“For the love of the Titans, please be a decent person to your fellow players.”
That is not what the new social contract in World of Warcraft says verbatim on the 9.2.5 PTR, but it’s a pretty quick summary of this new feature that’s been added to the game. Upon logging in players are expected to scroll through the whole thing (there’s an expectation that they will actually read it in the process) and then click either Accept or, well, Exit Game. You can guess what happens if you click on the latter.
Nothing in the contract itself should be particularly shocking, as it asks players to be courteous to one another, communicate, help out, and not spew hate speech or harass others. Naturally, the comments in regard to this new feature are immediately dismissive of the idea that it’s somehow not all right to be mean even if someone ruins your keystone run. So, uh… good luck with this one, Blizzard.
The full text of the contract is below:
Hail, traveler, and welcome to the World of Warcraft! Azeroth is a living world full of people like you – other players with different backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and histories who have all come together to play World of Warcraft. Every player deserves to have a world that they feel safe in, so please take a minute to read our Social Contract.
While in Azeroth, do your best to:
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Connect with other players and make friends! Being courteous in group content can help you and your teammates have the best time possible. Sending a friendly hello message can help set your group up for success.
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Play as a team with your fellow players – whether in dungeons, raids, battlegrounds, arenas, or out questing in the world. Do your best to support your team through your communication and behaviors so that you can all celebrate your success together.
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Assist other players that you encounter in the world. Maybe they need some help defeating a tough monster, or maybe they could use a little healing!
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Help answer questions others have in chat channels like General or Trade. We were all newbies once – one person offering some help can go a long way!
We recognize that the Internet is not always a safe haven. With that in mind, please note that the following behaviors are not accepted in Azeroth:
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Hate speech, including negative comments that target another player’s identity, including aspects like race, gender, or ability
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Harassment, threats, or abusive / derogatory language and behaviors
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Spamming, advertising, or other disruptive behaviors
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If you harm your fellow adventurers with any of the above behaviors, you are subject to punishment up to and including suspension of your account.
It’s a big world out there, with all sorts of people in it. So please try to be respectful of each other, and if you ever feel like somebody is acting against this code, please report those behaviors so that our team can look into it. Together, you can help us make the World of Warcraft a safe home away from home for everyone.
