Recent distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks have wreaked havoc in the realm of World of Warcraft Classic, resulting in numerous in-game character losses, particularly impacting the Hardcore community. Among the guilds affected, OnlyFangs, a streamer guild owned by popular content creator Sodapoppin, has experienced significant setbacks. This well-known guild has been at the forefront of creating engaging content on the Hardcore servers, yet the losses sustained during their raid in Blackwing Lair prompted Sodapoppin to announce the closure of OnlyFangs.
In his farewell message, Sodapoppin hinted at the possibility of a character rollback, expressing hope that the guild closures could be reversed. Fortunately, on March 24, 2025, Blizzard Entertainment addressed the situation by declaring that players who lost characters due to these malicious attacks would have their progress restored.
The Impact of DDoS Attacks on the WoW Community
The recent DDoS attacks targeting WoW Classic Hardcore have negatively affected not just the OnlyFangs guild but the entire community of viewers and players. Fans eagerly anticipating the downfall of Nefarion in Blackwing Lair or those who revel in the on-screen failures of their least-favorite streamers have formed a unique emotional connection to these events.
Content creators have played a pivotal role in popularizing the Hardcore mode of WoW Classic. While many players would have ventured into this gaming experience independently, the participation of prominent streamers has undoubtedly attracted a larger audience. Interestingly, this situation has even spawned a contingent of hate-watchers who might have contributed to the impetus for the ongoing DDoS attacks.
Historically, Blizzard has maintained a strict policy against rolling back characters in WoW Classic Hardcore, citing concerns about setting a dangerous precedent. This steadfastness may have emboldened attackers, leading them to believe that their actions would go unpunished. However, it has now been confirmed that characters that succumbed to these attacks will be resurrected.
In a statement addressing these issues, Blizzard Entertainment acknowledged the unfortunate events, stating:
“As we continue our work to further strengthen the resilience of WoW realms and our rapid response time, we’re taking steps to resurrect player-characters that were lost as a result of these attacks. Unlike the many other ways characters can die in Hardcore, DDoS attacks are an intentionally malicious effort made by third-party bad actors, and we believe the severity and results of DDoS attacks specifically warrant a different response.”
These attacks have persisted for several days, gaining attention only after the revelations about the lose of characters within the OnlyFangs guild’s Blackwing Lair raid. While Sodapoppin has not yet issued a further update concerning the fate of OnlyFangs, it is likely that the guild will continue its content creation endeavors in light of Blizzard’s promising announcement.
Clay Stone, Associate Production Director of WoW Classic, along with Community Manager Kaivax, stood firm on Blizzard’s decision to restore lost characters. They recognized that deaths resulting from a mass DDoS attack are not the fault of players, thus warranting a unique redressal approach. However, they clarified their broader stance regarding character restorations:
“In the future, Blizzard may elect – at our sole discretion – to revive Hardcore characters that perish in a mass event which we deem inconsistent with the integrity of the game, such as a DDoS attack. Our broader stance on character restorations or death appeals has not changed. To be clear, we do not intend to revive characters which have died due to server disconnects, lag spikes, gameplay bugs, or any other reasons. Blizzard Customer Support cannot assist with issues related to characters who have died on Hardcore realms.”
Whether the distress within the OnlyFangs community and the significant content loss on the Hardcore servers influenced Blizzard’s decision to intervene remains a topic of speculation. Approximately a week passed before any official response was made, highlighting the urgency and concern surrounding this unfortunate series of events.