Installation / General
0.18% of names got players removed from the WoW: Forever Beta
- 2 min read
Background
With the new Beta build, Blizzard announced that players lose Beta access for violating the Code of Conduct with their character names. Shortly afterwards, Senior Game Producer Tom Ellis commented on the bans and forced name changes.
His main point: anyone claiming they were removed over a harmless name is not telling the whole truth. Such names would only trigger a forced name change. The team manually read every removed name and points out that Blizzard can see every character you have created, not just the one you are playing.
Anyone saying they were removed from beta for naming their character “Billy Mcsuckmahballz” is telling little white lies. That character likely just received a forced name change. Multiple unfortunate humans read through every name that was removed from beta today. If you’re genuinely confused, remember that it’s our database, we can see every character you’ve created, not just the one you’re playing. I read the list. No sympathy. Be a better human next time.
The follow-up the next morning
The next morning Ellis added that the team had gone through the whole ban list again that evening and also checked Reddit and Twitter posts. By his account, every one of those posts left out a further inappropriate name. Exactly one person seemed to have been going for a roleplay name.
- No new standards were set: every name that led to removal would never have been allowed in any version of WoW.
- Names were manually run through the same system as usual, and additionally read by hand.
- The naming filter was not ready for dual names, as it was assumed that after twenty years players know what is acceptable.
- 0.18% of names led to removal from the Beta.
Players are asked to pick better names at launch.
Original report: Wowhead