

I grew up as a fan of the Warcraft RTS games, so in highschool when my circle of friends all started playing World of Warcraft, it might have been a fun thing to share with them, but strangely that's when I started to become more disconnected from both Warcraft and them. I'd go over to the house where we hung out and basically just try to keep up as they got into the competitive/raiding side of WoW, where everything's a number, and instead of exploring an epic world, it was just a grind to them. This thing I felt at home with started to be uninviting now that my friends were getting into it. The most fun I had in WoW was when I just enjoyed the solo journey through my favorite zones, listened to the music, got my first mount, etc

[tetra_tinuviel]

OMG a new video!!! Thankfully I got married to a WoW addict, we’ve both been playing since 2004. We’re golden 👏 We just can’t afford a second computer right now so we take turns 😅

[joeyvandal]

This is literally me, I used to play wow in a massive guild and then I had some serious health scares that a then 35 year old should never have. And when I returned everyone was gone. I've been playing wow solo ever since. I've played wow nearly 11 years now and I'm perfectly happy playing solo now

[FoulUnderworldCreature]

I never played vanilla WoW until December 2023... enjoying it a lot now, playing a Tauren for the first time. :]