Anyone who engages in account boosting in Overwatch or League of Legends (LoL) will soon have to face the consequences – at least in South Korea. A new law shows no mercy.
Anyone who has a low rating but a big ego and an even bigger wallet in Overwatch or League of Legends may have already thought about having a professional improve their account rating. There are many offers worldwide that play and upgrade one’s account.
This is likely to change in South Korea soon.
What is boosting? Boosting refers to when a strong player logs into the account of a weaker player and then helps them win games to achieve a higher ranking.
This is a service that some pay for. It is especially in demand in games with a ranked system: such as Overwatch or League of Legends.
What is happening in South Korea? A new law will come into effect in about six months in South Korea. Then it will be strictly prohibited to charge people money for logging into their games and providing a service for them.
This applies not only to Overwatch but also to all other games and online services. Including League of Legends (LoL). This means that providers who have previously been able to offer such services in a legal gray area will now be considered illegal.
What are the penalties? Depending on the severity of the offense and the individual case, account boosting can have long-term consequences in South Korea. The penalty is around $18,000 (about €15,800) or two years in prison.
Why are the penalties in Korea so strict? In Korea, players do not register anonymously for video games; they always do so with their social security number. This means that it is clear who is playing in each game.
If you give your account to someone else and let them play, it is considered “identity theft” and will be penalized in half a year. Such a law has existed for years but has now been extended to online games.
Under such conditions, one might think twice about whether a diamond rating is really worth that much.
Do you think it’s good that “crimes” in the gaming sector are punished so harshly? Should this also be punished in Germany? Or is this behavior in a game absolutely exaggerated?
