WoW China has announced a crackdown on paid addons, including VIP features and paid WeakAuras or addon profiles/packages, threatening legal action against violators.
This isn’t a new rule. Blizzard’s UI Add-On Development Policy already requires addons to be free in all regions, but it’s loosely enforced in the US and EU. Players in the Western regions have likely already seen some Patreon-exclusive UI packs or Twitch-sub locked WeakAuras or profiles. While against Blizzard’s ToS or at least in a gray area, enforcement rarely happens by Blizzard, leading to the proliferation of the practice.
In the note, NetEase explicitly states that voluntary tips and donations are fine, but they should never be tied to access. The wording here is specific to point out that any content locked behind Patreon or Twitch subscriptions would be frowned upon. Any access tied to donations will be treated as a paid service.
WoW China Operations team says they may disable the functionality of noncompliant addons and pursue legal action, where applicable, against authors.
Below, you can see the official translation of the WoW China bluepost:
Notice of Enforcement Action Against Paid Addons and Unauthorized Commercialization
Dear adventurers, To preserve the integrity of World of Warcraft, maintain a healthy user interface addon ecosystem, protect players’ personal information and legitimate rights, and provide a fair, safe, and healthy gaming experience, the WoW China Operations Team will take targeted enforcement action against noncompliant addons and unauthorized monetization of addons, in accordance with the User Interface Add-On Development Policy, the Blizzard End User License Agreement, and applicable operating rules. Under these policies and rules, World of Warcraft user interface addons must meet the following basic requirements:
- Addons must be provided free of charge. They must not offer “premium,” “VIP,” or other features that require payment to unlock. Nor may purchases, subscriptions, per-use charges, or other payment methods be used to charge for addons themselves or services related to addon access or usage rights. Paid addon offerings include, but are not limited to, paid addons, paid WeakAuras, and paid sharing of configurations.
- Addons must not contain advertisements, and must not solicit or direct users toward donations within the game.
- Addons must not improperly obtain, use, store, or share players’ personal information or private data, or infringe upon the legitimate rights of players or other parties.
- The development, distribution, and use of addons must comply with the User Interface Add-On Development Policy, the Blizzard End User License Agreement, and applicable operating rules.
Over the years, addon developers in the WoW community have created many useful and convenient addons out of their love and enthusiasm for the game, allowing players to enjoy a more personalized experience. The WoW China Operations Team respects addon developers’ work and contributions, and supports the sharing of addons in a free, open, and compliant manner to build a healthy and sustainable addon ecosystem together. We have observed that some addons improperly obtain, use, or share players’ personal information and private data. Some addon authors or platforms also offer paid “premium” versions, VIP memberships, subscriptions, or per-use services, tying addon functionality or access to payment for profit. These practices violate the relevant addon development policies and operating rules, and harm players’ legitimate rights and normal gameplay experience.
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In response, the WoW China Operations Team will undertake targeted enforcement action and formally reiterates the following:
- We support free addons and encourage a healthy addon ecosystem based on sharing and free access.
- We firmly oppose all forms of paid addons, including, but not limited to, paid purchases, VIP versions, and per-use paid services.
- We support platforms providing reasonable compensation to authors through voluntary tips or donations. Such contributions must be purely voluntary gifts, with no connection to addon access or usage rights. Otherwise, they will be treated as a paid service model.
- Following the publication of this notice, any platform or individual that continues to provide paid addon offerings will be subject to legal enforcement.
All addon platforms and developers are asked to immediately review and rectify their practices in accordance with the policies and rules above, cease the development, distribution, and operation of noncompliant addons, and remove the relevant paid addons from their platforms. Under these policies and rules, the WoW China Operations Team reserves the right to disable relevant addon functionality to protect the integrity of World of Warcraft and the gameplay experience. For noncompliant or paid addons, the WoW China Operations Team reserves the right to pursue legal accountability against their authors and other responsible parties, including, but not limited to, civil claims for damages, reports to administrative authorities, and criminal complaints. We will use all lawful means to protect players’ interests. Thank you to all players and addon developers for your understanding and support. Let us work together to maintain a healthy and positive gaming environment!
