XBOX Botting Accounts Banned

ZOS_Kevin · May 20

Hi All. Earlier this week, we proactively identified and banned a large group of Xbox ESO accounts that were being set up to begin botting activities. Please continue to report bot farms to us so we can continue to action them. Thank you.

Bobby_Digital81 · May 20

Awesome to hear this! I don't play on Xbox, I play on PS/NA and for years there has been thousands of farm bots on our server. I haven't seen them for almost a year now. I figured you guys have set up ways to catch them before they roll out now. Glad to see you guys are proactive on removing these accounts.

Radiate77 · May 20

Great thing to get a handle on before Crossplay!

Ankael07 · May 20

Didnt even know you could bot on console

DenverRalphy · May 20

Ankael07 wrote: »

Didnt even know you could bot on console

They're not as effective or efficient on console, but they have the advantage that they can repopulate as quickly as they get banned (ie.. install ESO on a PS5, and you can have unlimited accounts using that one single install). Now with Xbox play anywhere, bots can be much more versatile and effective because running on a PC it's much easier to do more than simply emulate controller inputs. Though I'm not fluent enough in all things Xbox to know how it affects the ability to repopulate with shared access to the install like it can on console.

SwordOfSagas · May 23

I did notice there wasn't any level 3 farm bots with random letters and numbers for a gamertag taking all the resources in the starter zones, I hope you can find a way to stop it from happening again. I used to make all my gold farming materials in Betnikh before it got overrun with clankers, now it's not worth the time since they've flooded the market.

Cooperharley · May 24

Good to hear this was handled proactively. Botting is one of those issues that quietly damages the whole game, even for players who never interact with the bots directly. It affects material farming, the economy, zone experience, and general trust that the game is being actively maintained.

I also appreciate that this was caught before the accounts were fully active rather than only after players had to report obvious bot farms for weeks. That kind of prevention is exactly what we need more of.

I hope this continues across all platforms, not just Xbox. If there are account-creation or platform-sharing loopholes that make it easy for banned bot accounts to come back, those should be a priority too. Obviously ZOS should not share detection details, but occasional enforcement updates like this are reassuring.

Please keep doing this, and please keep making the reporting process as easy and useful as possible for players who spot bot farms in the wild.

FlopsyPrince · May 28

I like removing the bots, but I do wonder how you can know an account is planned for botting. As with many of these, I get concerned that I could somehow do something to fall under that assessment.

o_Primate_o · May 28

FlopsyPrince wrote: »

I like removing the bots, but I do wonder how you can know an account is planned for botting. As with many of these, I get concerned that I could somehow do something to fall under that assessment.

idk how before the acct is set up, but after Zos probably can see an account there botters are creating multiple characters with same setup - i usually see abt six sorcs with a familiar and similar naming conventions. that would set me off right away. i wouldn't doubt there's a formula botters use when setting up an account. i have some ideas but all hypothetical, of course.

LootAllTheStuff · May 31

o_Primate_o wrote: »

FlopsyPrince wrote: »

I like removing the bots, but I do wonder how you can know an account is planned for botting. As with many of these, I get concerned that I could somehow do something to fall under that assessment.

idk how before the acct is set up, but after Zos probably can see an account there botters are creating multiple characters with same setup - i usually see abt six sorcs with a familiar and similar naming conventions. that would set me off right away. i wouldn't doubt there's a formula botters use when setting up an account. i have some ideas but all hypothetical, of course.

I would not be surprised at all if the people running these bots had also automated the whole process of creating characters (and even accounts when necessary!).

FlopsyPrince wrote: »

I like removing the bots, but I do wonder how you can know an account is planned for botting. As with many of these, I get concerned that I could somehow do something to fall under that assessment.

I worried about this a little when I started using a map add-on that pins resource locations for you - especially useful with the new Tomes weeklies. Having done that, though, I think the important thing to remember is that bots literally just follow the same preset path without doing anything else. And significantly, they don't engage in combat. So as long as you're not running a low-level character running laps around the Balmora wayshrine, and hit things as you encounter them, you should be fine.

Alphawolf01A · July 9

They're starting to show up again in Bal Foyen. I reported the 3 I saw yesterday.

o_Primate_o · 5:18PM

Alphawolf01A wrote: »

They're starting to show up again in Bal Foyen. I reported the 3 I saw yesterday.

yup, more in there right now.

Arunei · 5:36PM

LootAllTheStuff wrote: »

o_Primate_o wrote: »

FlopsyPrince wrote: »

I like removing the bots, but I do wonder how you can know an account is planned for botting. As with many of these, I get concerned that I could somehow do something to fall under that assessment.

idk how before the acct is set up, but after Zos probably can see an account there botters are creating multiple characters with same setup - i usually see abt six sorcs with a familiar and similar naming conventions. that would set me off right away. i wouldn't doubt there's a formula botters use when setting up an account. i have some ideas but all hypothetical, of course.

I would not be surprised at all if the people running these bots had also automated the whole process of creating characters (and even accounts when necessary!).

FlopsyPrince wrote: »

I like removing the bots, but I do wonder how you can know an account is planned for botting. As with many of these, I get concerned that I could somehow do something to fall under that assessment.

I worried about this a little when I started using a map add-on that pins resource locations for you - especially useful with the new Tomes weeklies. Having done that, though, I think the important thing to remember is that bots literally just follow the same preset path without doing anything else. And significantly, they don't engage in combat. So as long as you're not running a low-level character running laps around the Balmora wayshrine, and hit things as you encounter them, you should be fine.

You can avoid engaging in combat and also have a low level character doing laps. The most important thing is bots cannot deviate from a set path. But people who are playing will be able to see when any given mat on their route isn't spawned in yet so they'll avoid running to that spot and move on to the next. A bot, however, can't tell when something is or isn't there, so they'll approach every single node whether it's spawned or not.