In an unprecedented move, Blizzard have decided to return to live Hardcore Classic characters that died due to the recent string of DDoS attacks! This most likely comes as a response to many in the OnlyFangs Hardcore streamer guild dying in a Blackwing Lair raid. It is presumed that the DDoS attacks were targeting them and their raids. As a result of the deaths, the guild had decided to call it quits unless a rollback happened.
Here are the actual deaths during the DDoS attacks:
It will be interesting to see how this is implemented, as the DDoS attacks happened over a few days. Many players outside OnlyFangs were also affected.
Blizzard made sure to point out that this is an exception to the rules. They also said they may repeat the action in the future, but it’s entirely at their own discretion. The standard rules for Hardcore characters still apply.
Greetings,
Recently, we have experienced unprecedented distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that impacted many Blizzard game services, including Hardcore realms, with the singular goal of disrupting players’ experiences. As we continue our work to further strengthen the resilience of WoW realms and our rapid response time, we’re taking steps to resurrect player-characters that were lost as a result of these attacks. Unlike the many other ways characters can die in Hardcore, DDoS attacks are an intentionally malicious effort made by third-party bad actors, and we believe the severity and results of DDoS attacks specifically warrant a different response.
In the future, Blizzard may elect – at our sole discretion – to revive Hardcore characters that perish in a mass event which we deem inconsistent with the integrity of the game, such as a DDoS attack.
Our broader stance on character restorations or death appeals has not changed. To be clear, we do not intend to revive characters which have died due to server disconnects, lag spikes, gameplay bugs, or any other reasons. Blizzard Customer Support cannot assist with issues related to characters who have died on Hardcore realms.
Thank you, as always, for your feedback.