False Positive Bans in Games and What Triggers Them

False positive bans in video games have been around since online gaming started. Many players are left wondering why they get banned when they haven’t done anything wrong. The question is: what causes these false bans?

This article explains the main reasons behind false bans in any online game.

There are two main types of false bans:

• Automated False Ban: This happens when the anti-cheat software wrongly detects something suspicious. It’s usually a technical mistake.
• Manual False Ban: This is when a person from the game company or a moderator makes a mistake and bans someone by accident.

To help you understand how bans work- we’ll go over both types of bans with actual instances!

Automated False Bans

There are several reasons why a false ban might happen in video games but most common ones include:

False Reports: Other players might report you for cheating even if you’re playing fairly. Automatic ban may occasionally result from these reports, particularly if several players file reports against you simultaneously.

Login Discrepancies: Users who log in from different devices/locations might have their accounts blocked if the system suspects account sharing or hacking.

Gameplay Anomalies: Anti-cheat system may occasionally perceive player behavior as abnormal such as moving too quickly or aiming perfectly. Appearance of cheating may result in bogus ban for certain behaviors.

Incorrect Anti-Cheat Detection: Anti-cheat software itself can make mistakes. It might detect regular gameplay or harmless software running on your computer as cheating tools, resulting in a ban.

Each of these factors can cause the system to incorrectly flag and ban a player even when no cheating is involved.

False Report Bans

False reports are common problem in most online games especially if you’re a well-known player or streamer. Here’s how it works: if many players report you for breaking rules in a short time, game might automatically take action against you even if you did nothing wrong.

For example- well-known streamer Asmongold encountered this when, in response to several reports, he was abruptly silenced for just expressing his enthusiasm for World of Warcraft. This demonstrates how people might receive incorrect reports even while they are acting honorably.

False reports aren’t always made to cause harm. Sometimes, players report others because they think something suspicious happened like impossible headshot or an unfair kill cam. However, just because something looks odd doesn’t mean the player is cheating.

When several reports come in quickly, you’re likely to face consequences like getting muted (silenced), shadowbanned (like in Call of Duty) or even suspended. This can happen in any online game where reporting is allowed. In another case, someone was suspended from League of Legends after being falsely reported by multiple players.

One of the frustrating things about false report bans is that there’s no way to completely prevent them. If you’re really good at a game especially in FPS (First-Person Shooter) games, other players might report you just because they think your skills are too good to be real. Also, if you get into arguments with other players, they may ask others in the chat to report you out of revenge, which can increase your chances of a ban.

Good news is that prohibitions on false reports are typically easy to change particularly when they are related to toxicity. Companies that make video games often keep track of discussions so if your behavior wasn’t unnecessary, they can lift the ban.

• False reports can’t be fully avoided.
• They can happen in any game with a report system.
• They’re generally easy to overturn, especially for toxicity cases.

Login Discrepancies Bans

Login discrepancies can lead to false positive bans. This happens when your account gets locked or banned for logging in from a new location, device or through a VPN.

Account Lock: This is usually a security measure to protect your account. You can often fix it by verifying your identity.

Account Ban: This is more serious and depends on what you were doing at the time. For instance, if you’re on vacation or using a VPN and you start winning a lot, you might be accused of cheating or account boosting. Gaming companies might flag this because rapid ranking up from a different location or device can look suspicious.

To help avoid this, you can use a VPN with a static IP which stays the same no matter where you log in from. Inform the game support team if they have an IP whitelisting option. However, not all games allow VPNs—like Fortnite which bans players using them.

Tips to Avoid Issues:

• Don’t play competitive or ranked games while traveling or using a VPN.
• Examples include avoiding high-level content in games like WoW, LoL, Dota 2 and others.

You can’t fully prevent an IP discrepancy ban or account lock.
Avoid competitive gameplay while traveling or using a VPN.
Proving you’re not cheating can be tough if you get an unusual win streak from a different IP or device.

Gameplay Anomalies Bans

Device or gameplay anomalies can make it look like you’re cheating even when you’re not aware of it. Here are some common examples:

1. GPS Issues in Mobile Games: In games like Pokémon Go- your phone’s GPS might briefly show your location as somewhere else especially during loading screens. This can make it seem like you’re cheating by spoofing your location even if you’re not.
2. Falling Through the Map: In games such as Fortnite, WoW or PUBG, you might experience glitches where you fall through the map. Game might think you’re cheating if it detects you in unusual locations or coordinates that players shouldn’t reach without hacks.
3. In-Game Visual Anomalies: Sometimes, issues with visual effects like a flashbang or smoke grenade not loading properly, can cause opponents to seem like they’re cheating. For example: in FPS games, if the enemy can see and shoot you while you’re blinded or covered by smoke, it might look like they’re cheating.
4. Network Issues: While not exactly an anomaly, poor network connectivity can cause problems. Games like Destiny 2 might ban you for having an unstable internet connection which can lead to teleporting around the map due to lag.

Tips to Handle Anomalies:

• Record Evidence: If you experience glitches like falling through the map or unusual locations, keep evidence by taking screenshots or recording your gameplay. This can help if you need to prove you weren’t cheating.
• Avoid Exploiting Glitches: If you encounter a visual anomaly or glitch, don’t use it to your advantage. Leave the game if the situation seems unfair or buggy.

Gameplay anomalies can’t be prevented and can occur anytime.
If you experience issues, gather evidence to show you’re not cheating.
Avoid taking advantage of glitches to avoid suspicion.

Incorrect Anti-Cheat Detection Bans

Incorrect anti-cheat bans happen when the game’s anti-cheat software like EAC or BattlEye, wrongly flags certain programs as cheats, even if they’re not.

This has been an issue for as long as anti-cheat systems have existed. While developers work hard to improve them, mistakes still happen. Commonly flagged software includes work-related or coding programs like AutoIt or AutoHotKey, which can be used to create cheats or bots.

Other software that may trigger a false ban includes:

• Coding, scripting, and development tools.
• Antivirus or firewall programs.
• Game mods or trainers for single-player games.
• Mouse/keyboard drivers.
• Graphics card drivers.
• Operating systems like Linux, or tools like Wine for compatibility.
• System optimization tools.
• VPNs, which may trigger a ban if the IP is linked to cheaters.

Running these alongside any online game increases the risk of being banned even if you aren’t using them to cheat.

Examples of false bans include:

• Destiny 2: Players using overlays like OBS, Discord, or GeForce Experience FPS Counter were falsely banned.
• Apex Legends: Linux users were mistakenly banned but later unbanned after complaints.
• Overwatch 2: Players started a thread trying to figure out why they were getting false bans.
• Counter-Strike 2: A ban wave affected many players after a new update but was quickly rolled back.

Most games have had false bans at some point, even new titles like The Finals, where both PC and console users were banned for no clear reason.

• Incorrect bans are usually caused by the software you’re running.
• You can avoid most of these by not using work, coding, or overlay programs while playing.
• These bans are often easy to overturn once investigated.

Manual False Positive Bans

Unlike automated bans, manual false positive bans happen due to human error. This could be a mistake made by a developer, support agent, or game master. While some manual bans are easy to fix others can be more challenging to resolve. Here are some examples.

Boosting False Bans

Imagine you’re playing League of Legends while on vacation or using a VPN, and you go on an incredible win streak in ranked games. Even though you’re playing legitimately, a sudden boost in performance and a change in location might get you reported. If a support agent manually reviews your case, they may ban you for “boosting,” which means they think you had help to improve your rank. Proving this wasn’t the case can be very difficult especially since the location and win-rate increase look suspicious.

Similarly, let’s say you’re playing World of Warcraft with friends and they help you out in a Mythic+ dungeon without charging you in-game gold. Since no gold is exchanged, it could appear like a paid boosting service, which can lead to a ban. Unless your friends rarely help other players in this way, it might be hard to prove you didn’t pay them with real money.

Real Money Trading (RMT) False Bans

If your friend is quitting a game like Lost Ark and decides to give you all their in-game gold, this can look like real money trading. If you’re not chatting in-game because you’re on a Discord call, there won’t be any in-game logs to show that you’re just friends. Depending on how much gold was traded, you could get banned for RMT, and without proof, it could be tough to overturn the ban.

Cheating False Bans

Skilled players can sometimes be mistaken for cheaters. For example: Necros, a well-known Twitch streamer and Genji player in Overwatch 2, has been banned multiple times because his incredible reaction times led some to believe he was cheating. This wasn’t due to anti-cheat software but rather human error in reviewing reports.

In games like PUBG: if you’re having an amazing day and landing great shots with a high kill-to-death ratio, you might get reported. Upon manual review, a support agent might think your skills are too good to be true and ban you, even though you weren’t cheating.

Why Manual Bans Are Hard to Overturn

You might think that once developers check for cheating software, it’s easy to clear your name. But that’s not always the case. Not all cheats are detected by anti-cheat systems. Public cheats are usually flagged quickly, but private and paid cheats are harder to detect. These cheats are not available to the public and are updated frequently to avoid detection.

This makes it harder for support agents to tell whether a player is cheating or just skilled, which can lead to false bans that are difficult to resolve.

Toxicity False Bans

Toxicity bans occur when players are punished for negative or offensive behavior. However, sometimes things are taken out of context. For instance, a player might report you for “throwing” or “intentionally losing” even when that wasn’t your intent. The agent reviewing your chat logs might not fully understand the context, leading to a false ban.

In games like League of Legends, you could be suspended for toxicity even if you weren’t toxic. Depending on the chat logs, you might be able to get your account unbanned. However, if something you said was misunderstood or taken negatively, it might be harder to prove your innocence.

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Preventing Manual False Positive Bans

While not all manual false bans can be prevented, here are a few tips to minimize your risk:

• Avoid playing ranked or competitive games when using a VPN or from a new location.
• Be cautious when accepting large in-game trades or gifts from friends.
• Record your gameplay if you’re performing exceptionally well to have evidence of your legitimacy.
• Think carefully before typing in chat to avoid being misunderstood.

Conclusion

Manual false positive bans are difficult to prevent entirely, but being aware of how they happen can help you identify and respond to them if they occur. If you ever need help, always reach out to the game’s support team for assistance!