Image: Blizzard EntertainmentBlizzard wants WoW Forever’s economy free of real-money trading (RMT), and community manager Kaivax has explained a new tool for it: the Temporary Economy Hold.
What it does
If an account is suspected of selling gold for real money, or receiving gold bought that way, it can be put on hold. While the hold is in place, that account can’t use:
- trading with other players
- guild banks
- the Auction House
No fixed length was given. The hold stays until Blizzard has looked into whatever triggered it.
What happens next
- If the activity turns out not to be RMT, the hold is lifted automatically.
- If it is RMT, the account faces further action.
- A hold on its own doesn’t leave a permanent mark on your account unless RMT is later proven.
Blizzard admits there “may be false positives” while the system is being tuned. So if you suddenly can’t post auctions after a big, unusual gold transfer between friends, this is the likely reason, and it should clear once it’s been checked.
Beyond Forever
Kaivax says that if the system works well, Blizzard plans to bring it to every version of World of Warcraft.
Why it matters
Gold sellers flood fresh realms in the first weeks after launch. If these holds work, the Auction House should be a bit healthier when WoW Forever opens on 4 November. The trade-off is that a few honest players may get caught out early on.