In Hearthstone some players, including well-known streamers, were banned. They maintained their innocence and have now received compensation.
In recent days, there have been some players in the Hearthstone subreddit who complained that their Hearthstone accounts were suddenly closed. According to Blizzard, they had violated the terms of service and even cheated using programs. Many players expressed confusion about this and maintained their innocence – in the end, they were proven right.
There is even a card that is better than any cheat …
What happened? Many Hearthstone players were banned because they apparently played more cards than the game mechanics allow. Blizzard has automatic systems that check how many cards a player plays per turn.
There is a natural limit to how many actions one can perform in Hearthstone before the timer of a turn runs out. Typically, this limit is around 22-24, if one can even play that many cards.
SCHN1PP-SCHN4PP is to blame: The card at fault is SCHN1PP-SCHN4PP, a Mech with the keyword Echo, which allows it to be played multiple times in the same turn.
Through some mechanics, the cost of the card can be reduced to 0, allowing it to be played “infinitely” as long as it fits within the timeframe of a turn. Some players managed to play this card up to 30 times or more in a turn – completely without cheats.
Professionals, on the other hand, are being criticized for not focusing on the league …
How was this possible? In Hearthstone, there is a mechanic (or a bug, opinions differ) that can cause some turns to take a bit longer than others. Usually, this happens when the opponent has played many animations in the previous turn that carry over into their own turn.
This results in the player having more time and thus being able to play more cards than would actually be possible.
How has Blizzard reacted now? Blizzard has since apologized for the wrongfully imposed bans and has unlocked a large number of accounts. Most have received some card packs as compensation.
Furthermore, Blizzard wants to revise the system so that only cheaters can be caught. Cheaters have developed software that allows them to make the duration of a round last as long as they want or “cancel animations,” giving them more time as well.
Did you know anyone who was affected by this ban? Or were you and your surroundings completely spared from this issue?
