In a significant policy update, Blizzard has moved to prohibit Gold Swapping in World of Warcraft, a change from its previously “unsupported” status. The update means that players caught engaging in gold trades between realms, factions, or game versions—such as Retail to Classic—may now face temporary suspensions or permanent bans.
The announcement was first clarified by Customer Support agent Vrakthris on Blizzard’s official forums. He emphasized that only trades conducted through in-game supported systems, like the direct trade window or auction house, remain permissible.
“Basically, if it’s a supported transaction (i.e. using the in-game systems to trade) it is still a supported transaction,” Vrakthris said. “If it was an unsupported transaction (i.e. swapping gold between versions of the game or other realms/factions), it is prohibited now.”
He added that more official clarification is expected next week, possibly through a formal community post.
Additionally, Vrakthris reiterated Blizzard’s long-standing stance that selling redeemable codes for gold remains against the Terms of Service. Codes, being out-of-game resources, fall under Blizzard’s policy prohibiting real money transactions for in-game items or currency.
On Blizzard’s official support site, the newly updated “Trading Gold Between Realms, Factions, or Games” policy now explicitly states:
“Trading gold across WoW realms or factions, or different versions of WoW (Modern to Classic), is prohibited. Involvement in a trade of this nature can result in account penalties, up to and including, account closure.”
This represents a firm policy shift from earlier stances. When first introduced during the Shadowlands era in 2020, Blizzard simply warned players that these trades were risky and unsupported. In August 2024, the policy evolved to note that such swaps were often linked to real money trading (RMT) and that participating accounts could face gold removal and further penalties.
The practice of Gold Swapping—trading currency between game versions or realms by coordinating with another player—is now considered a bannable offense. For example, giving gold in Retail in exchange for receiving gold in Classic is no longer allowed.
Blizzard’s firm stance signals a renewed effort to combat gold selling, scams, and RMT activity, and players are advised to avoid any form of cross-version or cross-realm gold exchanges going forward.
What are your thoughts on the new policy changes that Blizzard has introduced? Is there anything else they should change? Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments below! As usual, stay tuned to Gamefragger.com for more video game news!