Valve is now taking strong action against toxic players of the MOBA DotA 2. Players report that they have been banned for 19 years. However, this ban period has something special about it.
Who has been banned? A whole number of players have been banned. Complaints from DotA 2 players have been piling up on Reddit and Steam, as they have received a curious message. They are banned until January 19, 2038.
Banned for 19 years?
Why were these players banned? Valve explained in an update on September 17 that there was a new wave of bans. Players with particularly low behavior scores have been banned, as they are considered very toxic. Such players are not wanted in DotA 2. DotA 2 is among the most toxic games.
Additionally, those who violated the Steam user agreement, such as buying or selling Steam accounts, and players who exploited cheats and exploits were also caught.
Why was a 19-year ban imposed? The duration of the ban seems quite peculiar. Those who have been affected are all banned until January 19, 2038. But why?
This is related to an IT problem, known as the “Year 2038 Problem”.
What is the “Year 2038 Problem”? IT systems that use Unix time will encounter a problem on January 19, 2038. Unix time counts the seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, in a 32-bit system. The maximum value is 2,147,483,647, which is 2 raised to the power of 31 -1, and this is reached on January 19, 2038, at 03:14:07 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).
This means the 32-bit system reaches its limit. This could lead to software failures worldwide. Apparently, Valve uses this Unix time for its own servers, which is why the ban expiration date falls on January 19, 2038.
They are actually just regular, permanent bans
What does this mean exactly? Essentially, the players are not banned for 19 years, but permanently, just like many other online games do with extremely toxic players or those who violate the user agreements. This is basically not unusual. Only the displayed 19 years seem a bit strange.
How are the players reacting? No one is likely happy about bans. Accordingly, the affected players are venting their frustrations on Steam and Reddit. They are cursing Valve, and many do not understand what they did to deserve such a punishment. Valve then refers them to customer support. Those who have been banned and believe this is unjust can feel free to contact customer service.
Regarding the ban duration, more and more realize that it is not actually 19 years but a permanent ban that is marked as 19 years due to an IT issue.
