What the heck is going on?
Update 3: Bungie got back to us and this is there official stance. https://www.bungie.net/en/News/Article/46426
- Destiny 2 cannot automatically ban you, only Bungie can ban a player after a manual investigation
- Yesterday, we banned approximately 400 players on PC
- Bans were applied to players who were using tools that pose a threat to the shared ecosystem of the game
- We did not (and will not) issue any bans for the use of overlays or performance tools, including Discord, Xsplit, OBS, RTSS, etc.
- Information on using third-party applications can be found here: https://www.bungie.net/en/Help/Article/46101
- We are overturning 4 of the bans that were issued during the PC Beta
Looks like Destiny 2 on the PC could be on it’s way out, despite the game just being released. People have reported that they’re being banned, left and right.
Over at official Bungie forums, there are literally hundreds of people complaining about being banned. The problem is, no one really knows how or why they were banned. From what I gathered, it seems there is a common factor for those who were banned. They were running some sort of game capture software or overlay. Ranging from OBS, Xsplit and even the built-in game capture that Windows 10 includes.
At first glance, it would seem that whatever is being used to stop any sort of cheating is causing the issue. Bungie has warned since the beginning that anything that uses code injection to function would not work properly or at all with Destiny 2. It isn’t really clear what the cause is, as Bungie as yet to reply to anyone. One thing is for sure, whatever is causing this, it’s a complete mess. And this could potentially kill any real chances for Destiny 2 on the PC.
But if that is the cause of all these bans, then Bungie is definitely to blame. At no point is it stated that none of these applications are illegal. There’s nothing in the EULA or pointed out that using these applications can result in a ban. Going further, while Bungie states those applications are not supported, they were only referring to fullscreen mode.
In fact, even Bungie states that you can use the applications I mentioned in windowed mode. It’s in their own FAQ!
OBS and XSplit
The Game Capture mode of applications such as OBS and XSplit is not supported. The following methods are supported for capturing video of Destiny 2 on PC:To capture while playing in Exclusive Fullscreen:
Hardware capture through methods such as Elgato, AVerMedia, or a dedicated streaming PC is supported.
NVIDIA Shadowplay and AMD ReLive are supported.To capture while playing in Windowed Mode (including Borderless Fullscreen):
OBS and XSplit Screen Capture mode is supported.
OBS and XSplit Window Capture mode is supported.PLEASE NOTE: Other recording applications, such as Dxtory, Razer Cortex, Fraps have similar restrictions to those outlined above.
But here’s the kicker. If you’re banned, you can’t connect Bungie for help. The bans are permanent.
Disputing a Ban or Restriction
There are NO options to dispute or overturn account restrictions or bans.
- Permanent account bans are only implemented with rigorous checking to ensure that the innocent are not punished alongside the guilty. Bungie does not comment on or discuss individual account restriction or bans.
- Restrictions are temporary, and will not be overturned or undone before they expire. Once an account is banned however, that ban is permanent. Account restrictions and bans are only done in extreme cases; if actions were taken against your account, then it was with reason.
- Bungie takes actions to preserve the experience of all Destiny players, and does not take account restrictions lightly. Players are responsible for their online account and console hardware, and any actions taken in the world of Destiny, and should be careful of who they allow to access their Destiny account.
Can you imagine finally getting a hold of Destiny 2 on PC, after all this time, firing it up and being banned? Because you use software that is widely used everywhere? Well, that’s exactly what is happening and it’s a complete and utter mess.
Update: Apparently, running any of the following applications can result in a ban.
Game Capture Mode in:
- OBS
- Xsplit (Broadcaster or Gamecaster)
Overlays in:
- Fraps
- Mumble
- Discord
- Hardware monitoring Software:
- MSI Afterburner
- EVGA Precision XOC
Well, that could explain why I also can’t launch my game now. I use Discord, Afterburner, as well as OBS and Xsplit on my PC.
We’ve reached out to Bungie for clarification on what’s happening. If you’re one of the ones affected, it looks like Blizzard is helping those affected by providing refunds. Reach out to Blizzard if you purchased the game through them. However, for those who picked up a copy of the game from a physical store or even the Nvidia promo, you may be out of luck.
Update 2: Looks like the PC Project Lead at Bungie chimed in on this. And despite all the evidence, he’s saying this is all complete BS. I’m guessing he hasn’t read the forums or he lives in another world. If it was a handful of people I could see this. But then your entire forum is full of complaints, as well as Reddit and other places. Perhaps there’s an issue somewhere.
We do block programs from pushing their code into our game. Most overlays work like that. We don't ban for that tho. That's internet BS.
— Shaw (@ShockAndShaw) October 25, 2017
Hopefully, this all gets resolved and people can enjoy the game they’re waited on and paid for. But one thing is for sure, Destiny 2 is off to a rough start. Frame rate issues, screen resolution issues, not being able to launch the game and now this?
