Summary
- Xbox introduces a new enforcement strike system to address bad player behavior in online games, manually reviewing offenses and implementing punishments to limit access to Xbox features.
- The enforcement strike system assigns strikes for offenses like profanity or cheating, with one strike resulting in a one-day suspension and a maximum of eight strikes leading to a one-year suspension.
- Mixed response to the changes on social media has raised concerns about potential abuse and the impact on Xbox users.
In its continued efforts to deter bad player behavior in online games, Xbox revealed its new enforcement strike system across its entire ecosystem. The new enforcement system will manually review all offenses that are user-reported to not only determine if a violation of the Xbox conduct policy took place, but will use a multi-tiered strike system for punishments levied on players that will limit their access to Xbox features for a time.
Lately, Xbox has been no stranger to administering bans, but for reasons beyond just bad player behavior. Recently, Xbox consoles have received temporary bans for running emulators in Retail Mode as a way to bypass paying for Developer Mode in order to get the emulators to run. Though the Xbox Series X/S consoles were proven to be effective in emulating PS2 games, the recent bans and the subsequent cancelation of emulators for Retail Mode have effectively put a stop to that for the time being. Now, Microsoft is turning its attention towards helping players understand what can happen if they run afoul of the rules.
Effective immediately, the Xbox enforcement strike system will give players a clean slate of zero strikes on their Xbox accounts to start. However, offenses ranging from profanity in a public text or voice chat to cheating and harassment can generate a certain number of strikes. In a non-exhaustive list, Xbox stated that if a player is reported for an inappropriate Xbox Gamertag or Gamerpic, it will manually review the report and administer a strike for profanity. Plus, the system may suggest to the offending player that they can change their Xbox Gamertag to avoid another strike down the road. Strikes stay on a player's record for up to six months before expiring, and even one strike can result in a one-day suspension from Xbox services. Players that accumulate a maximum of eight strikes will receive a one-year suspension.
On social media, response to these changes was mixed. While some players are hopeful that it will deter griefing in some games, others expressed their concerns that the new enforcement system will be abused in a counterproductive way. However, other users addressed these concerns by citing that manual reviews will be utilized for enforcing the policy. As Microsoft continues to expand Xbox Game Pass following the retirement of Xbox Live, it remains to be seen how much this will affect Xbox users in the short term.
Nevertheless, harassment and extremism in gaming remain a constant problem for gamers and developers alike to contend with. Only time will tell if Xbox's new policies will influence what other companies may do in response.