Blizzard have announced that World of Warcraft still reigns as the number 1 subscription-based MMORPG as the user base remains strong.

The online sensation still holds approximately 10.2 million subscribers, as the numbers seem to have stabilised after dwindling in recent months.

In a previous earnings call in November 2011, Activision Blizzard indicated that since October 2010, 1.7 million subscribers have abandoned World of Warcraft, with 1.1 million of those leaving since March 2011.

Previously Blizz boss Mike Morhaime attributed the majority of subscriber decline to the eastern market, saying that China represents half of their overall player base. Morhaime was also optimistic that December 2011 would bolster subscriber numbers, as it was typically a strong month for the MMO.

However, Blizzard had a fair bit of competition in the MMO space during December 2011 when EA and BioWare launched their MMO IP juggernaut Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Another attempt to improve subscriber numbers came in the form of the World of Warcraft Annual Pass, introduced in October 2011. The annual pass includes a 12-month subscription to the MMO plus a free copy of Diablo III and some bonus WoW goodies. Perhaps riding the wave of anticipation for Diablo III proved a successful marketing ploy and stabilised WoW subscriber numbers for the time being.

Blizzard are planning another upcoming expansion pack, Mists of Pandaria, which will likely bolster subscriber numbers once again. There’s no firm release date for the expansion, but MyGaming’s slightly educated guess is Q3 2012.

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