Skip to main content

Blizzard to Display Real Names on Forums

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Starting on July 27, the forums for World of Warcraft and Starcraft II might just be a nicer place to visit. Internet forums, especially those for video games, can be- well, horrible at times. Flame wars, trolls looking to stir up trouble by insulting something you love, and colorful combinations of words that would make English professors tear their hair out in despair are just a few of the problems that come when you give certain people an open forum with no consequences and built in anonymity. That may soon change.

Battle.net, the online system used by both World of Warcraft and Starcraft will soon introduce “Real ID”, a new online forum framework that will require forum posters to list their real names. The official reason is that it will help increase the sense of community, as people are allowed to make real connections, with real people, etc., etc.  That all may be true, but it is also a move to stop people from turning a question about leveling up into a discussion on your Mom’s sexuality.

Recommended Videos

The World of Warcraft and the Starcraft thread have both gained a reputation for unfriendly forums, with the greeting of “Dear ___” typically being replaced with something along the lines of “You’re an idiot and here’s why”, or something that involves calling the original poster a loser. The forums are not for the feint of heart, or more importantly from Blizzard’s point of view, they are not helping the company’s reputation.

Blizzard poster Nethaera had this to say on the Battle.net forums regarding the change:

The official forums have always been a great place to discuss the latest info on our games, offer ideas and suggestions, and share experiences with other players — however, the forums have also earned a reputation as a place where flame wars, trolling, and other unpleasantness run wild. Removing the veil of anonymity typical to online dialogue will contribute to a more positive forum environment, promote constructive conversations, and connect the Blizzard community in ways they haven’t been connected before. With this change, you’ll see blue posters (i.e. Blizzard employees) posting by their real first and last names on our forums as well.

The change will not affect in-game characters, just people posting in the forums. Perhaps the forums will become a place for the best discussions on classical philosophy and the true existential nature of life. Or maybe no one will post anymore. This will definitely worth checking back on.

It is an interesting experiment, possibly worthy of sociological research. Will people, when faced with the reality that their name will be attached to their horrible posts slow the tide of irresponsible posting? What do you think posters?  Will this have an affect?  Sound off below, and please be gentle…

Ryan Fleming
Former Gaming/Movies Editor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
Everything announced at Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct
warcraft 30th anniversary direct everything announced wow the war within undermined location screenshots  10

Blizzard Entertainment put on a big virtual event on Wednesday to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Warcraft series in lieu of an in-person convention this year. The stream not only looked back at the history of the franchise in the form of a concert with a full orchestra but it also announced a remaster of Warcraft RTS, the first-ever Warcraft title, and updates for World of Warcraft Classic. Of course, modern World of Warcraft will also be getting some big updates, including the addition of a feature that players have asked about for decades.

It was a surprisingly packed showcase (you forget sometimes just how many Warcraft games there are), so here's a rundown of everything you might've missed.

Read more
Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct: How to watch and what to expect
Key art for World of Warcraft: The War Within.

Blizzard Entertainment has had an eventful year. Following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the studio has seen the successful releases of World of Warcraft: The War Within and Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred but also had to deal with mass layoffs and the release of Jason Schreier's revealing book Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. To cap off this hectic year, and in lieu of its traditional BlizzCon event, Blizzard Entertainment is holding a Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct livestream this week.

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is the game that put Blizzard on the map, and it was first released on November 15, 1994. Thirty years later, the franchise has expanded with games like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Warcraft Rumble. Now, Blizzard is going to celebrate them all during a single livestream. It's something that Warcraft fans will certainly want to tune into. For those interested, I've rounded up everything you need to know about how to watch the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct and what you should expect from it.
When is the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct?
The Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct will begin at 10 a.m. PT on November 13. Blizzard has not said how long the Direct will last, but has confirmed that a World of Warcraft: 20 Years of Music concert will air right after the show concludes.
How to watch the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct
The first showcase of its kind, the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct will air on World of Warcraft's YouTube channel and the Warcraft Twitch and TikTok channels. As soon as the YouTube premiere for the event goes live, I'll embed it above so you can watch the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct on this page. On Twitch, Blizzard also plans to give away in-game rewards for World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Warcraft Rumble to viewers.

Read more
Battle Aces was born from a rejected StarCraft 2 expansion pitch
Art from the reveal trailer for Battle Aces.

The fast-paced real-time strategy (RTS) game Battle Aces was inspired by an idea that game director David Kim had while working on StarCraft 2 at Blizzard Entertainment.

“Why can’t there be an RTS game that gets rid of all these tedious clicks and focuses on the fun factors?” Kim recalled thinking. “There was a point during Legacy of the Void’s development where we seriously considered cleaning up all of those things and made an RTS game that’s really focused on the fun. But the conclusion was that we should not switch up what StarCraft 2 is on the last expansion of the game.”

Read more