All articles tagged with #bans
Discord says a bug in its safety system briefly banned more than 8,000 accounts for posting grid-like or other benign images; staff cleared the flags, but the automatic lift didn’t happen, and all affected users have since been unbanned.
NetEase permanently banned about 488 Marvel Rivals players after investigating unauthorized third‑party cheats, clarifying that the anti‑cheat cannot be disabled by launch parameters. The ban list shows the largest chunk of offenders were Bronze players, with a small number reaching top ranks; repeat offenders may face IP and hardware bans as punishment. The crackdown underscores a zero‑tolerance approach to cheating in PvP play.
Forza Horizon 6 briefly appeared as unencrypted files on Steam before its May 19 release, with the leak fixed quickly but allowing some users to download cracked copies. A content creator was shown receiving an extreme ban (69,895,509 hours) from the Forza Community team, illustrating Microsoft’s hardline stance on piracy. The incident echoes past enforcement and comes as Playground Games recently detailed the game’s features and map in a post-release breakdown.
Arc Raiders’ developer Embark Studios says it has aggressively targeted cheaters since launch, banning tens of thousands of players so far and warns that cheats in large multiplayer games typically run from 0.1% to 1%. The team aims to ban only those who deserve it, pursue fair, careful enforcement, and quickly remedy mistakes; it also pledged to compensate players who lose items due to unfair play and losecheaters, reinforcing its commitment to a fair competitive experience.
Riot Games has implemented new measures in League of Legends to combat smurfing, boosting, and account sharing, including linking alt accounts to main accounts for penalties, banning botted and purchased accounts, and enhancing streamer mode to protect high-profile players. These efforts aim to improve game fairness and reduce disruptive behaviors, with ongoing updates planned for future patches.
Overwatch 2 has taken strict action against over 23,000 cheaters using unapproved peripherals and other cheats, bringing the total banned accounts to over 1 million, as Blizzard enhances its anti-cheat measures and emphasizes fair competition.
Letters from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that major tech companies, including Google and Apple, were assured immunity from prosecution if they ignored a TikTok ban, as the DOJ aimed to facilitate TikTok's sale and address national security concerns, with ongoing negotiations and extensions for TikTok's compliance.
A study suggests that plastic bag bans and fees in the US have significantly reduced their presence on shorelines, especially in areas with higher initial litter levels, though overall plastic pollution continues to grow. Policies are more effective at the state level and in regions with severe litter problems, highlighting the importance of regulation in combating plastic pollution, but broader solutions are needed to address the entire issue.
A study using crowdsourced data from shoreline cleanups across the U.S. found that areas with plastic bag bans or fees have significantly fewer plastic bags littering lakes, rivers, and beaches, indicating that such policies are effective in reducing shoreline pollution.
Despite lab-grown meat not yet being widely available, several U.S. states, including Florida and Alabama, have preemptively banned its sale, citing safety concerns and the need to protect traditional agriculture. This backlash comes even as the U.S. approved the sale of cultivated meat in 2023, and companies are working to scale production and reduce costs. The bans have sparked legal considerations and debates over consumer choice and food security, with some states shelving proposed bans and others moving forward. The issue has also seen international pushback, with Italy and France considering similar measures.
Final Fantasy XIV players on Xbox are reporting bans for using the game's terminology and systems to recruit teammates within Xbox's Looking For Group feature, with bans lasting up to 61 days. The bans seem to be triggered by normal in-game interactions, such as recruiting for a "free company," and even using abbreviations like "FC." This situation highlights the challenges of automated moderation systems lacking context, forcing Xbox players to navigate around established game terminology to play as intended.
Overwatch 2 pro player Kai 'Kai' Collins has been permabanned after the game detected cheats mid-game, sparking controversy in the community. The ban comes amidst major changes in Overwatch 2 season 9, with players blaming the new patch for the ban and criticizing the automated report system. Kai denies using cheats and claims that his account, which he has had since early Overwatch 1, was closed for no reason. The incident adds to the growing infamy of bans in the Overwatch 2 community.
Reviewers have confirmed that the MIG Switch flashcart for Nintendo Switch works as expected, allowing the running of Switch game "backups" on any model, but concerns about the risk of bans from Nintendo remain. The device's primary purpose is seen as Switch game piracy, and questions persist about how Nintendo checks for abusive use of game certificates. Additionally, there is interest in reverse engineering the MIG Switch, although its limited usefulness may impact the extent of cloning efforts.
A total of 34 countries have banned the sale of e-cigarettes, while 87 countries have imposed restrictions on their sales, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO is calling for more urgent action to curb the use of these devices, citing concerns over their health effects, particularly among young people. Despite bans and restrictions, poor enforcement allows vapes to remain available in some areas. The US, which has the largest vape market, has not implemented a nationwide ban, but some states have outlawed flavored e-cigarettes. The WHO is urging countries to implement strict measures to protect their citizens, especially children and young people, from the potential harms of vaping.
Valve has permanently banned "thousands" of DOTA 2 players identified as cheaters, handing out festive gift-wrapped lumps of toxic coal as their punishment. The ban hammer is being used to pulverize smurf accounts and penalize associated main accounts. Valve's crackdown on cheaters has resulted in many tens of thousands of smurf account bans, with recipients receiving a note stating their account has been permanently banned for smurfing or other violations. The company aims to improve match quality and wishes everyone a Happy Frostivus Update, except for smurf accounts.