In the World of Warcraft: Forever beta Blizzard punished RMT publicly for the first time: around 380 gold were taken from a streamer — roughly $200 at shadow market rates, leaving only 9 silver on the account. The account itself wasn't banned, and the community is split on whether the punishment is enough.

In late September, the Forever beta saw its first notable anti-RMT episode. Streamer Ziqo publicly said Blizzard stripped almost all of his character's gold — around 380 coins, which would have gone for roughly $200 on the shadow market. Only 9 silver remained. In the streamer's own words, Blizzard "confiscated all my gold."

Until now, the company had only promised that RMT in Forever would be cracked down on hard. What exactly the streamer violated — Blizzard isn't saying: on paper the account is still "alive," it just has almost no gold left. This is the first time Blizzard has publicly punished a specific player for RMT in the beta — and it happened five weeks before the general launch on November 4.

The community's reaction is split. On the Blizzard forums one player writes bluntly: "Streamers openly admit to buying gold and only get a light warning — where is the promised toughness?" and demands permanent bans for buyers and for anyone who urges viewers to buy. Others think Blizzard has shown it means business, and things will only get tougher from here. On r/classicwow people note that external outlets — GamesRadar, GoHa — picked up the story, and for Blizzard this is a signal to everyone else — step out of line and you'll see yourself in the feed.

In practice

• If Blizzard keeps cleaning house in the same spirit, the Forever economy by November could end up noticeably cleaner than in other Classic branches.
• Streamers and content creators now need to keep an eye on how much gold lands on screen: suspicious piles draw moderator attention.
• For now the punishment is mild — gold gone, account untouched. If Blizzard tightens up after launch, those who stocked up now may end up in the crosshairs too.