Activision Blizzard Inc (NASDAQ: ATVI) has once again taken the step of disabling trading in Diablo 4 in response to a new item duplication exploit that players have been using.
According to IGN, the announcement was made on the Blizzard forum by community manager filthierich, who reassured players that the development team is actively working on a solution, but until the issue is resolved, trading will remain temporarily suspended.
Moreover, a strong message was conveyed to those involved in gold and item duplication exploits: "Any account that engages in gold and item duplication exploits will be actioned in accordance with our End User License Agreement. We thank you for reporting this exploit to us and your patience."
This isn't the first time such measures have been taken. Back in August, Blizzard suspended trading in response to a similar exploit, threatening those who used it with bans.
It's worth noting that Diablo 4 lacks an in-game auction house, forcing players to resort to external platforms such as Discord for trading.
The integrity of this informal market was disrupted by those who exploited the game's vulnerabilities, utilizing them for significant gold transactions. The in-game gold is essential for gear upgrades and item enchantment rerolls.
Blizzard recently launched Season of Blood for Diablo 4, which received a generally positive reception despite the trading issues.
Blizzard now operates under Microsoft Corporation's (NASDAQ: MSFT) ownership, leading to speculations about the potential revival of older franchises. However, it's important to note that Activision Blizzard games won't be available on Game Pass until 2024.