Blizzard Entertainment announced a new vanity pet will be launched at the Blizzard Online Store in upcoming weeks. The Guardian Cub is the pet version of the Winged Guardian Mount. It costs only $10, but the shocker is that it’s not Souldbound on pickup, nor Bind-on-Account. Players can sell it for in-game gold on the Auction House or trade it directly to another player.

    Coming soon to a Pet Store near you: the new and titanically cute Guardian Cub companion. You’ve soared across Azeroth on the majestic Winged Guardian. Soon, you’ll be able to purchase a pint-sized Guardian of the Titans sidekick to accompany you on your adventures.

    Stunning good looks and adorable, supersized eyes aren’t all this new pet has going for it. The Guardian Cub is also the Pet Store’s first tradable pet, meaning it can be swapped between characters in-game or given as a gift to guildmates, friends, family, or that special someone — no adoption papers necessary. Due to his finicky nature, each Guardian Cub will only give its allegiance to one owner, meaning it’s a one-time-use pet that permanently binds to a single character. Be sure to choose a master wisely.

    Look for the Guardian Cub to arrive in the Blizzard Store in the weeks ahead — in the meantime, we’ve prepped a mini-FAQ to explain how this flying friend will differ from other Pet Store companions.

    How does the Guardian Cub pet work? How is it different from other Pet Store pets?
    Unlike the other Pet Store companions, the Guardian Cub is a tradable, one-time-use pet that permanently binds to a single character upon use. When you purchase the Guardian Cub from the online store, the character you designate will receive a bind-on-use item to carry in his or her inventory. You can either use the item yourself to permanently add the pet to your character’s collection (consuming the item in the process), or — after a brief initial cooldown period — you can trade the item to another player so he or she can add it to one of their character’s collections. Note that once the pet has been added to a character’s Companions list, it can no longer be traded, so make sure you’re giving the cub a happy home.

    Will I be able to carry more than one Guardian Cub at a time?
    While a character can only have one Guardian Cub in his or her Companions list, you can have as many in your inventory as you like. Please note that Guardian Cub items do not stack, so each one will take up a bag or bank slot.

    How much will the Guardian Cub cost in the Pet Store?
    The Guardian Cub will be priced the same as the other Pet Store pets ($10 USD). All sales of the Guardian Cub are final — no refunds will be given once a purchase is made.

    Why did you decide to make the Guardian Cub tradable?
    Since the introduction of the Pet Store, many players have been asking for ways to get the companions we offer there without having to spend real-world cash. By making the Guardian Cub tradable (much like the BoE mounts from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game), players interested in the new pet will have fun, alternative in-game ways to get one. In addition to trading the pet, players can give the Guardian Cub as a gift to another character for a special occasion; guild leaders can use them to reward members for a job well done; and so on. We also hope this change will help reduce the number of incidents of scamming via trading for invalid pet codes.

    Could I put the Guardian Cub up on the auction house to try to make some gold if I wanted to?
    While our goal is to offer players alternative ways to add a Pet Store pet to their collection, we’re ok with it if some players choose to use the Guardian Cub as a safe and secure way to try to acquire a little extra in-game gold without turning to third-party gold-selling services. However, please keep in mind that there’s never any guarantee that someone will purchase what you put up for sale in the auction house, or how much they’ll pay for it. Also, it’s important to note that we take a firm stance against buying gold from outside sources because in most cases, the gold these companies offer has been stolen from compromised accounts. (You can read more about our stance here.) While some players might be able to acquire some extra gold by putting the Guardian Cub in the auction house, that’s preferable to players contributing to the gold-selling “black market” and account theft.

    Are you changing the other available Pet Store pets (e.g. Lil’ Ragnaros, the Pandaren Monk) to work this way?
    No, the other available Pet Store pets will continue to work as they always have.

    What about future Pet Store pets?
    It’s too early to say how we’ll handle future Pet Store pets. We made this change in response to feedback from players looking for alternate ways to get the Pet Store pets, and we’re always looking into other opportunities for improvement. We’re interested in hearing what players think of the Guardian Cub when it launches, and we hope you’ll have fun with this new flying friend.a