The prescient issue of bots in World of Warcraft has reared its ugly head again, this time in Blizzard’s latest offering, Season of Discovery.
Bots have been a regular feature in the MMO for some time, but things have worsened in recent years. In particular, Wrath of the Lich King Classic has been blighted by bots farming for gold, which, thanks to the existence of the WoW Token, can be traded for real-world currency.
The retail game also suffers from this issue, and much of the pre-release discourse around Season of Discovery was on how the developer planned to address it. Now, much of the apprehension has subsided and been replaced by anger as bots appear in equally significant numbers.
Level 25 bots are everywhere in Season of Discovery
In a post on Reddit, one player noted their dismay at seeing many characters behaving suspiciously like bots in Duskwood.
Though proving that a character is a bot is near-impossible, some telltale signs often give the game away. Odd movement patterns, gibberish character names and traveling between checkpoints all point to possible bot activity. These bots are sent to areas with lucrative farms to earn gold, though the Token is not available in Season of Discovery at the time of writing.
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Many were quick to comment with their own experiences with suspected bots, with one saying: “There were literally 30 dwarf hunters with Chinese pets farming right next to Sentinal Hill to the point where I couldn’t kill any mobs.”
Others suggested ingenious solutions to the problem. One added: “I wish Blizzard would mark all the botters and throw them all into bot shards. Like other games that throw you in cheater lobbies if you get caught cheating. And maybe flag them too that they have 100% auction house tax and can’t trade anymore or so.”
The developers are yet to respond specifically to the issue in Season of Discovery. Though it will undoubtedly be challenging to address, community feedback will likely become more vitriolic as the problem deepens.
