In EverQuest 2, a special server was established in 2015, where cheaters were banned. However, Drunder has now been deleted – with consequences. Accounts there have been permanently banned, but not every player was really a cheater.
What kind of server was that? Drunder was referred to by the developers themselves as a “prison server”. Since 2015, all the accounts that have broken the rules of EverQuest 2 are banned there.
Banned accounts could only play on this server and continue their lives there, albeit without Game Masters, without customer service, and in the presence of other cheaters. A subscription was still required. The inmates therefore continued to pay for their gaming experience.
What has happened now? Daybreak Games, the developers of EverQuest 2, have closed Drunder. All characters and accounts that had accumulated on this server have been permanently banned. However, this had some consequences:
- On one hand, the entire Daybreak account of the players was banned. This also affects games like DC Universe Online or Planetside 2, even though they may have played there for years without cheating.
- On the other hand, innocent players were also affected, who had consciously transferred their characters to this server to continue playing with their cheating friends. These players also lost all access.
Players are angry at Daybreak, but there is hope
How are players reacting to this? In the end, only about 1,000 accounts are said to be affected, as EQ2Wire reported on Twitter. There was no significant outcry outside the EverQuest bubble, as the closure of Drunder already occurred on July 1.
However, in the Discord for the MMORPG, there were some players expressing disappointment. They wished for an early announcement about the closure of the server so that they could react and create a ticket. This would likely have spared the developers many discussions.
Some also criticize that while players were cheaters, they still had fun with EverQuest 2 for years. Their enjoyment has now been ruined.
What do the developers say? They point out that players were warned when transferring to Drunder that this was a “One Way” ticket. At the announcement back then, it said (via DayBreak):
There is no customer service for Drunder and a membership is required to gain access and play. Instead of disturbing the live servers to join the “prison server,” players can use our /petition system to request to join Drunder. To be clear: You will not be able to move individual characters to this server while keeping characters of the same account on another server. This is a “One Way” ticket for an entire account forever.
However, players who did not cheat should contact customer service. If it is determined that they were wrongly banned, the account will be restored. However, players must create a new account to submit a ticket.
What do you think about the concept of prison servers? And is it right to suddenly be banned even though one has had fun with a game for years?
In another MMORPG, many permanently banned players have now been unbanned:
MMORPG suddenly lifts permanent bans – Is it due to low player numbers?
