The World of Warcraft: Forever community is boiling over after popular streamer Ziqo avoided any punishment for accepting large sums of in-game gold from strangers on air, reigniting a long-simmering debate about Blizzard’s willingness to crack down on real-money trading. With a $100,000 beta dueling tournament set to open on October 17, accusations that Ziqo effectively bought his way to a competitive advantage have sent the player base into a frenzy and left many questioning whether the studio will enforce its own anti-gold-buying policies.
The controversy centers on footage from Ziqo’s broadcasts in the lead-up to the tournament, in which the streamer was seen trading for gold from characters that appeared to belong to third-party sellers. In one clip, he was traded 380 gold from a level one character—an enormous sum in WoW Classic and Forever, particularly in a beta that has only been out for two weeks. Ziqo can be heard admitting there was no way that amount of gold was “natty,” yet he accepted the trade anyway. In a second clip, he accepts 175 gold from a different level one character named El Delivery.
A Flashpoint for a Broader Problem
The community immediately identified the incident as a serious red flag. Gold buying had already appeared to be alive and well in the World of Warcraft: Forever beta, despite Blizzard previously said it would be more aggressive in taking action against gold buyers. With the amount of gold Ziqo accumulated, critics argued he could buy virtually anything he needed in the lead-up to the tournament, granting him a distinct edge over competitors. The WoW Classic subreddit quickly became a battleground of calls for Blizzard to intervene.
Without naming Ziqo directly, WoW community manager Kaivax clarified Blizzard’s official position on real-money transactions through a forum post on September 28, emphasizing that the studio intends to widen its net beyond mere sellers.
“It’s important to know that while we have always actioned RMT seller’s accounts as quickly as possible, we will increasingly take action against buyers’ accounts. That means that we will remove the illicit gold from the recipient and/or take further actions, which can include closing accounts.
“We’re once again asking all players to be very cautious when it comes to accepting gifts from strangers or other one-sided transactions. If it becomes apparent that a recipient knew or should have known that gold wasn’t from a legitimate source, they may be subject to account actions as well.”
Kaivax, WoW Community Manager
According to Ziqo, Blizzard has since removed the ill-gained gold he received, along with some additional gold he earned through conventional means, but as of writing has not punished him further. That outcome has only deepened frustration among players who feel the streamer’s actions directly violated the guidance Blizzard itself published.
Players Demand Equal Treatment
Many on the WoW Classic subreddit are urging Blizzard to stay true to the words in Kaivax’s forum post and take further action against Ziqo’s account, arguing it was obvious he knew the gold could not have been legitimate. “We can all agree it’s not good for the integrity of the game when streamers get showered with free gold on stream,” Reddit user Nino171 wrote in a post calling for streamers like Ziqo to be banned just like any regular player. “Treat everyone equally. Streamers should have to watch what they accept for free, just like any other player.”
Even if Ziqo is not banned from the game outright, some are calling for him to at the very least be barred from the upcoming tournament by its organizers. Others on the game’s forums are demanding that Blizzard permanently ban accounts caught engaging in RMT trading, with one player urging the studio to “make an example of these streamers.”
Looking Ahead
For now, it remains unclear whether Blizzard will punish Ziqo further with an account ban, but the incident has clearly eroded trust among the Forever community regarding the studio’s commitment to cracking down on both sellers and buyers of in-game gold. The WoW: Forever’s beta, which costs $60 to access, is currently live until October 21, with the $100,000 dueling tournament slated for October 17. The new version of WoW Classic, featuring over 1,000 new quests alongside new dungeons, raids, and zones, is proving to be popular, with Blizzard recently forced to once again raise the beta’s population cap. WoW: Forever is scheduled to launch in full on November 4.
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