Blizzard Strips Ziqo's Beta Gold, No Ban Issued
Blizzard removed the gold streamer Ziqo accepted from strangers in the WoW: Forever beta but has not banned him, drawing community backlash.
Blizzard has removed the gold that streamer Ziqo accepted from strangers during the World of Warcraft: Forever beta, but as of publication the company has not punished him further. The decision has drawn backlash from players who expected a harsher response.
On stream, Ziqo was seen taking 380 gold from a level one character and 175 gold from another level one character named El Delivery. The clips circulated quickly, putting a spotlight on how Blizzard polices real-money transactions during the beta.
The removal follows a September 28 forum post from Blizzard community manager Kaivax, who said the company will increasingly take action against buyers and recipients of real-money transaction gold, including removing illicit gold and potentially closing accounts. Gamespot reported on the situation.
Blizzard had previously said it would be more aggressive against gold buyers in Forever, and the Kaivax post framed the policy as an escalating effort rather than a one-time cleanup.
The Forever beta runs until October 21 and costs $60 to access. A $100,000 dueling tournament was scheduled for October 17. The full game launches on November 4.
Quick answers
Did Blizzard ban Ziqo over the beta gold?
No. Blizzard removed the gold Ziqo received from strangers in the WoW: Forever beta but has not punished him further as of the article's writing.
How much gold did Ziqo accept on stream?
Ziqo was seen accepting 380 gold from a level one character and 175 gold from another level one character named El Delivery.
When does the WoW: Forever beta end and the full game launch?
The beta is live until October 21 and costs $60 to access. The full game launches on November 4.