I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about whether I wanted to address what has happened over the last several days. I simply shared a link to an add-on that allows players to mute members of a particular community in-game. I did not provide additional context, make a broader statement, or direct anyone to harass anyone else. Disagreement quickly gave way to hostility, harassment, gendered slurs, misogynistic remarks, personal attacks, and attempts to degrade me.. and, unfortunately, the response illustrates exactly why I believe this conversation matters. Disagreement is not harassment. Criticism is not censorship. And having a large enough audience to drown someone out does not make a position inherently right. There is a culture developing within parts of this player base where cruelty is treated as entertainment, outrage is treated as currency, and anyone associated with criticism of a sufficiently large or influential community can suddenly become an acceptable target, even when they have not actually said what people are accusing them of saying. When a simple action is treated as an invitation to overwhelm someone with ridicule, degradation, and intimidation, we are no longer simply disagreeing. We are demonstrating why the conversation was necessary in the first place. I refuse to accept the idea that harassment, intimidation, humiliation, or mob behavior are simply things people should tolerate because “that’s the internet.” At the same time, I want to be very deliberate about what I am, and am not, saying. I do not believe every person who watches Asmongold, belongs to Olympus, or disagrees with me is represented by the worst behavior I have received. There are people who fundamentally disagree with me and have expressed that disagreement without attacking me personally. They are entitled to their opinions just as I am entitled to mine. However, I will absolutely condemn extremist rhetoric, dehumanization, coordinated dogpiling, misogyny, and harassment when I see it, regardless of whose community it comes from or how influential the people involved may be. World of Warcraft does not belong to the loudest creator. It does not belong to the largest guild. It belongs to all of us. World of Warcraft has survived for more than twenty years because millions of very different people have found something worth loving here. Competitive players. Casual players. Roleplayers. Raiders. Collectors. PvPers. Creators. People who have been here since Vanilla and people stepping into Azeroth for the very first time. I became a Warcraft creator because this world has meant something to me for most of my life. I care deeply about the community surrounding it, and I believe that community is worth protecting. I want Warcraft to remain a place where community means more than belonging to whichever group can shout the loudest. I want its creators to understand the responsibility that accompanies influence. I want standards to be applied consistently, regardless of someone’s popularity, reach, or affiliation. I will listen to criticism. I will have conversations with people who fundamentally disagree with me. I will reflect when criticism is warranted, and I will correct myself when I am wrong. What I will not do, is mistake intimidation for criticism. I will not participate in a race to the bottom. I will not respond to cruelty with cruelty.. and I will not allow thousands of strangers on the internet to determine whether I am permitted to have a voice in a community that I have been a part of for twenty years. I will continue standing up for the integrity of this game and for the kind of community I believe is worthy of it. @warcraft