Anyone who thinks that World of Warcraft is just a game should definitely read the heartwarming message from PlastikdaN to the entire team at Blizzard.
Why is the player writing a message to Blizzard? Out of gratitude. According to the Reddit user PlastikdaN, he has experienced the worst 8 to 9 months of his life. This was triggered by a tick bite he sustained while hiking. The diagnosis in August 2024: Lyme disease (via Wikipedia), Bartonella, and Babesiosis.
PlastikdaN describes that a few weeks after the bite, he could no longer use his legs. Breathing became difficult. His body trembled. His joints were inflamed. He suffered from panic attacks, anxiety, cognitive disturbances, and insomnia. And to make matters worse, he is from a country where it seems very difficult to receive proper treatment for such issues.
Another heartwarming story from the WoW community:
What does WoW have to do with all of this? PlastikdaN explains that he has been playing World of Warcraft somewhat regularly since the Burning Crusade expansion, but with interruptions. He spent the most time during Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm in the MMORPG.
Later, however, priorities shifted towards job, family, and his own health. There was hardly any time left for gaming. When he bought the new expansion The War Within for WoW after the diagnosis and worsening symptoms, it was primarily out of a sense of nostalgia. He wanted to try to keep himself engaged and distracted.
And it worked. Why, he still doesn’t understand:
I couldn’t remember how to tie my shoelaces, use the microwave, or how to stand up, but something inside me said: “Buckle up, the coming months will be the hardest and most challenging you’ve ever experienced, but I will allow you to access the gaming instincts you built in your twenties to dive back into this world while the treatment gradually brings you back to reality.”
PlastikdaN via Reddit
While he fought for his health, he leveled characters to max level, mastered achievements, collected mounts, farmed reputation, and played PvP. The latter, as the player explains today, is probably not a good idea when suffering from Lyme disease. The illness can definitely affect personality and lead to outbursts of anger.
Due to some verbal outbursts in the chat, PlastikdaN’s main account was also banned. The player wants to apologize for this behavior today. His second account is “in impeccable condition.” At the same time, PlastikdaN expresses extreme gratitude for what WoW has given him during this time.
I truly believe that WoW has helped me in my recovery. I truly believe that the complexity of WoW and the engaging way of problem-solving contributed to my cognitive abilities slowly but surely normalizing. I truly believe that the depth of content and the vision of WoW kept my mental health in check so that my body had the time to let the treatment take effect. […]
In my humble opinion, Blizzard does not receive enough praise, thanks, and respect for what they have created, maintained, and fostered for over 25 years. At least for chronically ill people like me.
PlastikdaN via Reddit
Finally, PlastikdaN explains that he was able to complete his treatment two months ago. Last weekend was the first day in a long time that he felt so well that he could turn his feelings of gratitude into text.
How does the community respond to the report? With over 1,100 upvotes and more than 95 comments in about 14 hours. Many players share their own personal stories in the comments.
- Ok-Ferret8452 writes on Reddit: “What a comforting post. I’m glad to hear you’re doing better. WoW has also played a significant role in my own life during difficult times. […]. WoW was my escape. WoW was the joy where I could hide. It may sound very melodramatic, but it kept me sane.”
- Mr_Rio recalls on Reddit: “I had a similar experience with this game. I started it at the end of February 2024 after going through a major trauma and the worst 10 months of my life. Even though I had a lot of love, friends, and people who supported me, this game really helped me stabilize during the hardest times of my life. It was always there, it was always alive and active, it always gave me something to do and distracted me from the bad times in my life.”
- Qvazr expresses gratitude on Reddit: “I got Long Covid in 2020, before the world even knew there was such a thing. All the symptoms I had/have are very similar to yours. WoW also saved me. I couldn’t watch TV, talk to people, go outside […]. But for some reason, I could play WoW. When the real world gets too much for my foggy brain, I can feel safe and welcome in Azeroth.”
This is just a small selection of the many heartwarming stories that have emerged under PlastikdaN’s post. In a completely different community story, a family manages to bridge the great distances and stay in touch thanks to WoW: WoW connects families for 20 years: “They always have their perfect 5-player group”
