Hello everyone!
I’d like to propose an idea that I believe could greatly enhance our experience in World of Warcraft: the introduction of an in-game chat translation system.
Over the past 14 years playing WoW, I have witnessed numerous conflicts between communities of different nationalities, simply because the language barrier created by other players prevented progress in certain game content.
Game companies typically create specific servers for different communities and translate their games into as many languages as possible. However, players of different nationalities inevitably encounter each other while participating in game content, and that’s when the problems arise again: the difficulty of understanding what other players are saying.
In recent years, I’ve noticed that many mobile games and some newer MMORPGs have introduced chat translation features for players, using APIs from companies like Google (owner of Google Translator) or OpenAI (owner of ChatGPT).
Let me illustrate this with an example. The image below is from the “All Regions” chat in the MMORPG Mir 4, where I used Brazilian Portuguese to ask if it was worth starting a new character or if it was better to buy one (in NFT MMORPGs, players can sell their characters in the game’s “Action House”).
In the image, the player explains that if I want to play PvP, it’s better to buy a new character with xdraco (equivalent to the WoW Token), but if I want to do PvE content, it’s better to create a new character. Notice that he replied in English, and by clicking the button to translate what was written in the game, I could understand what the other player said in a different language.
In another MMORPG called Ragnarok Origin, this chat translation function is identified with the letter “T” for translation. I’ve noticed that community members don’t feel bothered when there is a chat translation feature in the game, which is not usually the case in other games that lack this feature.
Having this feature available in MMORPGs is sensational, fantastic, and wonderful! 
I’ve seen numerous instances in various MMOs where players were upset by others speaking a language different from their native one. I’ve seen players expelled from guilds for speaking another language, removed from groups when it was discovered they were from a different nationality, and not speaking the group’s native language. Even today, I see players who sometimes don’t speak in chat out of fear of some type of reprisal.
I believe that in World of Warcraft, this feature, although situational in raids, dungeons, battlegrounds, RP, and other content, would be of great value to all the communities within the game.
Imagine a new player entering the chat where people are conversing in different languages and having the option to translate what was written by another player. This is what happens in the chat for new players in WoW.
I understand that implementing a translation system is not simple and involves various technical challenges. However, I believe the benefits outweigh the challenges, and it’s worth exploring this possibility within WoW.
How many times have we encountered situations where a lack of understanding caused frustration? From difficulties in following instructions in a raid to misunderstandings in simple chats, the language barrier can cause many problems.
Players who are not fluent in English (or other predominant languages) may feel excluded from guilds, events, and important discussions, limiting their gaming experience.
The lack of a translation system limits social interactions, causing many players to miss the chance to learn about new cultures and meet interesting people.
Let’s discuss this idea and see if we can get the developers’ attention to consider this improvement. What do you all think?
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This function is not against the game’s chat rules:
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Complementary topics over the years requesting the implementation of this feature in the game.
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024