Original media advisory sent to APC from Vivendi Universal Games Australia:
Please do not publish this news until
8am, Thursday the 22nd of June.
The WoW community has been begging for this feature since the game’s release, and now
they’re going to get it – Character Realm Transfers!
To begin with this paid service still won’t cover every server, but opens up a lot more options than
the simple load balancing transfers of the past.
Here’s the full low down:
Paid Character Transfer F.A.Q.
What is the Paid Character Transfer feature?
The Paid Character Transfer feature allows you to move characters to other realms and even
from one account where you are the subscriber to another account where you are the subscriber,
subject to certain restrictions. The cost of each paid character transfer is $25.00 USD.
It seems like many realms are missing from the list of eligible realms. Why is that?
Since this is a brand-new feature, we decided to take a staged approach for releasing paid
character transfers to the public. The initial launch will only allow transfers between a limited set
of realms, allowing us to closely monitor our system's performance, and then we’ll gradually
expand the list. You can see an updated list of currently eligible realms here. [Links to character
transfer realm list]
Why is the realm I want not listed?
We may remove a realm as an eligible destination for a variety of reasons, including:
• The realm is full or densely populated at this time.
• It has been fewer than 90 days since the realm was launched
• You are attempting to transfer from a PvE realm to a PvP realm. Characters currently
located on PvE realms are only eligible to move to other PvE realms.
• There might be an upcoming free character migration to this realm.
Please note that Blizzard reserves the right to disable paid character transfers to any realm at its
own discretion.
Will the realm ever be available for transfers?
We are constantly evaluating realm populations, so check back regularly for new availability.
Some other realms seem to meet the criteria, but mine does not. Why?
Blizzard monitors numerous factors contributing to individual realm availability. While two realms
may appear to be the same from a playability perspective, there may be some technical reasons
why we are unable to implement transfers to certain realms at certain times.
Blizzard's goal is always to allow you the widest selection of destinations and to ultimately get you
where you want to be. Part of this process means we must ensure the stability of all realms along
the way.
Does this mean I can now transfer my characters to any realm I want?
While this new feature allows a much greater degree of freedom than past realm-to-realm
migrations, there are still some restrictions for paid character transfers, which include the
following:
Standard Restrictions:
• A character's mailbox and auctions must be completely clear before that character can
be transferred.
• A character that is the leader of a guild may not be transferred as long as he/she remains
the leader. If you wish to transfer a character that is currently a guild leader you must
transfer leadership to another member or disband your guild.
Character restrictions:
• Every character to be transferred has to be at least level 10.
• Characters carrying too much gold are not eligible for transfer, as follows:
o Level 10-30: 300 gold limit
o Level 31-50: 1000 gold limit
o Level 51+: 5000 gold limit
• An individual character may only be transferred once every six months.
Realm restrictions:
• You may transfer characters from PvP to PvE realms, but transfers from PvE to PvP
realms are not allowed.
• Transfers from PvP to PvP realms are only possible if there is no faction violation. If you
already have a character on your desired destination PvP realm, then you will not be able
to transfer any characters of the opposing faction to this realm.
• You may only transfer characters to a realm as long as you will not exceed the maximum
of ten characters per realm at your destination once the transfer is complete.
• Realms that frequently have queues and/or regularly show a high concurrency may be
taken off the list of eligible destination realms to prevent overpopulating realms through
character transfers.
How do I transfer one of my characters to another realm?
Simply log on to the account-management section, click the Paid Character Transfer button,
and follow the on-screen instructions. You will need to answer your secret question to begin the
transfer process. During the process you will be asked for your credit card information. Please
note that this is for verification purposes only. Your credit card will not be billed until you have
completed the paid character transfer process.
Once you have entered the necessary information and confirmed the transfers you will receive a
confirmation email. Also, the characters you signed up for transfers will be unavailable until the
process finishes, which should take no more than 10 days. When the transfer has finished, you
will receive another email with instructions on how to complete the process. Follow these
instructions, and your characters will be available and ready to play on the new realm.
I signed a character up for a realm transfer, but it’s still on the old realm and I can't play
with this character anymore. What's going on?
Character transfers may take up to 10 days to process. You won't be able to play the characters
you signed up for a transfer during that time, so you may want to spread out your transfers so that
not all your characters are locked at the same time. Once you've completed the transfer process
as described above, your characters will appear on the destination realm, ready to continue your
adventure.
I get an error message saying that my character still has items in his mailbox and
therefore cannot be transferred, but my mailbox is empty.
If you see this error message even after you've cleared out your mailbox, then this probably
means that you still have inbound mail that hasn't arrived yet. Some quests generate mail to your
character, or perhaps someone sent you a package that just hasn't arrived yet. Simply wait until
the mail arrives, clear your mailbox, and try again. Contact the in-game support if the problem
persists.
What if my character's name is already taken on the destination realm?
In case of a naming conflict, you will be prompted to rename your character after the transfer is
complete and you log into the new realm. Please be aware that any new name created for your
character must comply with Blizzard’s naming policy, found here.
Can I transfer characters from one account to another?
Yes, you can transfer characters not just between realms but also between accounts where you
are the subscriber. Please note that any attempt to transfer a character to or from an account
where you are not the subscriber could be considered a violation of the World of Warcraft Terms
of Use and could lead to Blizzard taking disciplinary action against your subscription account(s),
including but not limited to warnings, temporary account suspension, or permanent account
suspension, as determined by Blizzard.
To initiate a transfer between two accounts where you are the subscriber, you will need to specify
the account name associated with the account you wish to transfer a character to, and answer
the 'secret question' for the destination account. Without this information an account to account
transfer will not be possible.
Who is eligible for account-to-account transfers?
Transfers between accounts are only allowed between accounts where you are the subscriber.
To initiate an "account to account" transfer, you will have to answer the 'secret question' for each
account, and the last name of each account holder must match.
Why is it set up that way?
Blizzard takes the integrity of its game and its account ownership very seriously. For this reason,
the sale of characters and accounts is expressly against the World of Warcraft Terms of Use, and
the transfer of characters from one account owner to another is prohibited.
Can I give one of my characters to a friend or guild mate?
No. You are only allowed to transfer a character to an account where you are the subscriber.
Can I transfer characters from one region to another (i.e. moving North American
characters to European realms or accounts)?
No. Characters can only be transferred between realms and accounts within the same region.
Is there any way to check the status of my character transfers?
Yes. Log on to the account-management section and click the Paid Character Transfer button.
Answer your secret question, and you will then be able to access a page that lists the details of all
your pending, completed, and ineligible transfers. You can also use this overview to cancel
pending character transfers before they are completed.
How do I cancel a pending character transfer?
You can cancel pending character transfers on the character transfer status page. Check the
section containing your pending transfers and follow the on-screen instructions if you wish to
cancel a pending character transfer.
If I don't like the new realm or change my mind, can I transfer back?
Once you have chosen to complete your transfer, you cannot reverse it. We strongly recommend
you research your destination realm ahead of time to ensure it is a desirable long-term
environment for you, before you initiate the transfer. The only way to move the character off the
realm again would be to wait six months for that character to become eligible for another transfer.
What happens to my honor ranking? Will I have to start over from scratch on the new
realm or can I keep my current ranking?
Your ranking points will be transferred along with your character. However, your character will be
inactive during the time it takes for the process to be completed, which can be up to 10 days.
Therefore, there is a possibility you could lose your current rank in the Player-vs.-Player Honor
System while your character is inactive. Also, please keep in mind that should your destination
realm have a more active PvP community, you may find that keeping your rank will be more
challenging.
Will all my stuff be transferred along with my character?
Your character will arrive on the destination realm with all the gold, equipment, pets, and all items
in your characters' inventory and the bank. You will also keep all your bank slots, lifetime honor
rank and ranking points. Quests will also be transferred, but please be aware that the progress
for quests that require you to kill a certain number of monsters will be lost.
Will my guild status be transferred?
Your guild affiliation and tabard design will not be transferred. You will have to join or create a
new guild on your destination realm.
Is there any discount if I am transferring more than one character?
We do not have a discount plan available at this time for multiple transfers. Should we offer any
additional promotions or pricing options, they would be announced on our website.
Whom should I contact if I have questions about this service?
Please contact our billing department by phone or email. Billing representatives are on hand to
take your call Monday through Friday between 9am and 6pm Pacific Time, at 1-800-59-
BLIZZARD (800-592-5499). Customers in Australia should call 1-800-041-378. Alternatively, you
may e-mail
billing@blizzard.com with any transfer related questions.
Author
