Greetings,
Prior threads from 2019 seem to indicate that people get banned for using ExpressVPN, and some may be getting overturned. Also, blues have stated that the use of a VPN isn’t a no-no, although considering people claim to get hit purely from usage of a VPN, it makes me wonder if there’s anything new/clarification that can be offered two years later, or is the situation unchanged.
While traveling, usage of a VPN is quite desired. ExpressVPN is popular, but of course there’s free ones like Proton, so I’m just hoping to get some clarification regarding this. The last thing I want to do is getting an account banned that purchased every store mount/toy/etc. as there’s obviously a lot of dollars tied up in that, but at the same time I don’t want to burn my hotspot or use an unsecured hotel connection while traveling.
Thanks.
You pretty much understand things correctly. VPN’s are not against the rules, but they’re not supported. Using one, especially if you are turning it on and off or it otherwise looks like you’re logging in from widely differing locations, can result in you getting banned. Your best bet is to make sure you always login with it on and showing you in the same place. If you do get banned, upon investigation that ban will almost certainly be overturned. But that can’t be guaranteed exactly.
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Our SFAs will not likely give you a hard “yes, this is allowed” on any sort of software/hardware/etc. As Toffle said above me, it’s allowed, but unsupported so it is use at your own risk. I wouldn’t go so far as to have added in that “almost certainly be overturned,” as nothing is certain when it comes to unsupported play.
You of course would be allowed to appeal if you were sanctioned for VPN use, but there is no guarantee of what outcome may or may not come to pass.
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It is unsupported but not against the rules. So, I did some research on this and will break it down: Because VPNs are commonly used for malicious activity such as masking account sharing for boosts and dodging IP bans, it seems that certain patterns of behavior detected while using a VPN can trigger an alarm for Blizzard staff (assumption based on no evidence as I have no idea what Blizzard detects or how they do it). For example, using a VPN out the gate on a brand new WoW account is not even a red flag. It’s a red planet.
For unsupported but permitted activity, it isn’t the software itself that gets you actioned. It’s the way you use it, or the way Blizzard suspects you’re using it. Yes, if irregularities are detected on your account, which VPNs can do by making your account appear to be logged into from multiple locations, your account can be locked due to suspicious activity. This will be done if Blizzard suspects your account might have been compromised, so in this case it is more of a protective measure than an account action. If this does happen to you, it can be a hassle to resolve.
In your case, if you’re using a VPN for traveling, you need to be sure that whatever program you’re using won’t produce an IP that makes it look like you’re playing in Egypt on Monday and the Moon on Tuesday. That depends entirely on how the program is designed and the locations and amount of servers the VPN service provider has, and ExpressVPN has about 160 of them across the planet so I would strongly suggest you do your research into how their network tunneling works so you understand what data you’re leaving when you use it.
Based on the information you’ve given, I don’t anticipate you having any problems with being actioned for violating the Terms of Service although I can’t guarantee that at all, but you always run the risk of having your account locked due to how VPNs produce different IP addresses. Unless you decide to simply not play WoW at all during this timeframe, your choice is basically sacrifice versus risk.
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One thing that didn’t get mentioned is the authenticator. If you’re travelling (with or without a VPN), an authenticator is a fantastic way to greatly reduce the chance of your account being locked due to a change in playing location.
Based on your profile, it looks like you’ve already got one on your account which is awesome! It also means that you wouldn’t likely have to worry about the use of a VPN while travelling 
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i dont bother with public vpns like those. its not as safe as making your own. just order a VPS(virtual private server) from a reputable hosting company like digital ocean or vultr, and setup your own custom vpn, you get better control over your privacy and security. also its not likely you’ll get a ban, because you get a dedicated IP address.
i pay for a $5 vps, which i setup with openvpn software from vultr, i use with overwatch, which actually reduces my overwatch ping by 30ms. i ussually get 80ms on my home line. but while connected to the vpn i get 50ms.