Players caught abusing the system will face account penalties.
Blizzard released a new alternative Warlock portrait for Hearthstone earlier this month, but the promotion has not been without controversy.
Unlocked exclusively through attending real-world Fireside Gatherings, many players have attempted to circumvent the system by “spoofing” the location of their game client, or by creating private events that any player turning up to would find inaccessible.
In a statement issued late yesterday evening, Blizzard has condemned these attempts and warned that account penalties may be issued against those found to be abusing the Fireside Gathering system.
“With the surge of interest in Fireside Gatherings and Taverns, we’ve seen a rise in events created with inappropriate, false, or misleading information,” it reads.
“We want the Fireside Gathering online submissions process to be easy and accessible for our Innkeepers, but unfortunately, that degree of accessibility has also enabled an increase of illegitimate events.
“As a result, we’ll be dedicating additional resources towards vetting and reviewing Fireside Gatherings and Taverns. We also encourage you to report any suspicious Fireside Gatherings using the Report it link at the bottom of every event page on the list of Fireside Gatherings.”
The publisher then outlines the actions that may be taken against those who create misleading or illegitimate events.
“We want Fireside Gatherings to be a place where the Hearthstone community can come together in a warm and welcoming environment.
“Players who abuse the Fireside Gathering system may face account penalties, ranging from the suspension of their ability to create, participate in, or gain rewards from Fireside Gatherings, to action against their Hearthstone game account. Examples of Fireside Gathering system abuse can include creating events with inappropriate names or holding events at inaccessible locations.”
“We will also be issuing account actions against users found to be maliciously impacting services at Fireside Gatherings or Taverns with the intent of ruining the experience for other players.”
While many would argue that locking an exclusive reward such as this behind such a complex process will always invite abuse, the event has been marred by players travelling long distances only to be locked out of the event when they arrive. That’s if the Fireside Gathering they’ve travelled to even exists, of course.
If Blizzard chooses to provide additional methods for unlocking Nemsy in the future, we’ll cover the announcement on geeksplatform.
