Blizzard Entertainment confirmed this week that it will not fix a popular exploit in World of Warcraft that allows players to make their houses float. Instead, the studio is leaning into the idea and turning what started as a simple glitch into a supported feature. The discovery came not long after the early access launch of the Player Housing system in the Midnight expansion, and it spread fast because it let players bypass the usual gravity rules to build floating islands, airships, and other sky-high structures. Blizzard eventually responded by promising proper interface controls so that lifting houses won’t rely on tricky workarounds anymore.
Key Takeaways:
- Players found a glitch in the new Player Housing system that allowed them to make their houses float.
- Blizzard developers initially planned to patch the bug but decided to keep it after seeing player creations.
- The game will now officially support lifting houses with proper UI controls.
- The exterior item limit has been increased from 200 to 250 to help players decorate the untextured bottoms of floating homes.
The discovery itself felt almost accidental, at least from the outside. The Player Housing system was originally designed with the expectation that structures would remain on the ground. The user interface let players nudge their homes forward, backward, left, or right, although curiously there was no vertical option. Still, players always find a way. They figured out that by using certain keybinds or by repositioning other objects just so, they could tap into a hidden vertical axis. Before long, entire houses were drifting upward.
Social platforms like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) were filled with screenshots. Some players recreated the floating city of Dalaran; others tried their hand at wizard towers or mechanical walkers inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle. It became one of those moments where creativity snowballs faster than anyone expects. Even so, there was a lingering worry that Blizzard might quietly patch the whole thing out.
Kyle Hartline, a Lead Game Producer for World of Warcraft, later explained that the team did seriously consider removing the exploit. He mentioned on social media that they even had an internal channel dedicated to mapping out a fix. Technically, it made sense to clamp down on it. The bottoms of the house models aren’t textured because players were never supposed to see them, and if a house drifted too high, the front door could become awkward to reach. Still, after sharing some of the most impressive creations internally, the developers began to rethink their plan. Hartline said it was simply “too cool to change,” which probably reflects what many players felt as well.
Community Manager Kaivax eventually confirmed on the official forums that Blizzard would support the feature properly rather than remove it. The team is now working on adding official UI controls for vertical movement, meaning that players won’t have to rely on a glitch to lift their homes into the sky. It’s a small adjustment on paper, but in practice it fundamentally changes how people can approach their builds.
And Blizzard isn’t stopping at that. Once developers realized that players were determined to build floating homes, they knew the untextured undersides would become an issue. To help smooth things over, they increased the exterior decoration limit for Level 3 houses. Players can now place up to 250 items outside, up from the previous cap of 200. That 25 percent increase gives everyone more freedom to disguise the underside of their creations with rocks, platforms, or even clouds, depending on the mood they’re going for. Blizzard also gently suggested adding ramps or light jumping puzzles so the front door remains reachable, which feels both practical and a little amusing.
The community’s reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. There’s always that familiar fear that fun bugs will vanish the moment they become popular, so this small but meaningful gesture resonated with players. Many praised the developers for listening and, perhaps more importantly, for choosing fun over rigid design expectations. The housing feature, currently available to players who pre-purchased the Midnight expansion, has already turned into a major engagement driver for the game. And now, with floating houses becoming an officially supported part of the experience, it feels like that momentum might only grow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the floating house exploit in WoW?
A. It is a glitch that allows players to move their player housing structures vertically into the air. The original interface only allowed movement along the ground, but players found a way to bypass this to create floating homes.
Q. Will Blizzard ban players for using the floating house glitch?
A. No. Blizzard has officially stated they will not punish players for this. They are actively turning the glitch into a supported feature by adding proper controls to the game.
Q. Why did Blizzard increase the exterior item limit?
A. Blizzard raised the item limit from 200 to 250 for Level 3 houses. This was done to give players more resources to cover the untextured bottoms of floating houses with rocks, wood, or other decorations.
Q. How do I make my house float in WoW?
A. Currently, players use a workaround involving keybinds or specific object interactions to access the vertical axis. Blizzard is releasing an update soon that will add a visible “up/down” arrow to the housing interface, making the process standard and easy.
Q. Is Player Housing available to everyone?
A. Right now, Player Housing is in early access. It is available to players who have pre-purchased the World of Warcraft: Midnight expansion.
