OnlyFangs ends WoW hardcore raid in BWL after DDoS attacks

OnlyFangs was forced to end its raid into the famed BWL dungeon after DDoS attacks targeted WoW servers.

The drama of OnlyFangs’ World of Warcraft hardcore arc has entertained viewers for months now. Created by popular streamers as a central hub for other content creators to gather together, OnlyFangs has spawned countless memorable clips and bits of drama.  From Thomas Chance “Sodapoppin” Morris’ repeated grinds to Tyler “Tyler1” Steinkamp’s daredevil antics, OnlyFangs continues to be a darling among streaming fans.

Raids are among the most viewed events for the guild, and its members prep for these events days in advance. Unfortunately, not every raid has gone OnlyFangs’ way. A particularly brutal raid saw former guild leader Tyler1 perish just seconds before the final battle ended. Sometimes, these raid issues may not even stem from the players’ actions at all.

OnlyFangs cancels BWL raid as DDoS attacks target WoW server

Sodapoppin prematurely ended a raid on Blackwing Lair, commonly referred to as BWL, due to DDoS attacks plaguing their home WoW server. The OnlyFangs leader expressed his disappointment before ending the stream, though he promised fans that they would be back the next day. As for the DDoS attacks, the reason for them remains unknown. Whoever is executing the attacks has yet to reveal themselves, though players have reported recognizable patterns.

These DDoS attacks reportedly coincided with OnlyFangs raids. The first DDoS wave of the weekend began when OnlyFangs pulled Firemaw. The pattern repeated for other crucial pulls for the raid. While some fans speculate OnlyFangs is being targeted specifically, others believe it’s an effort pointed towards big events in general.

Getting the Best Coaching for OnlyFangs BWL Raid…

Team Liquid recently began their first reclear, which similarly draws in big numbers for streams. The pattern does indicate that the DDoS attacks are meant to hamper the progress of these streams. Blizzard customer support confirmed the DDoS attacks and resolved the issues shortly after.

OnlyFangs had canceled its raid for the day by then, meaning fans would have to wait a bit longer.

DDoS attacks continue to plague competitive games

The wave of DDoS attacks has affected more games than just WoW recently. The Grand Finals of DreamLeague S25 were delayed after DDoS attacks. Much like the WoW DDoS attacks, these coincided with events that attracted high viewership. DDoS attacks are particularly effective against some games that have centralized servers.

Even if the players are on a private network, the game ultimately has to connect online, meaning there’s always a way for attackers to abuse the system. Players of affected games grow frustrated with these attacks, and defending against them has proved complex for developers.

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Iconic League of Legends pro team T1, despite their prestige, was heavily affected by DDoS attacks throughout 2024. The situation got so bad that the organization banned its members from streaming publicly until the issue was resolved.  Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok believes these DDoS attacks will “gradually undermine” the competitive scene.

WoW’s recent spike in popularity, likely thanks to OnlyFangs, has made it a target for bad actors. The high-profile nature of these streams also makes it easy for them to schedule attacks. After Blizzard’s resolution, fans hope the new mitigation strategies can keep the servers safe. Until then, OnlyFangs members will have to grind and wait.