World of Warcraft: Difference between revisions
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This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | ||
===Warden anti-cheat (2005)=== | ===Warden anti-cheat (''2005'')=== | ||
In 2005, it came to light that Blizzard Entertainment was utilizing an in-house anti-cheat program when the video game company filed an infringement lawsuit against MDY Industries, LLC, who sold a {{Wplink|Video game bot|botting program}} called {{Wplink|Glider (bot)|Glider}}. The legal filings were the first time that Blizzard acknowledged both the anti-cheat's existence and its official name (Warden). The {{Wplink|Electronic Frontier Foundation}} (EFF) denounced Warden as [[spyware]] due to the lack of transparency and concerns over the privacy and retention of collected data.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ward |first=Mark |title=Warcraft game maker in spying row |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4385050.stm |website=BBC News |date=31 Oct 2005 |access-date=17 Oct 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051103043944/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4385050.stm |archive-date=3 Nov 2005}}</ref> | In 2005, it came to light that Blizzard Entertainment was utilizing an in-house anti-cheat program when the video game company filed an infringement lawsuit against MDY Industries, LLC, who sold a {{Wplink|Video game bot|botting program}} called {{Wplink|Glider (bot)|Glider}}. The legal filings were the first time that Blizzard acknowledged both the anti-cheat's existence and its official name (Warden). The {{Wplink|Electronic Frontier Foundation}} (EFF) denounced Warden as [[spyware]] due to the lack of transparency and concerns over the privacy and retention of collected data.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ward |first=Mark |title=Warcraft game maker in spying row |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4385050.stm |website=BBC News |date=31 Oct 2005 |access-date=17 Oct 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051103043944/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4385050.stm |archive-date=3 Nov 2005}}</ref> | ||
Further reading: [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Warden_(software) Warcraft Wiki: Warden (software)], ''{{Wplink|MDY_Industries,_LLC_v._Blizzard_Entertainment,_Inc.}}'' | Further reading: [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Warden_(software) Warcraft Wiki: Warden (software)], ''{{Wplink|MDY_Industries,_LLC_v._Blizzard_Entertainment,_Inc.}}'' | ||
===Real ID (July 2010)=== | ===Real ID (''July 2010'')=== | ||
[[Real ID]] | [[Real ID]] was a change introduced by Blizzard, where players would use their real first and last name when posting on WoW forums (instead of their preferred WoW character, as it was before). Originally announced as optional, it was quickly changed to obligatory, with Blizzard arguing it to be a vital step for reducing toxicity in the gaming community. Community push-back was massive and united, with many citing privacy threats as the main concern. Blizzard initially tried to downplay the danger, even banning several people, but eventually buckled under the pressure. Then-CEO Mike Morhaime declared that, following user feedback, using Real ID to post on the forums would not be required.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yin-Poole |first=Wesley |title=Blizzard scraps Real ID for its forums |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/blizzard-scraps-real-id-for-its-forums |website=EuroGamer |date=9 Jul 2010 |access-date=14 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/NWiYC |archive-date=2 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
===Major data loss (August 2024)=== | ===Major data loss (August 2024)=== | ||
When [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Patch_11.0.2 Patch 11.0.2] was released on 13 August 2024, a serious bug caused the contents of some [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Guild_bank guild bank(s)] to go missing to varying degrees of severity (up to everything) regardless of player faction and world region. The only official acknowledgement of the problem at that time was a support article that was created four days later, on 17 August.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blizzard Support - Items Missing from Guild Bank |url=https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/000363630 |website=Battle.net |date=17 Aug 2024 |access-date=19 Sep 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818102435/https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/000363630 |archive-date=18 Aug 2024}}</ref> Except for a Customer Support agent on the European forum,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guild Bank items gone |url=https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/guild-bank-items-gone/528709/38 | When [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Patch_11.0.2 Patch 11.0.2] was released on 13 August 2024, a serious bug caused the contents of some [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Guild_bank guild bank(s)] to go missing to varying degrees of severity (up to everything) regardless of player faction and world region. The only official acknowledgement of the problem at that time was a support article that was created four days later, on 17 August.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blizzard Support - Items Missing from Guild Bank |url=https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/000363630 |website=Battle.net |date=17 Aug 2024 |access-date=19 Sep 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818102435/https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/000363630 |archive-date=18 Aug 2024}}</ref> Except for a Customer Support agent on the European forum,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Felranys |title=Guild Bank items gone |url=https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/guild-bank-items-gone/528709/38 |website=Blizzard |date=16 Aug 2024 |access-date=2 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927065929/https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/guild-bank-items-gone/528709?page=2#post_38 |archive-date=27 Sep 2024}}</ref> what followed was silence for over a month. | ||
On 20 September 2024, Community Manager [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Linxy Linxy] posted and pinned the following official statement in the General Discussion forum:<ref>{{Cite web |author=Linxy |title=Guild Bank Missing Items Update |url=https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/guild-bank-missing-items-update/1963451 |website=Blizzard.com |date=20 Sep 2024 |access-date=2 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927091046/https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/guild-bank-missing-items-update/1963451 |archive-date=27 Sep 2024}}</ref> | On 20 September 2024, Community Manager [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Linxy Linxy] posted and pinned the following official statement in the General Discussion forum:<ref>{{Cite web |author=Linxy |title=Guild Bank Missing Items Update |url=https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/guild-bank-missing-items-update/1963451 |website=Blizzard.com |date=20 Sep 2024 |access-date=2 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927091046/https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/guild-bank-missing-items-update/1963451 |archive-date=27 Sep 2024}}</ref> | ||
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On 13 November 2024, the pinned thread was renamed to "Guild Bank Missing Items Bug – Aug/Sept 2024" and moved to the Bug Report forum. It was unpinned 26 February 2025, when [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Patch_11.1.0/ Patch 11.1.0] had been released in both the NA and EU regions. | On 13 November 2024, the pinned thread was renamed to "Guild Bank Missing Items Bug – Aug/Sept 2024" and moved to the Bug Report forum. It was unpinned 26 February 2025, when [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Patch_11.1.0/ Patch 11.1.0] had been released in both the NA and EU regions. | ||
No form of compensation was given to those affected by the {{Wplink|data loss}}. Additionally, an Australian player by the character name of Mordane on the server Dath'Remar shared the following update on 9 February 2025 in regards to their filed complaint with the {{Wplink|Australian Competition and Consumer Commission}}:<ref>{{Cite web |author=Mordane-Dath'Remar | No form of compensation was given to those affected by the {{Wplink|data loss}}. Additionally, an Australian player by the character name of Mordane on the server Dath'Remar shared the following update on 9 February 2025 in regards to their filed complaint with the {{Wplink|Australian Competition and Consumer Commission}}:<ref>{{Cite web |author=Mordane-Dath'Remar |title=Guild Bank Missing Items Bug – Aug/Sept 2024 |url=https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/guild-bank-missing-items-bug-augsept-2024/1963451/4933 |website=Blizzard |date=9 Feb 2025 |access-date=2 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250708170840/https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/guild-bank-missing-items-bug-augsept-2024-part-1/1963 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025}}</ref> | ||
<blockquote> | <blockquote> | ||
[...] "Blizzard Australia Pty Ltd has stated "The lost guild bank assets are digital items, and we do not consider those items to hold any monetary real-world value. As such, we would be unable to provide this customer with any refunds in relation to the data that was lost and the items that could not be restored to their account."<br><br>Based on the above response by Blizzard, we will be closing the Complaint." [...]</blockquote> | [...] "Blizzard Australia Pty Ltd has stated "The lost guild bank assets are digital items, and we do not consider those items to hold any monetary real-world value. As such, we would be unable to provide this customer with any refunds in relation to the data that was lost and the items that could not be restored to their account."<br><br>Based on the above response by Blizzard, we will be closing the Complaint." [...]</blockquote> | ||