Pearl Abyss, the developers of Black Desert Online, do not like it when data miners reveal the game’s content on Reddit. They apparently asked the moderators of the Black Desert subreddit to delete the relevant post. This caused quite a stir! Critics say Reddit should remain independent and ensure the free flow of information.
In Black Desert Online, the complex sandbox MMO from Korea, there are currently some hidden stats in the equipment, especially in the endgame. These are values that are not clearly understandable for the average user. Therefore, there is an active discussion on the Black Desert subreddit about what exactly a certain secret stat does.
To clarify, a data miner dug deep into the game code and revealed everything.
Reddit moderators doing the dirty work for Pearl Abyss?
Such revelations are not welcomed by the Black Desert developer studio Pearl Abyss. Therefore, they asked the subreddit moderators for help, and an eager junior mod immediately deleted the relevant post.
This did not sit well with other Reddit users, and there were many complaints. Moderators were seen as the attack dogs of developers, serving them instead of being moderators of an independent platform. The moderation team then spoke up and tried to explain the situation:
- They want to keep the information on the secret stats hidden until Pearl Abyss gives the OK.
- Pearl Abyss is afraid that the data mining information could be used to circumvent the game’s anti-cheat functions or otherwise misuse the game.
- Additionally, the moderation team does not want any trouble with Pearl Abyss since they wish to secure future sponsorship from the developers for events and competitions.
- All posts and inquiries on the data mining topic will be deleted until Pearl Abyss gives the OK. Furthermore, all users who continue to post the data will be banned.
Reddit users angry at mods
Especially the statement about the great events and competitions, for which they need the goodwill of Pearl Abyss, upset many users. Moderators should remain neutral and not “suck up” to the developers. Moreover, the developers do nothing about cheaters, so the justification from Pearl Abyss is rather ridiculous.
As a result, the shitstorm is currently ongoing. Curiously, the relevant data mining information about the secret stats is freely accessible in another subreddit because apparently nobody there listens to the developers.
Additionally, a user from MassivelyOP reported that Pearl Abyss has already threatened data miners with legal consequences in Korea.
The data mining shitstorm is not the only controversial issue surrounding Black Desert Online. Some users complain about the pay-to-win gambling factor of the house cats in the game!
