The Elder Scrolls Online ban on players for alleged 'Gold Duplication' triggers community backlash

Developed and published by ZeniMax Online Studios and Bethesda Softworks respectively, The Elder Scrolls Online is one of the most played massively multiplayer online role-playing games across the globe.

It came out in 2014 and has since received a bunch of updates and expansion packs. The Elder Scrolls Online is now available across numerous platforms like Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox, and more.

Since games like The Elder Scrolls Online have a huge player base, there are also some automated measures in such games to prevent cheating. However, these measures might at times cause trouble for innocent players as well.

Now, some The Elder Scrolls Online players are going through something similar. As per recent reports, players’ accounts in The Elder Scrolls Online are getting suspended by ZeniMax Online Studios due to a ‘Gold Duplication’ ban.

This is affecting many Guild members/traders in The Elder Scrolls Online and they are unable to play the game because of this alleged ‘Gold Duplication’ ban.

This morning, I woke up to find that a number of Top Traders across my trade guilds, friendly trade guilds AND rival trade guilds have all received 72 hour bans for ‘Duping’. However, I know many of these players to be entirely honest, have more gold than they need already, and solely trade for fun. I should be clear at this point: I was not personally not banned, but have total trust in the members who informed me of this sudden issue.
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However, players have been reporting that they are unaware or unsure of why their accounts are being suspended as the game developer has not provided proper reasons behind the ban.

This is inconveniencing many players and has also triggered a backlash in The Elder Scrolls Online community. Most reports indicate that players are not particularly doing anything illicit in the game except for gold trading.

Also, the lack of clarity from ZeniMax Online Studios is further adding to players’ dilemma. Thus it is unclear whether this ‘Gold Duplication’ ban in The Elder Scrolls Online is indeed genuine or a fault the game developer’s end.

First off: I have absolutely no idea what I have done to deserve this. None of us have. We have tried to make sense of this and see if we all have some things in common here, addons etc., but to no avail. No explanation from ZOS yet, exept that we have been involved in «gold duplication» and that whatever we have done is somehow linked to one of the many possible rule infringements they have listed for us.
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An affected guild member/trader pointed out that the suspension was lifted for those banned in their guild but all the gold was removed from their ESO accounts.

However, ZeniMax Online Studios has not made any comments on the matter so far as to why players are getting banned or why all their gold is being taken away.

Hopefully, the game developer sheds some more light on the matter soon so that affected players can understand why their accounts are getting banned and why they are losing all the gold in The Elder Scrolls Online.

That said, we will report back with more details on the matter as and when we get new information to share so stay tuned.

NOTE: There are more such stories in our dedicated Gaming section so be sure to go through it.

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