Blizzard has warned World of Warcraft: Forever players that buying in-game gold with real money will be punished “very aggressively”, potentially including permanent account bans. The policy is intended to prevent real-money trading from distorting the economy of the upcoming Classic+-style MMO, following criticism that Blizzard has previously been too lenient.

The developers also confirmed that Forever will not allow GDKP raids, in which players bid gold for loot and distribute the proceeds among the group. Blizzard says it will actively monitor the game’s economy and wants loot and progression to be earned through normal play and guild cooperation rather than external purchases or gold-driven systems.