Welcome to theBlizzard Forums! These forums are here to provide you with a friendly environment where you can discuss ideas, give game play advice, role-play, and converse about any other aspects of Blizzard games with other players. Community forums are at their best when participants treat their fellow posters with respect and courtesy. Therefore, we ask that you conduct yourself in a civilized manner when participating in these forums.
The guidelines and rules listed below explain what behavior is expected of you and what behavior you can expect from other community members. Note that the following guidelines are not exhaustive, and may not address all manner of offensive behavior. As such, the forum moderators shall have full discretion to address any behavior that they feel is inappropriate. Also, suspension or banishment from the game will always result in the same in regard to forum access. Your access to these forums is a “privilege,” and not a “right.” Blizzard Entertainment reserves the right to suspend your access to these forums at any time for reasons that include, but are not necessarily limited to, your failure to abide by these guidelines.
We reserve the right to evaluate each incident on a case by case basis. The action we take may be more lenient or more severe than those listed under each category:
Racial / Ethnic
This category includes both clear and masked language and/or links to websites containing such language or images which:
- Promote racial/ethnic hatred
- Are recognized as a racial/ethnic slur
- Allude to a symbol of racial/ethnic hatred
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be temporarily banned from the forums
- Be given a final warning, after which any further Code of Conduct violations may result in a permanent ban from the forums
Account Trading
This category includes both advertising your account or characters for sale or trade, or advertising that you are looking for an account or characters to purchase through:
- Forum posts
- Linking to eBay or other online marketplaces
- Listing you have something for trade and then offering your contact information
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a final warning, after which any further Code of Conduct violations may result in a permanent ban from the forums
- Be permanently banned from the forums
Extreme Sexuality / Violence
This category includes both clear and masked language and/or links to websites containing such language or images which:
- Refer to extreme and/or violent sexual acts
- Refer to extremely violent real life actions
- p*rnography
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be permanently banned from the forums
Real-Life Threats
This category includes both clear and masked language and/or links to websites containing such language or images which:
- Refer to violence in any capacity that is not directly related to the game world
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be temporarily banned from the forums
- Be given a final warning, after which any further Code of Conduct violations may result in a permanent ban from the forums
Distribution of Real-Life Personal Information
This category includes:
- Releasing any real-life information about other players or Blizzard Entertainment employees
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be permanently banned from the forums
Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
This category includes both clear and masked language and/or links to websites containing such language or images which:
- Insultingly refer to any aspect of sexual/romantic orientation or gender identity/expression (male, female, trans-gender, bi-gender, pangender, genderfluid, agender or any non-binary identity not listed)pertaining to themselves or other players
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be temporarily banned from the forums
- Be given a final warning, after which any further Code of Conduct violations may result in a permanent ban from the forums
Posting Cheats, Hacks, Trojan Horses or Malicious Programs
This category includes:
- Posting links to cheats, hacks, or malicious viruses / programs
- If you would like to report information regarding cheats or hacks to Blizzard, send it tohacks@blizzard.com. Donotpost it to the forums.
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be permanently banned from the forums
Impersonating a Blizzard Employee
This category includes:
- Passing yourself off as a Blizzard employee to post false information
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a final warning, after which any further Code of Conduct violations may result in a permanent ban from the forums
Posting Unreleased Content / Hacking Data Files
This category includes language and/or links to websites containing such language or images which:
- Show unreleased in-game items, equipment, or areas that have been unlocked by hacking into client data files
- Show the results of hacking or any tampering of the game’s MPQ files
- Discuss, or display any data not available through normal game play
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be permanently banned from the forums
Obscene / Vulgar
This category includes both clear and masked language in posts, signatures, and/or links to websites containing such language or images which:
- Are an inappropriate reference to human anatomy or bodily functions
- Are p*rnographic in nature
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a temporary ban from the forums, depending upon severity
While these repercussions may seem harsh, we feel very strongly that this behavior has no place on the forums due to its extremely offensive and inappropriate nature.
Inappropriate Language
This category includes language and/or links to websites containing such language or images which:
- Are a mildly inappropriate reference to human anatomy or bodily functions
- Are otherwise considered objectionable
- Bypass the Mature Language filter
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a temporary ban from the forums, depending upon severity
Harassing or Defamatory
This category includes both clear and masked language and/or links to websites containing such language or images which:
- Insultingly refer to other characters, players, Blizzard employees, or groups of people
- Result in ongoing harassment to other characters, players, Blizzard employees, or groups of people
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a temporary ban from the forums, depending upon severity
Harassment takes many forms, and is not necessarily limited to the type of language used, but the intent. Repeatedly targeting a specific player with harassment can lead to more severe action. The idea behind this is to prevent any one player from consistently being uncomfortable in the forums.
Major Religions or Religious Figures
This category includes both clear and masked language and/or links to websites containing such language or images which:
- Negatively portray major religions or religious figures
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a temporary ban from the forums, depending upon severity
National
This category includes language and/or links to websites containing such language or images which:
- Promote national hatred
- Are recognized as national slurs
- Allude to symbols of national hatred
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a temporary ban from the forums, depending upon severity
Illegal Drugs or Activities
This category includes both clear and masked language and/or links to websites containing such language or images which:
- Reference to abusing illegal drugs
- Reference to performing illegal activities
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a temporary ban from the forums, depending upon severity
Spamming or Trolling
This category includes:
- Excessively communicating the same phrase, similar phrases, or pure gibberish
- Creating threads for the sole purpose of causing unrest on the forums
- Causing disturbances in forum threads, such as picking fights, making off topic posts that ruin the thread, insulting other posters
- Making non-constructive posts
- Abusing the Reported Post feature by sending false alarms or nonsensical messages
- Numbering a thread, IBTL, TLDR, or any other fad statements
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a temporary or permanent ban from the forums, depending upon severity
Creating Duplicate Threads
This category includes:
- Creating threads about existing topics
- Creating a separate thread about an existing topic for further discussion in more than one forum
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a temporary ban from the forums, depending upon severity
Cross Linking Threads
This category includes:
- Linking to threads from other forums
- Creating threads with the sole purpose of linking another post
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a temporary ban from the forums
Advertising
This category includes advertisem*nt of:
- Any non-beneficial, non-Blizzard related businesses, organizations, or websites
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a temporary ban from the forums, depending upon severity
Discussing Disciplinary Actions
This category includes:
- Creating posts or threads to discuss disciplinary actions taken against a player, including chat logs and email correspondence between a player and a Game Master (GM)
- Creating posts or threads to discuss disciplinary actions taken against a character or account on the forums
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be given a temporary ban from the forums, depending upon severity
If you have questions or concerns:
- Submit a Support Ticket
Circumventing a Suspension / Ban
This category includes:
- Posting on another account
- Having someone post on your behalf
If a player is found to have participated in such actions, theywill:
- Be permanently banned from posting on the forums
IMPORTANT
- Repeatedlyviolating any area of the Blizzard Terms of Use or Forum Code of Conduct, including the areas detailed above, will often result in permanent banishment from the forums.
- This policy is not language-restrictive. Language that falls under this policy will always be subject to the repercussions listed, whether it is inappropriate in English or any other language.
The bottom line is that we want the Blizzard Forums to be a fun and safe environment for all players. While playing Blizzard games and posting on these forums, you will encounter thousands of other players who share different experiences and come from vastly different backgrounds. While certain language and images may not be offensive to you, consider the fact that that same language and images may have a completely different effect on someone else. We’ve done everything we can to make this a great environment – now it’s up to you!
