Let’s talk about a behavior that has been creeping more and more into group content, especially in LFG.
Players charging gold or demanding dungeon mats (herbs, blues, greens to DE, etc.) just to play the role they chose. (ALWAYS a tank or healer.)
I am not talking about organized boosting, advertised carries, or clearly defined services. I am talking about everyday dungeon runs where someone says:
“I will tank, but I get **ALL** Unwanted mats (blues/greens/herbs)”
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“I will heal, but you pay me X gold.”
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“I get all unwanted blues and greens because I am the tank.”
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“If you want a tank, you pay a fee.”
This is not “smart gameplay.” It is not “fair compensation.” It is toxic behavior that undermines the core of what an MMO is supposed to be.
I want to break down exactly why.
- Roles are part of the game design, not a personal toll booth
Tanks, healers, and DPS are not side hustles. They are core parts of the game’s design.
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You chose to roll a tank.
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You chose to roll a healer.
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You chose to join LFG content.
The game is balanced around the idea that players fill these roles to complete content together. When someone says “I will only tank if you pay me” or “I get all the mats because I am the healer,” they are not just negotiating. They are turning a required role into a toll booth.
That is not cooperation. That is exploitation of scarcity.
- Payment in mats” is still payment
Some people try to soften it by saying:
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“I am not charging gold, I just want all the herbs.”
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“I am not charging a fee, I just get all the blues and greens to DE.”
That is still payment. It is just a different currency.
If you are demanding:
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all herbs
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all unwanted blue and green items
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all DE materials
in exchange for simply doing the role you chose to play, you are not “just playing the game.” You are taxing the group.
You are effectively saying:
”You can only run this dungeon with me if you pay a loot tax.”
That is not normal loot distribution. That is not “need before greed.” That is a private tax on group content.
- It creates a hostile and predatory group environment
This behavior has real effects on the social environment:
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New players feel pressured to accept unfair terms because they “need a tank.”
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Casual players feel like they must pay to access basic content.
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People who refuse to pay are insulted, kicked, or blacklisted.
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The entire tone of the run shifts from “team effort” to “transaction.”
Instead of:
- “We are a group clearing a dungeon.”
It becomes:
- “We are customers paying a role vendor.”
That is not what an MMO should feel like.
- It is not the same as organized boosting
Some people will say:
“Boosting exists. Why is this any different?”
Boosting is usually:
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clearly advertised
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clearly transactional
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often done for leveling players
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understood by everyone as a paid service
What we are talking about here is different:
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Normal dungeon runs
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Normal players
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Normal content
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One person holding the group hostage because they play a required role
This is not a “carry.” This is not a “boost.” This is a player trying to monetize their basic participation in standard content.
- It undermines the cooperative spirit of WoW
WoW is built on:
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shared roles
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shared loot
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shared goals
When one role starts demanding payment just to participate, it breaks that foundation.
Imagine if:
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DPS started charging per pull.
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Healers demanded a cut of every BoE.
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Crafters demanded a tax on every drop that could be disenchanted.
Everyone would call that toxic. Tanks and healers doing it should not be treated differently just because their role is in higher demand.
- Why Blizzard should care
Blizzard has already taken stances on:
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disruptive gameplay
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scamming
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predatory behavior
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abusive or exploitative group conduct
Charging people to simply fill the role you chose in normal group content fits into that “disruptive and predatory” category.
Blizzard could easily:
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classify this under “disruptive gameplay” or “predatory player behavior”
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add clarity in the Code of Conduct about monetizing basic roles in standard content
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encourage fair loot rules and discourage “role taxes”
Even if Blizzard does not outright ban it, a clear statement that this behavior is not supported would go a long way.
- What a healthy alternative looks like
Healthy group behavior looks like:
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Everyone rolls on mats according to agreed rules. (MS/OS Need/greed)
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If someone wants specific mats, they ask, not demand. (shared looting highest roll goes first)
There is a big difference between:
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“Hey, if you do not mind, I would love to take the herbs this run.”
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“I will only tank if I get all the herbs/mining node and unwanted greens/blues.”
One is a request. The other is a shakedown.
- My position
Charging people gold or dungeon mats just to play the role you chose in normal group content is toxic behavior.
It:
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exploits role scarcity
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turns teamwork into a transaction
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pressures newer and casual players
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undermines the cooperative spirit of the game
I believe Blizzard should:
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recognize this as disruptive and predatory behavior
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clarify their stance in the Code of Conduct
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encourage fair, transparent loot and role expectations
taking actions against players who do this type of behavior ban/suspend
9. Open question to the community
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1. Have you run into tanks or healers demanding payment or mats just to join a dungeon?
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2.Did you feel pressured to accept because you “needed the role”?
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3.Do you think Blizzard should address this directly?
I am genuinely curious where the community stands on this, because as this becomes more normalized, it makes group content more hostile, more transactional, and less fun for everyone who is not trying to turn their role into a toll booth.
