Gold Farming and RMT

Buying gold in MMOs feeds a real-world market, ties in-game economies to game-external activity, and publishers offer sanctioned paths to keep gold inside.

Buying gold in massively multiplayer online (MMO) games is a bannable offense. Each major MMO publisher has devised real-world value flows to keep gold circulation inside the game in exchange for real money.

Why publishers ban it

Buying gold is banned in MMOs because it creates a real-world economy tied to in-game currency, exposing the player base directly to gold farming, botting, and account security risks.

World of Warcraft is a leading example. Gold "farming" is the practice of playing an MMO to earn in-game gold, then exchanging it for real-world currency. When players cash in their earned gold, it is a type of real-money trading.

Real-money trading is a perceived problem for all MMOs with a complex player economy. It's defined as buying, selling, or exchanging in-game gold or items for real-world currency or anything of value.

In WoW, Blizzard offers the WoW Token system. It is the official way to convert real money into in-game gold. A WoW Token bought with real money can be sold once on the in-game Auction House for gold; after that it is bound to the buyer's account. And third-party gold exchange is prohibited under the game’s End User License Agreement (EULA).

World of Warcraft is not the only leading MMO to take this standpoint. Old School RuneScape has a similar policy.

As one example, RuneScape lets players buy Old School Bonds directly from Jagex and sell them to other players on the in-game Grand Exchange, without a way to directly convert GP back into real money. And like Blizzard, Jagex positions bonds as the approved way to turn real money into in-game gold.

The official alternatives

To keep such activities inside the officially allowed sphere in game, Blizzard and Jagex offer their token and bond systems as the official way players can turn real money into in-game gold.

World of Warcraft has its WoW Token, which is the sanctioned route to convert real money into in-game gold. The token is bought with real money and sold to another player on the Auction House for gold, after which it is bound to the buyer's account and redeemed for game time or Battle.net Balance. It's Blizzard's way to offer direct access to in-game currency with easy-to-obtain gold, while filtering out gold farming and bot influence. But it's still an official way to trade real money for in-game gold.

Old School RuneScape has a similar system with Old School Bonds. These can be bought from Jagex, stored in a player's bank, and sold to other players on the Grand Exchange for in-game gold. Like the WoW Token, the bond system is an approved way to introduce real-world value into the game economy, but without the need for trading with outside sellers.

Both systems aim to provide a regulated way for players to access in-game currency, while also discouraging the use of external markets and third-party sellers.

What the penalty can be

Using outside buying and selling despite these rules can lead to account penalties, up to permanent bans.

For World of Warcraft, buying or selling in-game gold for real-world currency is a violation of the game's Terms of Service. Repeated violations can lead to account suspension or banning. Blizzard has also stated that any unauthorized third-party software that intercepts, mines, or collects information from or through the game is prohibited.

Old School RuneScape has a similar policy, with Jagex treating the purchase and sale of in-game currency or items for real-world money as real-world trading. Violations of this rule can result in penalties, including account bans. Jagex has also stated that it takes a strict stance against gold-buying and selling.

So, while both World of Warcraft and Old School RuneScape offer official ways to convert real-world currency into in-game gold, using third-party sellers or participating in unapproved real-world trading can result in serious consequences.

The practical risk to players

But many sellers pose risks, even when they look legitimate. Account compromise, scams, and threats to account security are very real problems.

Buying in-game gold or items from third-party sellers comes with significant risks. These sellers often use bots, stolen accounts, and other unethical methods to obtain the in-game currency they sell. This not only disrupts the game's economy, but also puts a player's account at risk.

Many sellers are scammers, withholding payment or refusing to deliver the promised items. Other sellers sell items under the pretense that they are authentic, when in reality, they are hacked from legitimate accounts. These items can lead to account penalties or even bans when discovered by the game's publishers.

Even when a seller appears legitimate, there is no guarantee of the security or health of the account or character used to obtain the items. Many third-party sellers use compromised accounts or stolen passwords to obtain in-game currency, which can put a player's own account at risk if discovered.

So, while it may be tempting to buy in-game gold to boost a character or obtain rare items, the risks far outweigh any potential benefits. It's always best to earn in-game currency and items through legitimate means, and avoid the dangers and penalties that come with participating in the third-party gold market.

Summing It Up

The bottom line is, if a game offers a publisher-sanctioned token or bond system, that is the safest way to officially convert real-world money into in-game gold. But if such an official route doesn't exist, or if a player still chooses to buy gold from third-party sellers, the consequences can be severe.

Real-world trading is a divisive in-game activity that blurs the lines between the virtual and real economies of MMOs.

Buying and selling gold, in-game items, and Character use for real-world money is against the Terms of Service of most MMOs, including those of Blizzard and Jagex. It threatens the integrity of their in-game economy, and puts players' accounts at risk of theft or other security threats. But for those inclined towards that route, or tempted to become a "farmers" themselves, know that buying and selling in-game currency with others, is a safety hazard for their own accounts and is punishable.