Seemingly, when numerous people join an online community a form of toxicity tends to form. This toxicity can range from simple insults to repeated harassment. Games such as World of Warcraft, League of Legends, and countless other multiplayer titles are usually filled with varying levels of hate. With the latest update to the 9.2.5 PTR for World of Warcraft, it seems Blizzard wants to combat this toxicity and build a new and safer Azeroth with the introduction of a brand-new social contract that players have to agree to.
World of Warcraft is still dominating the MMO genre and is gearing up to bring players to the Dragon Isles in Dragonflight. New players join Azeroth constantly, but some tend to be put off by the behavior of other players. Sometimes players refuse to help new players, they bash them for the simplest of questions, they choose to harass others, and they make the game worse for most players. Amid ongoing lawsuits, Blizzard wants to make Azeroth a more welcoming community and as such has shown off its new social contract for World of Warcraft. While the contract is only as good as the amount of enforcement around it, it is a huge step for the game and may benefit it in the long run.
The Social Contract Explained
In the latest 9.2.5 PTR build for World of Warcraft, Blizzard showed off the first iteration of the brand-new social contract. This contract lays out different guidelines for players choosing to enter Azeroth, and they are forced to agree to it or the game will close. With this contract, Blizzard wants its players to agree to building a world where everyone is welcome no matter their background. It lays out a list of various activities that are allowed in World of Warcraft, as well as those that are not.
Specifically, the new social contract asks players to be willing to help other players and make friends across Azeroth. Players must be willing to answer questions from new players and assist them with various activities. Players are not allowed to harass others, spam in chat, spew hate speech, and be abusive. Failure to listen to this social contract will result in punishment that includes a suspension of their account. While the contract is only viable if Blizzard is willing to enforce the terms, it is a big step for a game that is accused of harboring a toxic community.
What This Means for World of Warcraft
On the surface, this social contract really does not affect World of Warcraft much as players can just agree to the social contract and enter the game. There is nothing tying them to actually listening to it except for a possible repercussion from Blizzard. If Blizzard does not actively enforce the new contract then nothing will come of it, and it will purely serve as a gesture from Blizzard which is being accused of workplace harassment. However, if Blizzard does enforce it then this new contract could go a long way to improving the community.
Just like many online games, the current World of Warcraft playerbase has a toxic side to it. New players tend to head to the subreddit to learn how to play the game and are often met with downvotes alongside angry comments. If a player has not mastered the mechanics of a boss in a dungeon or played a lot of PvP, then they may also become the target of harassment through the in-game chat. This makes the game unwelcoming for new players, and may even put off more veteran players. This new social contract goes against all of this in an attempt to build a more welcoming world. Players will have to actively work together and help each other, and that will make the game feel more like a community.
While this social contract is only a minor step in a greater issue, if Blizzard supports it then it could go a long way to improving the 18-year-old MMO. While some of these behaviors had already been laid out in the terms of service, making players agree to them before entering the game makes it seem like Blizzard wants to push these rules. Time will tell if this actually helps clean up the community or if it will fall flat.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC.