Recent Issues with NA Megaserver

ZOS_GinaBruno

Hi everyone,

We’d like to briefly explain what’s been going on with the North American server stability lately. In short, we’ve been getting hit with many repeated DDoS attacks (Distributed Denial of Service). When this happens, it floods our service and prevents you from being able to log in, stay connected, or even group properly. Sometimes they only affect a handful of players, and other times they can cause a much greater and widespread impact. Either way, it’s a frustrating situation.

While we do have protection in place (which we obviously can’t discuss publicly), it hasn’t been enough. We’ve been working hard to implement additional security measures to make sure you’re able to log in – and stay logged in – whenever you want to play, and aren’t interrupted. We hope you understand why we’re being somewhat vague and not discussing specifics here. We take this issue very seriously, though, and are working hard to ensure everyone has the best experience possible.

Thank you for your continued support and patience.

MissBizz

Thanks for the update. It has been very frustrating as I'm sure you understand. I hope you folks find some additional measures to take so these issues don't arise as often as they have lately.

Elsonso

Thanks for the update.

Paulington

Thanks for the update Gina.

I personally don't play on NA servers but I know a lot of NA guilds who have had their raid nights ruined by these attacks and it's good to hear that something is being done proactively in order to help prevent them in the future.

geonsocal

gracias @ZOS_GinaBruno

the community definitely appreciates the info...

I imagine this would be similiar to the local starbucks shutting down and a boatload of caffeine fiends missing their fix...

gotta play, gotta play, gotta play...

speaking of which, hope y'all get it sorted soon - wanna cut loose a little early from work and get my game on

Tandor

Thanks Gina.

Although the issue hasn't affected me as a PC EU player, I do understand the frustration felt by fellow players on the NA servers, and as always with such problems the key rule is - communicate, communicate meaningfully, and communicate often!

rhapsodious

Give your infrastructure guys some cookies on my behalf. I don't envy them for having to deal with this.

Ixtyr

Thanks @ZOS_GinaBruno and team.

ckrobinson83

Thanks for the update. It explains the problems I've been having.

Docmandu

Probably a disgruntled player that now uses the money he doesn't spend on ESO Plus, to buy a targetted DDoS attack

gp1680

Thanks for the update Gina!!

bottleofsyrup

My friend and I were thinking it had to be DDoS. Thanks for the update, Gina.

purple-magicb16_ESO

Thanks for the update

Sereamha

Thank you very much for the update.

TempusFugit

Many thanks for the update. And for advising us on what is causing these problems.

MrGarlic

Thank you for your update.

I think it is important to keep players and subscribers informed when problems arise.

Not knowing creates distrust and I am sure you don't want paying customers disgruntled with your service as they will leave and take their money elsewhere.

Once again, thank you.

Thogard

Thank you for the update. I have a few questions, if you would be so kind:

1. For the last three weeks or so, we've seen issues with certain nodes near the tail end of many users routes to the server. Were these DDOS attacks also causing those issues? I can confirm that traffic on those nodes would spike coinciding with the "lag spikes" in game.
2. It seems that in the last 72 hours the default route to the servers for many users has changed. Is this related to the DDOS attacks?
3. Can you coment on ZOS's relationship with Akamai technologies?
4. It seems that the default / resting ping for many users has increased even when the traffic flow is normal (no DDOS). Is it fair to assume that this is a side effect of the extra "defenses?"
5. Most importantly, where is the best jump in point for those of us using a VPN to improve ping? It seems as if having the VPN drop me off in Dallas is no longer ideal. My ping maps seem to indicate NorCal / Bay Area as the new, ideal jump in spot.

Jailbirdy

1st is was Xbox Live

...then it was the routing through ISP's from the server

Now it is a DDOS attack....


I think you still have the option to blame Trump available to you.

Celysa

well just great. stuck in loading screen after login. just redownloaded game, glad I haven't subscribed again. any eta?

gangyzgirl

Thanks for letting us know

rhapsodious

Jailbirdy wrote: »

1st is was Xbox Live

...then it was the routing through ISP's from the server

Now it is a DDOS attack....


I think you still have the option to blame Trump available to you.

I mean, those were all problems...

I don't play on XBox but for the second issue, that's a known thing that's happened with other games and applications, it's not particularly unique. And ZOS has gotten DDoSed before. Seems it's particularly bad this time.

Hopefully this one being as bad as it is leads to some permanent bolstering of their infrastructure and defenses.

Tandor

Thogard wrote: »

Thank you for the update. I have a few questions, if you would be so kind:

1. For the last three weeks or so, we've seen issues with certain nodes near the tail end of many users routes to the server. Were these DDOS attacks also causing those issues? I can confirm that traffic on those nodes would spike coinciding with the "lag spikes" in game.
2. It seems that in the last 72 hours the default route to the servers for many users has changed. Is this related to the DDOS attacks?
3. Can you coment on ZOS's relationship with Akamai technologies?
4. It seems that the default / resting ping for many users has increased even when the traffic flow is normal (no DDOS). Is it fair to assume that this is a side effect of the extra "defenses?"
5. Most importantly, where is the best jump in point for those of us using a VPN to improve ping? It seems as if having the VPN drop me off in Dallas is no longer ideal. My ping maps seem to indicate NorCal / Bay Area as the new, ideal jump in spot.

That reads like exactly the sort of questions that they would not want to answer, and I wonder why anyone would even ask them.

DHale

Do remember that this is someone or someones deliberately trying to negatively impact our game. This only ruins it for we players an that is thier intent. Even if ZOS had the most stable severs (they don't) or the best coding (lol) this would not protect from a DDOS attack. This is someone being a jerk.

SilentRaven1972

Thanks for the update, Gina. I quoted you in the thread I started (moved to PC section), so people that may not look here or the other thread will hopefully see it.

Moloch1514

So discounted ESO+ while the game isnt 100% accessible (it is an online game, after all)??

Haha JK.

Tyreal1974

Thanks for the update!

Thogard

Tandor wrote: »

Thogard wrote: »

Thank you for the update. I have a few questions, if you would be so kind:

1. For the last three weeks or so, we've seen issues with certain nodes near the tail end of many users routes to the server. Were these DDOS attacks also causing those issues? I can confirm that traffic on those nodes would spike coinciding with the "lag spikes" in game.
2. It seems that in the last 72 hours the default route to the servers for many users has changed. Is this related to the DDOS attacks?
3. Can you coment on ZOS's relationship with Akamai technologies?
4. It seems that the default / resting ping for many users has increased even when the traffic flow is normal (no DDOS). Is it fair to assume that this is a side effect of the extra "defenses?"
5. Most importantly, where is the best jump in point for those of us using a VPN to improve ping? It seems as if having the VPN drop me off in Dallas is no longer ideal. My ping maps seem to indicate NorCal / Bay Area as the new, ideal jump in spot.

That reads like exactly the sort of questions that they would not want to answer, and I wonder why anyone would even ask them.

You caught me, I'm the leet haxxor responsible for the DDOS attacks.

But in this case I'm just asking questions that anyone with basic networking knowledge would want to know. None of that is a "secret"

NateS4

So will there be an extra day or two of the event?

firedrgn

Getting hit with ddos attack now I guess. I look like a fool after my. I never get link death or long,load screens. Cooking noddles and try again with my first world problems.

squinceybones

Surely these ddos people just get sent an email saying you have logged in from a different IP address that never comes, and therefore cannot ddos. What more security could you need?

firedrgn

I just googled it. They can hit from 10 of thousand of ip at a time . it over loads the system just responding to the request and not letting them log in.