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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBug rewards free and discounted PvP gear [UPDATED]
by Alex Ziebart 
Nov 12th 2008 at 1:00AM
The mail debacle isn't the only strange thing coming out of today's maintenance. PvP armor, both honor gear and arena gear, have had their prices all screwed up.- Select Season 4 weapons have had their rating requirements removed.
- Select Season 2 weapons have found themselves bearing rating requirements they didn't previously have.
- Warlocks and Priests can purchase full sets of Season 2 gear at absolutely no cost whatsoever.
- Select Season 4 accessories can be acquired at no cost.
- The Brutal Gladiator's Hatchet is completely free as well.
Those are only the things we know of right now, the problem may even go farther than that. I've checked the Tiers 4, 5 and 6 vendors with a few friends of various classes and haven't run into any oddities there yet. It seems exclusive to PvP gear.
Before you get excited and run off to buy some gear, please keep in mind that while this is a bug, that could be considered an exploit. A bug isn't your fault but when you knowingly abuse it, it quickly becomes your problem. That being said, I don't think Blizzard will be banning any accounts over this, either. I would just recommend being careful and not abusing this.
I fully expect server restarts by morning to correct this issue, because it's kind of a big deal. Then again, we're going to be in Northrend tomorrow evening and this gear will quickly be replaced. Maybe they won't bother, but I sort of have my doubts. If you see something about a server shutdown or restart in the next few hours, this would be why.
2:20 am: Blizzard has added a message to the login screen mentioning that they are aware of the issue, and asking us to avoid purchasing these items.
Filed under: Priest, Warlock, Analysis / Opinion, Bugs, PvP
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 12)
killafresh Nov 12th 2008 1:26AM
ugh! blood furnace is still down!!!!!
Kyle Nov 12th 2008 1:28AM
I'd love to accidentally stumble across this...but shu'halo is still down.
PimpyMicPimp Nov 12th 2008 1:27AM
I wonder how much of a hassle it would be to remove all the gear from people. I mean, at least it came at a time when it really doesn't matter. It'll be interesting to see how Blizzard responds.
Meadowfish Nov 12th 2008 9:52AM
You'd hope they will undo it. Yes, it will be replaced during WOTLK but it's still very nice gear for a number of levels.
I'm doing the right thing and not purchasing any of it - I really hope Blizzard doesn't throw that back in my face by letting all the buggily purchased items remain. If they do that then they should leave all of the stuff free so everyone can get it.
Kerozene Nov 12th 2008 1:32AM
I hope people get banned. This is an exploit, its not supposed to be free. This is like stealing honestly. You peps are no better than rioters who break into stores and take stuff, just because theres nobody around to stop you.
trdy Nov 12th 2008 1:44AM
lol, really?? And eating meat is exactly the same as gassing... nevermind.
Dave Nov 12th 2008 1:43AM
Sure! Exactly the same!
Except that in this case there's nothing lost on anyone's end, and nothing is actually real.
But yeah, the same only totally different.
This is exactly like getting items for free in a video game. Nothing else.
Joshua Ochs Nov 12th 2008 1:43AM
Talk about completely inaccurate and stupid analogies. If the gear is simply deleted, where is the harm? It's not like I took your gear away, and unlike music piracy, the "stolen" items can be remotely deleted.
It's a bug, and it's ultimately Blizzard's fault. Get off your high horses. People talking about bans for this are asses. I'm sure a LOT of people are going to go in there and buy them just to see if they can, not because they have any intention of "exploiting" the game.
Chill. Blizz will delete it, smack the person who let this through to live, and we'll all move on and enjoy Wrath on Thursday.
echave Nov 12th 2008 1:54AM
#39: Except that it's an imaginary item, takes no effort to duplicate, has unlimited supply and 'buying' via the in-game interface doesn't deprive anyone else. Yeah, so it's exactly like rioting.
Except in all the ways it's not. FFS, you didn't even use the right description! A rioter is part of an unrestrained outburst or wild disturbance, a looter is a person who actual steals, pillages or takes a good that's not theirs DURING a riot. So while Champion's Hall looks like a riot (more like a breadline), the actual "peps [sic]" getting the gear without a price (i.e. for free) would be called looters.
/facepalm
Ryan Nov 12th 2008 1:34AM
"If you didnt have enough honor/arena points to get the item, but you got it today its almost certain that you used the bug to get it."
And what if you have the honor/arena points necessary, and just not the rating? Does Blizzard assume that you knew about the bug, or maybe you just thought they were dropping the requirements since it'll all be worthless gear in a few days?
"Actually Blizzard can ban you for whatever reason they wish. It is their game and their property."
Yeah, yeah. But they don't ban you for "any reason." So arguing something that is technically allowed, but has never been done, is a waste of time.
"Yay level 1 warlock with a full set of S2 gear."
The gear requires level 70 to use. Sorry.
Tcgjarhead Nov 12th 2008 1:41AM
I'm sorry but the whole "i thought it was what bliz wanted" thing wont work. If blizzard was going to make certain sets of pvp gear free everyone would have heard about it.
And how is purchasing something that you dont have the rating for any different than purchasing something you dont have the honor for?
But please continue to excuse your abuse of a bug with your "it will be useless tomorrow" deal.
carrie Nov 12th 2008 1:34AM
I doubt there will be bans over it. Problem the items will vanish and that will be that. After today's debacle with the server restart lasting til late in the evening, I don't see Blizzard banning a crap ton of accounts over this.
On a funny note, people were getting them gemmed and enchanted when i logged out for the evening. THAT was a even bigger mistake!
Ryan Nov 12th 2008 1:37AM
"On a funny note, people were getting them gemmed and enchanted when i logged out for the evening. THAT was a even bigger mistake!"
Now, THAT is retarded for two reasons:
1) Blizzard is going to take it away most likely, even if they don't ban you. Gratz on wasting all that gold.
2) We're going to Northrend in 24 hours. Even if I got s4 items tonight that were legit, I still don't think I'd waste the gold to enchant or gem them. That money is better spent elsewhere now.
Demozia Nov 12th 2008 2:04AM
Man so what if its free we had so much downtime its there way of say thank you for waiting
Bunny (Eredar) Nov 12th 2008 2:12AM
Yeah, except it makes no sense in that case. Full s2 for locks and priests. Yet everyone else gets just rings and necks or whatever. It's a bug. It'll get rolled back or just taken away.
jeez people...
A Firetruck Nov 12th 2008 1:35AM
/facepalm my realm is still offline....
SrsBsnis Nov 12th 2008 1:59AM
For real, let's ban people for something that already happened once before and totally got all those people banned too.
Are you serious? Do you people see what you're typing? No, really, read it out loud to yourself. Go ahead, the sane lot of us will wait for you to finish stumbling over your poorly chosen and incredibly silly sentences.
First of all, you know this is going to be fixed. Second of all, who really cares? Wrath is out in less than 23 hours, this gear isn't going to let anyone slam past you in the levels and threaten your precious online sense of superiority. (And even if it did, oh gosh! Someone save us! Someone is beating me in a game! A GAME.)
Sometimes I wonder if people realize what they're playing.
Caine Nov 12th 2008 1:37AM
It appears some DPS necks are free also.
Guardians Pendant of Subjugation
Guardians Pendant of Reprieve
Gracejones Nov 12th 2008 1:39AM
Free items does not equal stealing.
carrie Nov 12th 2008 1:41AM
I don't think it equates with stealing. It's sort of like leaving your Computer out on your front porch over night then wondering why on earth it's gone in the morning.
Enjoy em while they last, they'll probably be gone by this time tomorrow night.