Even before its official November 4 launch, World of Warcraft: Forever is grappling with a gold-buying scandal. Players participating in the beta have been observed purchasing in-game gold with real money, a violation of Blizzard's terms of service that the developer has pledged to address.
Blizzard has issued a statement confirming that real money transactions (RMT) are unacceptable in World of Warcraft. The company indicated that while sellers' accounts have historically been actioned quickly, there will be an increasing focus on penalizing buyers as well. Actions could include the removal of illicit gold and account suspensions.
The situation has escalated with the involvement of prominent streamers. While not directly purchasing gold themselves, some streamers have reportedly received substantial amounts of gold from viewers that is suspected to have been bought with real money. This practice benefits the streamers, who are often aware of the gold's illicit origin.
One notable case involves streamer Ziqoftw, also known as Ziqo. He admitted to receiving approximately 520 gold across several transactions from viewers. This sum is considered exceptionally large within the WoW: Forever beta, where the economy is still developing and low-level characters typically do not possess such wealth. Ziqo was not banned but had the majority of the received gold removed from his character, leaving him with only a few silver.
Critics argue that Ziqo, as an experienced WoW player, should have recognized the suspicious nature of such a large gold transfer. The community is also pointing to other streamers, such as Payo, who have made comments suggesting their chat should purchase gold for them. These incidents have led to widespread calls for stricter penalties for both gold sellers and buyers, as well as for high-profile individuals who benefit from such activities.
Concerns are particularly acute given Ziqo's regular involvement in official Blizzard events. Many in the community believe this relationship may have influenced the leniency of his punishment. The ongoing RMT issues have led to frustration among players who expected Blizzard to take a firm stance against practices that can destabilize game economies. The developer has been urged to clarify its enforcement strategy for the full release of WoW: Forever and to demonstrate a commitment to addressing RMT concerns.