World of Warcraft: Forever is introducing a new measure to combat real money trading (RMT), a persistent issue in many MMORPGs. Players suspected of engaging in RMT, whether buying or selling illicit gains, may now find their accounts subject to a "Temporary Economy Hold." This hold restricts the use of trade, mail, guild banks, and the Auction House.
Blizzard acknowledged the system is new and may have false positives during its fine-tuning phase. However, the company emphasized that a temporary hold will not result in permanent strikes against an account unless RMT involvement is later proven. This approach aims to strike a balance, allowing investigation without immediately penalizing players who might be caught in the system's initial stages.
The implementation of these holds is part of Blizzard's ongoing efforts to manage inflation within WoW: Forever's economy. Unlike traditional WoW releases, WoW: Forever lacks expansion-launch resets, making economic stability a key concern. The persistent nature of the game's economy means that continuous measures are needed to prevent runaway inflation and the detrimental effects it can have on player experience.
Traditional methods of managing in-game economies include introducing gold sinks like repair costs and mount purchases. However, Blizzard is also experimenting with other systems, such as new vendors that cap the prices of high-end reagents. These vendors offer items at prices significantly higher than their in-game acquisition cost, effectively setting a ceiling on market prices and helping to maintain a more stable economy.
The consequences of unchecked inflation in MMOs can be severe, as seen in games like Star Wars: The Old Republic, where low-level equipment could cost millions of credits. With WoW: Forever not launching with a subscription time token—a feature that indirectly acts as a price cap on RMT by offering an official alternative—measures like the temporary economy holds become even more crucial. They are intended to prevent bots and RMT operations from destabilizing the Auction House for legitimate players.
This new system is seen as a sensible middle ground. Blizzard recognizes that many innocent player activities could inadvertently trigger RMT flags. The temporary hold allows players to continue engaging with most of the game while Blizzard investigates potential RMT involvement, preventing many legitimate players from being caught in the crossfire of automated systems.