18,000 banished from WOW

World of Warcraft developer has suspended 18,000 user accounts over the last three months.

Just recently, VU Games touted the fact that the subscriber base for World of Warcraft had reached 5 million people. After today's news from the game's developer, Blizzard, VUG may be able to say WOW has reached 5 million users again in the near future. Over the last three months, Blizzard has suspended 18,000 WOW accounts of those who broke the game's Terms of Use, roughly 200 accounts per day. Most of the suspensions were of computer-run characters made to farm gold and items for resale in the real world. Blizzard is asking legitimate WOW players to report any suspicious activity going down in Azeroth. For more information, head over to the official World of Warcraft Web site.

121 Comments

  • NoseWeed619

    Posted Nov 6, 2008 5:26 pm PT

    Ha. That's hilarious!

  • scstephens

    Posted Jan 22, 2006 1:00 pm PT

    Good...

    WoW is the best and will remain the best because it acually has an effective system to fix these situations. I don't believe the deterant value of banning accounts will keep from doing it, but as Blizzard gets more and more effective with identifying these cheaters, the banning will happen faster and faster.

    Go Blizzard, everyone should take a page out of your book on so many levels on how to design, implement and maintain a MMORPG or online game.

  • lovermanxxx

    Posted Jan 3, 2006 1:45 am PT

    personally, i think one post on here had the best idea - identify them online.
    force their character to wear a "cheaters outfit". whenever the character logs on, it shoudl be announced in the log window that this person exp[loited other players, etc. i think this is a good way of using the powers of the web and discouraging other from cheating - if they knew EVERYONE could see they lack sportsmanship.
    Personally, i quit WoW after 5 days and being level 20. yes it is very immersive but damn if it aint so repetitive and EXPENSIVE.
    I think this news is BLIZZARD saying that THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES ALLOWED TO MILK GAMERS OF HARD EARNED CASH.

  • bokiko

    Posted Jan 2, 2006 10:50 pm PT

    its nice to own a world of yours , you will feel strong

  • dmulah

    Posted Jan 2, 2006 9:17 pm PT

    Banhammer!

  • reallaughingman

    Posted Jan 2, 2006 8:11 pm PT

    delete the isp addresses too

  • Atomic_Mutant

    Posted Jan 2, 2006 11:50 am PT

    a microcosm of the world; cheaters, scammers subsist in the bottom feeding base of the social hierarchy. time to ask for credit card numbers again kiddies.

    and what a concept...using the reason above, one would be able to muder someone if one can get away with it while cajoling the inpetedness of the law enforcement and not fear any punishment. not saying that it is a sound analogy...i agree with your indirect mentioning the need for a more complete solution to the hacker question.

  • _xyzman_

    Posted Jan 2, 2006 2:25 am PT

    My opinion is if someone has enough brainpower to find a way to cheat, he shouldn't be punished for game developers' stupidness - close the loopholes and everything is fine! However, I beleive, all of those 18000 were just dumb script kiddies and the real cheaters/hackers are still feeding there

  • ppllaaiinn

    Posted Jan 1, 2006 10:22 pm PT

    hmm.....

  • ajadoniz

    Posted Jan 1, 2006 4:06 pm PT

    Just go play Guild Wars. Cheaters should be owned, although it is fun to cheat every once in a while... when you're bored, not all the time tho. Hello, exactly.

  • ZanderCool

    Posted Jan 1, 2006 12:17 pm PT

    I don't play WoW, but this says alot about blizzard. First that they would go through such drastic measures as actually purging 18,000 PAYING members shows their dedication to keeping the gaming experience high quality. It also shows their dedication to keeping the economy in tact for once in their games. This was a definite surprise, a congratulations is in order to Blizz.

  • maclehot

    Posted Dec 31, 2005 4:04 pm PT

    lol some of the replies are the funniest comments i've ever read... lol morphine on a disc!! lol

  • MCCHA

    Posted Dec 31, 2005 12:39 pm PT

    Lesson of the Day: cheaters always win unless they're caught.

  • Romanticide

    Posted Dec 30, 2005 4:25 pm PT

    Yes. I hate those lame "buy gold here" sites. Play the damn game you lazy nadsacks.

  • dbzhen14

    Posted Dec 30, 2005 11:50 am PT

    Nobody reads the terms of service.

  • MWRHC

    Posted Dec 30, 2005 10:34 am PT

    Lol, I bet all the people that are complaining about people being addicted to wow have their own game addictions(cough)(cough) halo/gta.

  • revthegod

    Posted Dec 29, 2005 10:45 am PT

    lmao finally they re cracking down on them damn jap rogue farmers about time farming is one thing but train vanish makes things unfair

  • Ortadragoon

    Posted Dec 29, 2005 12:48 am PT

    Maybe Blizzard should consider hiring a massive online National Guard dedicated to patrolling for cheaters... It could work. And Finnegan, did you really make that much money? That is a shame that people would pay 500 bucks for a lousy account for a damn video-game, a MMORPG to boot. I'm glad that I don't play MMORPG's, which are basically morphine on a disc.

  • runyoncolie

    Posted Dec 28, 2005 8:24 pm PT

    The is even more pathetic than the xbox 360 bomb scare.

  • rbfinnegan

    Posted Dec 28, 2005 4:49 pm PT

    how dumb, i do it the legal way, i max out my chars and then sell em at ebay, my account, i invest 15 dollars everytime and then i max out the chars and sell that account at ebay. i made 6 thousand dollars in one week and i quit my job. i cant believe people are willing to pay 500 dollars for an account when it only takes about 1month to play it and have more fun. anywho its kinda sad but this is my job to play games.

  • EmX

    Posted Dec 28, 2005 11:03 am PT

    stupid rednecks- all of them who play WoW... the only smart ones were those 18000... becouse thay made money on stupid wow adicted people... hahaha its God-deam funny

  • Pfilosophy

    Posted Dec 28, 2005 9:34 am PT

    Oh no. That's horrible. I feel bad inside.
    Whatever, more people deserve to be banned from WOW.

  • darkxinos

    Posted Dec 28, 2005 6:21 am PT

    Everybody should be banned from WoW. It would be good for em all.
    (ﾉ°ם°)ﾉ

  • helluvagood

    Posted Dec 28, 2005 1:51 am PT

    lol i dont even play WOW

  • NikhodemuS

    Posted Dec 27, 2005 7:12 pm PT

    First of all, I TOTALLY disagree selling game gold for real cash. This comes handy to all those rich punks, who are too lazy to play as it's ment to be, and too stupid to undestand what an RP-based game is...
    As far as selling game items for real money is permitted, this will never stop...

  • T_Magdi

    Posted Dec 27, 2005 12:10 pm PT

    18,000? That is so well strict! Still, the best number suspence... 18000! 18000! Eighteen thousound!

  • L33tBudDha

    Posted Dec 27, 2005 10:25 am PT

    this kind of thing has been happening in mmorpg's since the first castle was sold in ultima online on ebay years ago. everyone wants to play the high-end contant of the mmorpg's and not bother with the low to mid level junk so they buy their way to the top. it will always be this way until mmorpg's find a way to get rid of the grind.

    as long as there is a grind of 5hrs a day for 30-60 days needed to max your character's level/skills/whatever there will be a market for easy ways to get to the top. i've sold items, i've bought items, and i wish i was one of the people making millions, yes a few have made millions, selling mmorpg items and accounts.

    but they broke the rules they be banned. no complaints here. good for VU.

  • nytrospawn

    Posted Dec 27, 2005 10:24 am PT

    Well, any game that has siginificant portions of the game based on grinding/quest grinding usually do have their fair share of money farmers and macroscript users. Its to be expected. At least they didnt drop the ball on this one, like how NCSoft dropped the ball with Lineage 2.

  • reichsmedik

    Posted Dec 27, 2005 10:18 am PT

    haha!!!!u got owned!!!!

  • Mista_Sal

    Posted Dec 27, 2005 7:22 am PT

    That way they'll learn.....

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Dec 27, 2005 6:50 am PT

    i wish i could farm gold in real life

  • darkside5001

    Posted Dec 27, 2005 6:30 am PT

    Serves 'em right

  • natedoggcata

    Posted Dec 26, 2005 7:57 pm PT

    Pathetic if you ask me. Thats what I would be doing is making mad cash on Ebay for those characters. Thats lame that they got their accounts banned.

  • Sevenik

    Posted Dec 26, 2005 3:50 pm PT

    Agreed, punish the cheaters!!

  • ff7cloudking

    Posted Dec 26, 2005 1:25 pm PT

    cheaters like that don't deserve accounts. Nice going.

  • jonfigs

    Posted Dec 26, 2005 12:23 pm PT

    Who cares???

    Does VU want a cookie for being a good boy. This is not news.

  • xiLLeNtz

    Posted Dec 26, 2005 8:17 am PT

    im one of the 5million =D haha so many ppl banished from wow... amazing.

  • ewjim

    Posted Dec 26, 2005 4:25 am PT

    HAHAHAHAHA! Sell virtual player?!

  • ezra1

    Posted Dec 25, 2005 5:44 pm PT

    WOW is aripoof and the terms of agreement are insane. The sad thing is that even while having to pay monthly and having such insane rules people
    still pay. I personally don't care. WoW and blizzard will be losing a lot of customers if i can help it.

  • dryden555

    Posted Dec 25, 2005 9:50 am PT

    They'll just create new accounts again anyway.....

  • macmaster1

    Posted Dec 24, 2005 10:45 pm PT

    That got to be the funniest ting i've heard today. lol

  • ArmoredAshes

    Posted Dec 24, 2005 9:10 pm PT

    Well first off...if you are lame enough to buy a computer image,ie gold or items, then you should be shot...there is no way i would ever pay for that....i have much more important things to buy. Plus what happenes when you lose your account?..Or if you get bored with it?....then all that money was wasted

  • Rhazel

    Posted Dec 24, 2005 3:31 pm PT

    Hehe.... a surprisingly small amount for a crowd of FIVE MILLION 18,000 is just 0,36% Well if you remember a game called Diablo II then Blizzard banned (i don't recall but I think it was over a 100,000 I apologize if this number is incorrect) for so called "copying of items". Then recently again a large number of accounts for the use of maphack. Still it made no difference for two reasons:
    #1 If they'd ban everyone who was cheating, they woul'd had about 2,500 players left.
    #2 next day the same players we're back online with new game copy's
    So...yeah...still those 18,000 dedicated cheaters would increase the retail sales...so why not?

  • gtafreak621

    Posted Dec 24, 2005 3:24 pm PT

    I GOT BANISHED AND I DONT EVEN DO ANY OF THAT!!!!!

    I ****ING HATE VIVENDI!!!

    WHAT THE ****!!!

  • Neon_Light102

    Posted Dec 24, 2005 1:16 pm PT

    18,000???

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Dec 24, 2005 12:51 pm PT

    Damn hackers. They'll probably return though.
    This is one of the reasons I don't like online games.

  • earlthecannibal

    Posted Dec 24, 2005 11:23 am PT

    I wish I could Delete Blizzard

  • haadurin

    Posted Dec 24, 2005 9:48 am PT

    ahahahhahahahahhaa blizz ownd dose cheatz

  • haadurin

    Posted Dec 24, 2005 9:48 am PT

    if you havent played WOW, my advice. DONT!

  • D4rThx_xR3Lik

    Posted Dec 24, 2005 7:14 am PT

    It took them long enough, someone had to be pointing guns at their heads.

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