Could Blizzard have planned the release of the 
Trader’s Gilded Brutosaur mount much earlier than we thought? With a whopping $90 price tag, the in-game store listing for the Brutosaur shows an odd expiration date: January 3, 2022. This date has the community speculating—was this mount initially set to release in 2021, only to be delayed for unknown reasons?
The theory isn’t just a wild guess. According to a Reddit thread, there’s a belief that Blizzard’s management might actually dislike the mount. It’s long been seen as a symbol of exclusivity due to its built-in Auction House, previously available only on the now-removed 
Reins of the Mighty Caravan Brutosaur. Citing excerpts from Jason Schreier’s book, the post suggests that Blizzard’s recent shift towards microtransactions may stem from high-level management pushing for more monetization.
Jason Schreier wrote a book that explains why Blizzard hates the mount
byu/LirealGotNoBells inwow
Schreier’s book, which provides a deep dive into Blizzard’s internal struggles, highlights how Activision’s influence has reshaped Blizzard’s culture.
But let’s take this with a grain of salt. While some fans believe the Brutosaur mount was delayed as a result of these internal conflicts, the mount’s artist Mats Myrvold shared a saddle design for the Brutosaur on ArtStation dating from 2024, which suggests the mount’s development was recent, and that it wasn’t shelved in 2021. It’s likely the 2022 expiration date is leftover typo rather than a hint of a hidden release timeline.
The Final Verdict: Conspiracy or Typo?
So, was the Trader’s Gilded Brutosaur meant to be released years ago, or is this just a harmless typo? While Schreier’s book and the Reddit post offer a glimpse into Blizzard’s management and their strained relationship with creative teams, there’s no solid evidence that this mount’s release was intentionally delayed. It seems more plausible that the date is a just minor mistake.