"Announcement Regarding the Ban on Third-Party Player Rating Add-ons in Classic WoW"
Citing any addon which "displays or distributes player rating data generated by third-party services within the game," there is only one which currently fits this description: Archon / Warcraft Logs' Tooltip Addon. Intended to make it easier for players to view each other's performance stats and boss rankings to better evaluate potential teammates without tabbing out of the game, the addon has also faced harsh scrutiny by players uncomfortable with the idea of their performance metrics being so openly visible by anyone who mouses over them - particularly in China, where these kind of evaluations are considered to be a form of toxicity and a negative impact on the ability to find and form groups.
With the addon, players can see anyone's rankings, whether or not they also have the addon installed.
This is taken so far that players have been restricted from linking certain achievements in-game, in order to curtail proof of progression in pick-up-group, and even the term WCL (Warcraft Logs) is chat-banned in China... needless to say, they take it pretty seriously. This is a fine line though, as the information is already publicly available, though the existence of the addon means players don't need to go out of their way in order to find it. Despite the grievances of the Chinese operations team, however, players finding new ways to evaluate each other's performance continues to prove extremely popular.
The addon also shows information for each specialization, which definitely won't induce anxiety over that one fight you played an offspec!
The original release avoids naming any specific addons to curtail potential rebranding or reuploading under a new name, though this still appears to be World of Warcraft's first ever outright prohibition against specific addons or addon designs. Certainly many addons have had their functionality broken over the years, though this is the first in which the administrators of the game have publicly declared taking actions against an addon that remains working and available.
Although the addon is available in both Classic and Retail, this notice is currently only applicable for Classic users, where the addon's use is much more prevalent. Whether it will be extended to retail versions as well remains to be seen.
Warnings of the impending prohibition are already arriving via in-game mail, ahead of the July 20th start date.
In-Game Mail, translated
After review, we have found that your AddOns include ArchonTooltip and ArchonTooltipDB. These AddOns fall under the category of prohibited third-party player rating AddOns in the China region, as they display player rating data generated by external platforms within the game. Such behavior negatively impacts the normal gameplay experience and the group-finding environment.
In accordance with the Blizzard Battle.net End User License Agreement and the NetEase Blizzard Game Management Rules, you are required to uninstall these AddOns immediately.
Please also check your AddOn collection carefully, as these prohibited AddOns are often included as part of AddOn packs or UI compilations.
Beginning July 20, any account found with these prohibited AddOns installed—whether they are enabled or not—will be subject to account suspension. Repeat violations will result in progressively longer suspension periods, and the suspension may extend to all World of Warcraft accounts under the same Battle.net account.
Full Release
WoW Classic China Operations Team, translated
Notice Regarding the Prohibition of Third-Party Player Rating AddOns
The WoW Classic China operations team has recently identified that, across WoW Classic realms—including Titan Reforged ("Time"), Mists of Pandaria Classic, Classic Era (Level 60), and the 20th Anniversary Edition—some players are using third-party AddOns to display player rating data generated by external platforms within the game.
This practice negatively impacts the normal gameplay experience and group-finding environment.
The WoW Classic China service strictly prohibits the use of third-party player rating AddOns. Any AddOn that displays or distributes player rating data generated by third-party services within the game is prohibited.
Players who have installed any prohibited AddOns must uninstall them before July 20.
Beginning July 20, any account found with a prohibited AddOn installed—whether it is enabled or not—will be subject to account suspension. Repeat violations will result in progressively longer suspension periods. In addition, all World of Warcraft accounts under the same Battle.net account will also be subject to the suspension.
Legitimate combat log analysis tools, personal performance analysis tools, and other compliant AddOns are not affected by this policy.
Thank you for your cooperation, and we wish you an enjoyable adventure in Azeroth!
