Ethereum creator reveals how WoW nerfs drove him to make ETH blockchain

Vitalik Buterin, the man who created the Ethereum blockchain, revealed how nerfs to his World of Warcraft character drove him to do it, claiming it made him realize “what horrors centralized services can bring.”

World of Warcraft has always had a knack for having a grasp on people and their lives, especially back in 2007-2010 when it was revolutionary. However, Vitalik Buterin, the man who created the Ethereum blockchain, revealed that it affected him more than others – but in a positive way.

Out of all the things that could have motivated him to create Ethereum, he claimed that a nerf to his Warlock character is what started it all, and he explained why.

“I happily played World of Warcraft during 2007-2010, but one day Blizzard removed the damage component from my beloved Warlock’s Siphon Life spell,” he said in the biography section of his official website.

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“I cried myself to sleep, and on that day I realized what horrors centralized services can bring. I soon decided to quit. In 2011, searching for a new purpose in life, I discovered Bitcoin.” And the rest is history.

The nerf he was referring to happened in World of Warcraft patch 3.1.0, which was the first major content patch for the Wrath of the Lich King expansion.

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Buterin was 15 years old at the time. It left a lasting impact on him and played an important part in motivating him to create Ethereum as we know it today.