Summary
To wrap up the first week of 2024, Blizzard revealed that the company had banned over 270,000 accounts fromWorld of Warcraftin December 2023. While it was unclear which versions ofWorld of Warcraftthe ban wave took into account, it is the largest one since Blizzard started its monthly ban wave reports in June 2023.
The announcement came just days after Blizzard confirmed that bothDragonflightandWrath of the Lich King Classicwill have big updates in January.TheSeeds of Renewalcontent updateforDragonflightwill launch on January 16. The update will see both the story of the expansion conclude, and the Worgen will reclaim Gilneas after it was ravaged by the Cataclysm. Seeds of Renewal will also bring some new customization options for the Trolls and the Draenei and new lore-friendly content including Follower Dungeons and the Azerothian Archives. Dragonriding in older continents such as Kalimdor will also be included in the update, which will giveWoWplayers a much faster method of transport. On theClassicside, the Ruby Sanctum raid will launch on January 11, which will serve as a prelude toCataclysm Classic.
But, Blizzard revealed that some players will not be able to experience the upcoming content. InaWorld of Warcraftforum post, Blizzard community manager Bornakk reported that 270,970WoWplayers were banned in December 2023 for cheating and exploitation, which are both violations of the game’s terms of service. The punishments ranged from six-month suspensions to permanent bans. Starting in June 2023, Blizzard began a series of monthly reports of the number ofWoWaccounts that were terminated within a given span. With a total of 127,014 bans in June 2023, the number continued to rise steadily. However, it is not clear if the bans cover a specific game version,such as Season of Discovery, or if the number encompasses all game modes.
World of Warcraft Bans By the Numbers
In response to the forum post,someWorld of Warcraftplayersexpressed a mix of relief and concern about the tally. While some were glad that the company was taking a stand against cheating, some questioned which game modes the total covered. A fewWoWplayers claimed that they were caught in the December ban wave and were unsuccessful in their appeal attempts at the time of writing.
While other games such asDota 2have creative ways of administering bans,World of Warcraft’s reports are a welcome sight. Only time will tell if the company will respond to players' requests for clarification on the numbers.
