New World features the ability for player factions to declare war on one another to take territory, but one weapon apparently being used to win those wars ought to break Aeturnum's version of the Geneva Convention – the game's banning tools. Swathes of players are reporting having been banned just before a timed war, with Amazon giving mixed messages about why (or even if) that could be the case.
A quick look at the New World subreddit and New World forums reveals multiple topics along this subject, some stretching back days. The topics tend to hew along similar lines – players complain that they've received 24 hour bans just before a war, despite claiming to have broken no rules. In many cases, the groups of players targeted appear to be at the highest levels of their company (the groups that can take part in wars).
The upshot is that companies enter wars without key members of their forces, leading to losses of territory that feel unjust. Many players reporting coincidental bans put this down to mass reporting from enemy companies, who are using what victims allege is an automatic banning system. That appeared to be confirmed by a customer service representative for the game:
That response led many to feel the case was closed, and that Amazon needed to tweak its banning tools to stop unfair use ahead of wars. Confusingly, however, other members of the Amazon team have since stated that there are no automatic bans. As PC Gamer points out, an individual posting on the official New World Twitter account said that every report they'd pulled after claims of unfair moderation did include violations of the Code of Conduct. However, further Amazon customer service interactions have seemingly included mentions of 24 hour bans being automated in some way.
The mixed messaging has led to confusion in the community, not least because bans themselves often include little information as to why they were handed out – something community manager NW_Mugsy has said they have suggested as a fix. We've contacted Amazon Games for an explanation of what's been happening, and if changes are being made.
Whatever the cause or reasoning, it marks another teething problem for Amazon's immensely popular new MMO. After huge server queues and a seeming U-turn on allowing players to transfer what regions they play in, alleged mass banning is just the latest frustration for would-be explorers on Aeturnum.
Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].