606 commentsGreetings MechWarriors,
As outlined in our April post regarding the potential use of third-party cheat software, renewed work toward systems that will further address the use of these tools and their users is actively underway.
The purpose of this post is to provide some additional insight into our approach toward those users who have been banned for the use of such tools, and to inform you all as a community about what kind of information you can expect regarding these players in the future.
How does PGI determine that a player is cheating?
None of the cheat tools are flawless, neither in their technical implementation or in their individual use by the player. We use a combination of methods to ensure that the conclusion we reach is the correct one.
What happens when a player is identified by PGI as a cheater?
Once a player has been identified as a cheater, the account in question is permanently banned. Any alternate accounts operated by that player are also banned, regardless of whether or not they engaged the use of such tools on those alternate accounts.
By choosing to use third-party tools to cheat these players have made a conscious decision to risk forfeiting all access to their accounts and any content therein, purchased or otherwise.
What happens to the content on their account?
We are not willing to provide refunds for past purchases of any delivered content in cases where the player has been banned for cheating.
The policy of providing refunds for pre-ordered content yet to be delivered will still apply for players who have been banned as a result of cheating. Despite their use of cheat tools, we feel that refunding their purchase of any unreleased content is still the right thing to do.
Messaging the community when a player has been banned for cheating
Our current moderation policy is that we do not discuss the details of bans, suspensions, or warnings with anyone but the player in question. For the majority of cases where general moderation has been taken against an account, we continue to consider this to be the best course of action.
That being said, we do understand that many players want to see some indication, beyond a verbal assurance, that we are actively policing the use of these tools. Not providing clear indications that a player has been banned specifically for using such tools can lead to uncertainty and give rise to nonconstructive speculation.
Last Friday, we enacted the first ban of a 'competitive-tier' player entirely for their use of a cheat tool. From an outside perspective, there was no indication that this player had been banned specifically for cheating; their forum profile simply showed the standard 'Banned' Group and Member Title. Word spread rather quickly about this ban of a 'high-profile' player, and the publicly unstated reason for the ban led to a fair number of doubts, questions, and speculations.
Going forward, all accounts that have been banned for cheating will have a 'Banned - Cheater' designation applied to their forum profile in place of their Group and Member Title.
Where do we go from here?
We will continue to improve upon our current systems of detection and evaluation to address the use of these tools and their users.
Even though this is little more than a verbal assurance, players should be happy to know that our renewed investigations up to this point have shown that these tools are not so widely used as some players may have initially imagined or feared. Further, their level of use from here on out will only shrink.
They are rare, detectable, and in most cases will not guarantee victory when used.
What if I see something that looks suspicious, or if I suspect another player of cheating?
Report it through an e-mail to moderation@mwomercs.com. Provide us with the name of the user in question and a summary of your concerns. Screenshots and video will always be helpful.
The discussion and proliferation of these tools through any of the Piranha Games and MechWarrior Online services, such as in-game chat or through the forums, is prohibited by the Terms of Service and Code of Conduct. Any such discussions will be subject to appropriate moderation. This includes "name and shame" topics or posts.
Please refrain from 'calling out' or harassing the suspected player in-game or through any other means.
Someone said they'd report me for cheating, but I only made a skilled/lucky shot!
We use a combination of methods to ensure that the conclusion we reach is the correct one. If you're not using a cheat tool, you have nothing to worry about!
Can we get a 'Too Long; Didn't Read' summary of this post?
- Cheating is uncommon
- Cheating is detectable
-
Don't cheat
- If you do cheat, you'll be banned
- If you don't cheat, you're a-okay
- If you're banned for cheating, anyone who looks at your profile will know it
- You'll lose access to everything in your MWO account(s) and you won't be refunded for delivered content
