Multiboxing in World of Warcraft is history. New rules make it almost impossible to play multiple accounts simultaneously now.
There are only a few topics in World of Warcraft that have been discussed so passionately for years, like multiboxing. The “problem” is as old as the game itself, and over the years the conflicts have grown bigger. Now Blizzard is changing its rules and putting a stop to multiboxing. Soon it will be banned in WoW and can lead to bans.
What is multiboxing? Multiboxing generally refers to playing multiple accounts at the same time. It’s not just about owning multiple accounts, but also playing them simultaneously. A player can, for example, run through the game world with three, four, five, or even more characters at once and complete tasks that would normally require a whole group of players.
Through software, it was possible to transmit keystrokes from one WoW client to multiple clients. If one of the characters wanted to pick herbs, all characters of the multiboxer would do so.
What is changing now? In the future, the use of software that transmits input commands to multiple clients simultaneously will no longer be allowed. Anyone using such software must expect sanctions against their WoW account. Penalties range from temporary suspensions to permanent closures.
Traditional multiboxing is no longer permitted or possible. In the new expansion Shadowlands, you probably won’t encounter these multiboxers anymore.
Why is Blizzard doing this? The reasons are stated by Blizzard in an official post. It says:
Over time, World of Warcraft has undergone a significant evolution. Likewise, our policies have evolved to ensure a positive environment in the game and address the needs of the players. We have taken a closer look at the use of third-party software for transmitting input commands, through which a single keystroke or action can be automatically transmitted to multiple game clients.
We have found that this increasingly negatively affects the game, as this type of software is primarily used for bots and automated gameplay. The use of software to transmit input commands that transfers commands simultaneously to multiple WoW game clients will henceforth be considered a violation of our policies. We believe that this policy is in the best interest of the game and our community.
Official post from Blizzard
Players who are proven to use such software will receive a warning in the coming days that the rules regarding this matter have changed.
What is still allowed? It is still permitted to own multiple WoW accounts simultaneously and to play them in parallel. However, all keyboard inputs must be done manually. This would mean that the player has to tab out of one WoW client and open the second to control the character directly. This can still be useful for pulling your own alt characters through dungeons or farming specific rare mobs.
However, the effectiveness of farm multiboxers is likely to be massively restricted by this new regulation.
Even Cortyn from MeinMMO recently got very upset about multiboxers.
