TL;DR: RestedXP costs €50 and locks features behind an authentication key that's checked locally (no internet connection). This violates Blizzard's Addon Policy on multiple levels. I built a tool that lets people who already own the addon share access with their friends/guildmates — because nobody should have to pay €50 per person for what Blizzard says must be free. And RestedXP isn't the only one — NaowUI is heading down the same path. All code runs local on your machine and everything is open sourced.
Live: https://restedxp-reencrypt.vercel.app/
GitHub: https://github.com/mkccl/restedxp-reencrypt
There's an addon called RestedXP (restedxp.com) being sold for €50. You buy a key to unlock an import string. The addon itself checks your authentication key locally — no server call, no internet verification, just an internal string comparison inside the Lua code.
And this isn't an isolated case — NaowUI is going down the exact same route. If we don't push back now, this becomes the new normal.
Here's where it gets interesting: Blizzard's UI Add-On Development Policy is crystal clear on this:
1) Add-ons must be free of charge. All add-ons must be distributed free of charge. Developers may not create "premium" versions of add-ons with additional for-pay features, charge money to download an add-on, charge for services related to the add-on, or otherwise require some form of monetary compensation to download or access an add-on.
2) Add-on code must be completely visible. The programming code of an add-on must in no way be hidden or obfuscated, and must be freely accessible to and viewable by the general public.
This addon violates both of these rules. It's paywalled at €50 and uses an authentication mechanism to gate content — which is a form of code obfuscation and access restriction.
Let me be clear about what this tool does and doesn't do:
- ✅ It allows someone who already purchased the addon to generate a shareable key for their friends or guildmates
- ✅ It rewrites the local authentication key so that additional users within the same friend group / guild can use the addon
- ❌ It does not crack, pirate, or redistribute the addon itself
- ❌ It does not bypass any server-side protection (there is none)
- ❌ It does not prevent the original creator from making money — someone in the group still needs to have bought it
Think of it like this: One person in your guild buys it, and their friends don't have to pay €50 each just to access something that should be free in the first place according to Blizzard's own rules.
This isn't just about €50. It's about a growing trend in the WoW addon space where creators like RestedXP exploit a loophole:
- They sell "import strings" or "configurations" behind Twitch subs or Patreon tiers
- They use local authentication checks to lock down what is essentially addon functionality
- They rely on the fact that Blizzard rarely enforces their own addon policy
If we normalize €50 paywalls on addons, what's next? We're already seeing it spread — NaowUI is next in line. Paid DBM? Premium WeakAura packs with DRM? The addon ecosystem has always been built on community and open access — that's literally what Blizzard's policy protects.
For those wondering about legality:
- Blizzard's Addon Policy explicitly requires addons to be free and open-source. The addon creator is the one violating the rules here, not the users.
- Under both EU copyright law and the DMCA, anti-circumvention rules generally protect "effective technological measures." A local Lua string comparison with zero server verification is a stretch to call an "effective" protection measure — especially when Blizzard's own policy requires the code to be fully visible and unobfuscated in the first place.
- In the EU specifically, anti-circumvention provisions do not apply to computer programs in the same way they apply to film or music DRM. Software has explicit carve-outs that allow things like interoperability and backup copies.
- The addon creator is operating outside of Blizzard's rules by charging money and obfuscating access. It's hard to argue that circumventing a protection mechanism is illegal when the protection mechanism itself shouldn't exist according to the platform's own policy.
That said, I'm not a lawyer. I'm sharing what I've researched. If anyone has more expertise here, I'd love to hear your take.
- Report the addon to Blizzard — File a ticket or post on the official forums. Reference the UI Add-On Development Policy directly.
- Report the Twitch channel — Gating non-Twitch content behind subscriptions is questionable under Twitch's own monetization guidelines.
The WoW addon community has thrived for 20 years because of openness and sharing. Let's not let a €50 paywall change that.
Edit: To be clear, I have nothing against addon creators making money. Patreon donations, tip jars on websites, that's all fine. What I'm against is locking addon functionality behind a paywall with DRM — which is exactly what Blizzard's policy was designed to prevent.
Go and check it out: https://restedxp-reencrypt.vercel.app/