And it's not over yet, as World of Warcraft has become the most popular MMORPG, with over 6 million active subscriptions

Jul 27, 2006 11:05 GMT  ·  By

It isn't news anymore that the "grind-fest" "hack-n-slasher" that is World of Warcraft has become the most popular MMORPG in the world, having over 6 million active subscriptions. With such a large player base to cater to, Blizzard has taken the issue of cheating very seriously. So seriously in fact that they have been banning exploitative accounts by the tens of thousands, and June brings 59000 more.

"While we regret having to take such extreme action, these accounts were participating in activities that directly violated World of Warcraft's Terms of Use, including the use of third-party programs to farm gold and items," reads said the official statement. "Such behavior not only negatively impacts the economy of a realm, it diminishes the achievements of those who play legitimately."

Blizzard has also removed 22 million gold from World of Warcraft's total economy across all realms in relation to the account bans.

"We'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the community for their assistance in reporting suspicious behavior. Numerous account closures come as the direct result of tips reported to our GMs in-game or emailed to [email protected]" said the same statement. Snitchy business.