Some Diablo-3 accounts were banned or temporarily closed in the last few hours due to cheats. Players notice the effect immediately in the leaderboard of Season 20.
What is this ban wave about? In the Blizzard forum, the announcement of a ban wave in Diablo 3 is making the rounds. On Friday evening, June 19, Community Manager PezRadar wrote there:
“Just to confirm what some have already seen …
Yes, many Diablo-3 accounts were closed or suspended this morning due to cheating. As you know, we hardly comment on these specific penalties, except to confirm that they have taken place.” (via Blizzard Forums)
An exact number of how many cheaters have been banned or will be banned is not available. All we know from Blizzard is that it affected “many”. Whether that means hundreds or thousands is unclear.
In Season 19, there were also problems with cheating, as players wanted to exploit the season theme “cleverly”.
This is why cheaters are hit so hard right now: On March 13, 2020, the current Season 20 started. The season has already been running for over 3 months. It is likely that some cheaters started gaining advantages early in this season with bots, map hacks, or other modifications.
The fact that Blizzard is only now banning them on a larger scale hits them all the harder. Because they could have already invested many hundreds of hours into the season. And all that time has suddenly been in vain. And just before the big goal: The end of Season 20.
Many of these fraudsters do this to be at the top or at least far ahead in the rankings at the end of the season. Just a few hours before reaching that goal, their dream was shattered. Today, June 21, Season 20 of Diablo 3 ends.
Presumably, such a ban wave with this timing serves as a deterrent for the future. Because in the next season, cheaters might think twice: Is it worth cheating for months only to lose everything just before the end of the season?
Why is this important for you? Positive news for players who are working their way up the seasonal leaderboard legitimately. For these players, it is fair that the cheaters have now been removed from the rankings because this allows the “honest” players to continue climbing the leaderboard. Thus, they might still make it into the top 100 before the end of the season.
Effects visible in the leaderboard
What the players say: There are now positive feedback from active Diablo-3 players on reddit. User DiabloGuilds is happy that he was still in 99th place in the hardcore seasonal leaderboard with his Barbarian this morning.
Hours later, he already reached rank 95 without achieving a better time in the Greater Nephalem Rift. (via reddit) His rank improved because apparently cheaters were removed from the leaderboard and made room.
User ISUAdmissions thanks Blizzard on reddit. “This had a big effect on the rankings,” he writes. With his Demon Hunter, he is now in the top 300, with his Crusader in the top 750, and with his Barbarian in the top 800. (via reddit)
So it is quite possible that your rankings have also improved in the last few days.
After the end of Season 20, it probably won’t take long until the next chapter begins. With Season 21, Diablo 3 probably wanted to consciously avoid the competition.
