A new World of Warcraft update is breaking down on a dubious gaming practice called multiboxing. Players can now be banned if they run multiple World of Warcraft accounts all at the same time. While the actual process of multiboxing hasn’t been stopped yet, World of Warcraft’s developer Blizzard confirmed that its updated policy will include the banning of all third-party programs that are being utilized to duplicate keystrokes.
The practice of integrating input broadcast software has been dubbed as multiboxing by the World of Warcraft Community. It has ever since been considered a controversial point of debate, because of the software letting players control up to 40 characters simultaneously by mirroring their inputs across multiple accounts.
Multiboxing gives players who utilize it with a considerable advantage over those who only control one character at a time and most critics say that the software is responsible for destroying the game’s economy by allowing farm bots.
Blizzard explained its new policy of multiboxing in a recent blog post. Based on the post, multiboxing had a harmful effect on World of Warcraft, and it will be banning the practice for the good of its gaming community.
However, the post didn’t confirm when the utilization of third party input broadcast systems will be officially banned but warned players that they should avoid using it as soon as possible to prevent any action taken against them.
The developer also mentioned that it will start sending warnings to players discovered using input broadcast software, which could range from suspensions to bans depending if they continue using the practice.
It is possible that the decision to reveal the update was done in order to attract the average World of Warcraft gamers who can’t manage the multiple accounts needed for multiboxing, especially as the upcoming Shadowlands expansion draws nearer.
The developers want to continue keeping their players contented since the game is still a financially feasible project. This policy will make a lot of World of Warcraft players happy, who insisted that using multiboxers have an unfair advantage because players can now pay to win and monopolize large chunks of materials that are essential for character progression or finish in-game challenges that usually require more than one player before solo players get the opportunity.
World of Warcraft still gathers a huge and faithful fan base, with estimates suggesting over 5 million players still play the iconic MMORPG across the world. The fact that the developers announced this update before Shadowlands is released should keep the majority of players happy and tuned in.
As the Shadowlands update continues to create hype among fans, it will be intriguing to witness how this update affects World of Warcraft players and their behavior towards the hit game.
