Blizzard Might Finally Be Serious About WoW: Forever Gold Buying, Bans Streamer For Promoting It
World of Warcraft: Forever is taking a hardline stance against real-money trading as the MMORPG approaches its November full launch. Blizzard has banned a prominent streamer for on-stream comments encouraging viewers to purchase gold on their behalf, an enforcement action that underscores the developer’s stated commitment to more aggressively penalizing gold buyers during the beta phase.
Gold buying through third-party websites—which utilize bots to farm the game’s primary currency—has plagued World of Warcraft since its inception and consistently violates the game’s terms of service. However, Blizzard has signaled a shift in enforcement strategy for Forever, committing to stricter penalties for players engaged in real-money transactions (RMT). The streamer’s ban represents an early, high-profile example of this new enforcement direction targeting content creators with platform influence.
The action is significant as it establishes clear expectations about acceptable player conduct before Forever’s wider audience launch. By taking action during the beta phase, Blizzard aims to discourage gold buying before it becomes entrenched in the live game. Whether this enforcement effort will meaningfully curb RMT—a persistent challenge across the MMO genre—remains uncertain, but the developer’s publicly stated intentions and early disciplinary actions suggest a more determined approach than in previous World of Warcraft iterations.