The World of Warcraft subreddit (r/WoW) has closed its doors temporarily, with no signs of reopening anytime soon. This comes in response to Reddit’s proposed monetization plans for the website’s content, which the MMORPG‘s fan forum has decided to protest against as part of a mass Reddit blackout. World of Warcraft fans are, in turn, advised not to use the platform and seek out other forums instead.
When you attempt to access r/WoW, you’re greeted with a message informing you that it is a “private community,” meaning only approved members can visit it.
The moderators have attached their reasoning for the sudden change, writing “r/WoW has gone private in protest of Reddit’s recent behavior and planned changes to the API, heavily impacting third party tools, accessibility, and moderation ability. Please note that we are not accepting access requests during this time period.” This means that the site is effectively off-limits, and no one can access it for the time being.
In the interim, the WoW subreddit recommends checking out its dedicated Discord, where players can discuss the game and avoid using Reddit.
This comes in response to Reddit’s proposed monetization changes, which will now see third parties pay to use Reddit’s data for commercial purposes. Reddit claims that this is a result of helping huge corporations earn billions using its content, but not receiving any monetary compensation in return.
In response, thousands of subreddits have ‘gone dark,’ which The Verge claims has caused issues with Google itself. Reddit moderators have been encouraged to keep their subreddits private until Reddit either reverses the decision or changes its affordability.
At the moment, there’s no set date for r/WoW’s return – some subreddits removed their privacy lock yesterday, but given Reddit’s refusal to move on its new terms, others have kept their subreddits locked. Until the WoW subreddit goes public again, the WoW Discord, as well as the general Blizzard forum, are your best bets.