Blizzard has issued an official blue post clarifying their stance on boosting in TBC Classic Anniversary Edition. Individual players and guilds can still offer boosting services for in-game gold. Organized boosting communities and GDKP runs remain prohibited.
The clarification comes after nearly a week of uncertainty in the WoW Classic community. Multiple content creators had published videos declaring mage boosting banned, and players weren't sure if they could continue offering dungeon runs for gold.
Where the Confusion Started
The controversy kicked off about six days before Blizzard's response. Players noticed changes to back-end text on Blizzard's support documentation, with updated language stating that "selling raid loot for gold, GDKP, and boosting are not allowed in US and EU realms."
No official blue post accompanied these text changes. The community was left interpreting the policy shift through word of mouth and speculation, with no clear answer on whether player-to-player boosting for gold had actually been banned.
Official Blizzard Response
Community Manager Linxy posted the clarification, explaining that the support article update was meant to bring Anniversary realm policies in line with other WoW versions. The post draws a hard line between prohibited organized operations and permitted individual services.
According to Blizzard, the update specifically targets how non-traditional services (including boosting) are handled across Anniversary realms and other WoW versions.
What's Banned
The policy targets several specific activities:
Boosting Organizations: Any organization offering boosting, matchmaking, or similar services is banned, whether they take gold or real money. Groups operating across multiple realms face particular scrutiny.
Boosting Communities: Coordinated boosting communities, especially those working across multiple realms, aren't permitted.
GDKP Runs: The GDKP ban on Anniversary realms hasn't changed. GDKP remains off-limits on NA and EU Anniversary servers.
Real Money Transactions: Selling in-game items and services for real money is still against the rules.
Excessive Advertising: Organizations that spam non-traditional in-game sales violate Blizzard's EULA.
Accounts caught breaking these rules face warnings, suspensions, or permanent closure.
What's Still Allowed
The policy doesn't touch individual players or guilds participating in the service economy through legitimate channels:
Individual Boosting for Gold: Players acting alone or with their guild can still buy and sell in-game services for gold. Dungeon boosting and leveling assistance fall under this category.
Official In-Game Tools: Blizzard's Services chat channel remains the approved venue for advertising these transactions.
Trade Chat: The Trade channel stays available for items and profession services.
Services Channel
Blizzard created a dedicated "Services" chat channel with the Anniversary realm launch. This channel is the designated spot for advertising portals, summons, tribute buffs, raid services, dungeon runs, and PvP activities.
All advertising for these services must go in the Services channel. Posting this type of advertising in other public channels can result in player reports and action from Blizzard.
The developers' note explains that Trade chat will continue to exist, but requests and ads for raiding, dungeons, or PvP should go to Services instead. Blizzard expects this separation will let Trade chat return to its traditional role of buying and selling items and profession services.
Accessing the Services Channel: Players can join or leave through two methods. Typing "/join Services" or "/leave Services" in the chat window works, as does right-clicking the General chat tab, selecting Global Channels, and picking from the options there.
One notable difference from retail WoW: Classic players can access the Services channel from anywhere in the game world. Retail requires being in a capital city.
Anti-Boosting Mechanics
Boosting is permitted, but TBC Anniversary includes mechanical limits that hit high-level boosting hard. Player testing shows that if anyone in the group is seven or more levels above the mob, XP gains for the entire party drop drastically.
One test case from Deadmines: a level 24 character killing a level 17 elite received only 8 XP with rested bonus active. Without rested XP, that's just 4 experience per kill. Normal gains would be significantly higher.
These mechanics restrict level 70 characters to boosting content with mobs at level 64 or above. Slave Pens was mentioned as one dungeon that might still work for boosting purposes.
TBC Anniversary also includes anti-boosting mechanics specifically aimed at mage and paladin farming methods, including stuns and knockdowns designed to disrupt common strategies. Players have reportedly found workarounds for some of these already. Mages can apparently reset the anti-slow mechanic that was added to counter their boosting approaches.
Community Response
The timing of the initial confusion drew heavy criticism. Blizzard had just introduced a paid level 58 character boost for TBC Anniversary. An apparent ban on player-to-player boosting looked to many like an attempt to corner the boosting market.
The sentiment in community discussions was clear: Blizzard seemed to be blocking players from boosting each other for gold while selling their own boosts for cash. That perceived double standard generated significant pushback.
With the clarification now published, reception has improved. The distinction between banned organized operations and permitted individual services addressed the main concern that legitimate player services would be shut down.
Permitted: Offering boosting as an individual or guild member for in-game gold, advertising services in the Services chat channel, selling portals, summons, and convenience services, using Trade chat for items and profession services.
Prohibited: Participating in or organizing boosting communities (especially cross-realm), running or joining GDKP raids on NA/EU Anniversary realms, selling any services for real money, advertising boosting in channels other than Services, operating as part of a boosting organization (even for gold only).
Professional Boosting Services
Blizzard's policy targets in-game advertising and boosting community operations within WoW itself. The demand for reliable boosting hasn't gone anywhere. If anything, TBC Anniversary's anti-boosting mechanics make it stronger.
The seven-level XP penalty gutted traditional mage boosting efficiency. Players who used to level alts through boosted dungeon runs now face severely diminished returns. That creates demand from players who want efficient leveling but don't have time to navigate the new restrictions on their own.
The in-game Services channel exists as a legitimate option, but it has drawbacks. Finding reliable boosters through public chat means dealing with inconsistent quality, potential scams, and hours spent vetting random players. Professional boosting services offer an alternative with established track records and guaranteed results.
Blizzard's enforcement centers on visible in-game activity: public advertising, organized community operations, and cross-realm coordination. The policy addresses how services get marketed and organized inside the game environment.
For players looking to level efficiently in TBC Anniversary without gambling on random in-game arrangements, professional boosting services remain a practical option.
