World of Warcraft: 2,000 bots run by Taiwanese bot mafia generate $3 million a month

Since Blizzard has done little to address the bot issue, Danish YouTuber Madskillzzhc decided to take matters into his own hands, leading a campaign against the farming bots. This effort quickly united a community dedicated to hunting them down. However, it came at a cost: Madskillzzhc faced explicit threats targeting both him and his family. In response, he announced his departure from the WoW community.

Madskillzzhc has unexpectedly returned with a new video featuring insights from a Swedish bot user who seems to have insider knowledge about the so-called bot mafia. This contact operates six bots in World of Warcraft and claims to earn around $2,000 per month, though the bot mafia’s operations reportedly extend far beyond this scale. The video is linked at the end of the article.

A massive organization in Taiwan is reportedly running 12,000 bots across World of Warcraft, Diablo 4 and Pokémon Go. This helps explain why Blizzard’s ban waves target only a small fraction of bots. The bot mafia's sophisticated infrastructure blends local and cloud-based systems, making it both efficient and hard to detect. Additionally, the bot software is said to exist in twelve specialized versions, each designed to evade detection during ban waves, according to the YouTuber.

The financial scale is staggering: the organization reportedly earns around $3 million per month from WoW bots. After covering operating costs, this leaves a net profit of about $2 million, a highly lucrative venture with minimal risks. Madskillzzhc likens it to illegal drug trafficking but without the legal repercussions.

Reddit community appreciates the commitment, but remains skeptical

On Reddit, the YouTuber’s efforts have received widespread praise. Many commend Madskillzzhc for taking a stand despite the risks, especially after facing death threats. However, some users are skeptical of the claims, questioning the accuracy of the figures shared. Others view bots as an unavoidable problem, with one commenting, "As long as people buy gold, there will be bots."