In Guild Wars 2, there was a major ban wave in April 2018. Apparently, a few players were wrongfully banned as well. One of them has now been able to prove his innocence and is allowed to play again. However, the community is upset due to the obvious mistake and the weak compensation.
This was the major ban wave in Guild Wars 2: To eliminate users of third-party software, ArenaNet banned 1,583 accounts from the MMORPG in a ban wave last year.
There were already big discussions on Reddit back then.
Many players claimed they were innocent. However, it eventually turned out that most had indeed used unauthorized software. And tools in the gray area, such as DPS meters or shaders, were not even included.
Most commonly, classic farming or click bots were used, which led to bans.
How a player proves his innocence now: Almost 9 months after the ban wave, it has now come to light that some players were punished for false reasons.
The Reddit user Slashy has published a corresponding message and explanation from ArenaNet on Reddit.
Slashy and other players wrongfully banned
To prove that he was innocent, Slashy obtained his data from ArenaNet under the General Data Protection Regulation. He then sifted through the received data to find out why the ban occurred.
Why were the players banned? After the player had his data in December 2018 after months of discussion, he could quickly find out the source of the ban.
It seems that a hash generated by an empty file or an empty string was to blame. Something that can apparently occasionally happen during file encryption.
What was offered as compensation? After Slashy pointed out the error to the developers of Guild Wars 2, the support’s response came a few days ago. They confirmed that the ban was wrongful and that he and a small number of other players were affected.
As compensation, all episodes of the Living World that he missed since April were unlocked for the accounts, including All or Nothing.
Additionally, players received 2,500 gems. This is the currency that can be purchased with real money. This roughly corresponds to about 35 euros.
The community is upset: On Reddit, the disappointment of players is evident, but also that of the community in general. Such a gross mistake should not have happened to such a large company. Additionally, the long processing time of almost 9 months is very negatively received by players.
Finally, the compensation from ArenaNet is seen as a bad joke in the eyes of the players. 2,500 gems for 9 months without being able to play is far too little.
Slashy himself, despite regaining his account, continues to refrain from playing Guild Wars 2. During his absence, some friends have also stopped playing, so they now miss the new episodes of the Living World.
If you still actively play Guild Wars 2, we reveal the best methods to farm gold here:
