The MMORPG Black Desert has banned some of its most well-known players. The reasons include the use of account boosting and other illegal methods. This is especially no longer allowed in Korea.
Which players got caught? In a statement on the korean website for Black Desert, 51 accounts were announced that have been permanently banned as part of a ban wave. Among these players are:
- LUIS – The owner of a PEN Blackstar weapon and known in the scene for griefing.
- A player who recently finished in second place at Arsha’s Spear Tournament, a major event.
- Many accounts with characters who have reached level 64 or higher. This is rare in Black Desert, as the first player to reach level 65 did so only in 2019.
The developer Pearl Abyss cited the use of boosting services, illegal programs, or macros as reasons for the ban.
Adjustments to the Terms of Service, which these bans are based on, were made only on November 7, 2019. These, in turn, are aligned with Korean laws.
Account boosting is prohibited by law in Korea
What kind of laws are these? As early as 2017, a law was discussed that should make boosting services illegal in South Korea. One reason is that players provide their social security number when playing, which can lead to identity theft. On December 7, 2018, the “Game Industry Promotion Act” was officially adopted. Implementation took place in June 2019.
The law aims to prevent players from enhancing their accounts by strangers for money. This applies to both services that level characters and those that improve rankings. Should such services be used, fines or even prison sentences are threatened.
Now Pearl Abyss has also implemented corresponding regulations.
Players in the West demand stricter penalties
How are the bans being reacted to? On Reddit for Black Desert, there is a discussion about the penalties for the Korean players. Many are aware of the problems such services cause for us in the West.
Players are therefore also calling for penalties here:
- Idx_arke: This is great news. Kakao Games should do the same. Having to compete with players who invest a lot of real money in the game destroys my motivation.
- iLove3P: It took long enough for something to finally happen. Now NA/EU please.
- Snarker: If this happened in NA, the siege scene would be completely wiped out. Guilds like br/cho/snake would lose at least half the players.
- ncunha: This will never happen in our region.
What do you think about the fight against boosting services? Are permanent bans or even fines and prison sentences justified?
