Why Did I Get Banned - The Official Thread

Good news: The vast majority of you reading this will never need to post in this thread.

Bad news: If you are checking this page because of an in-game message, it is likely that you have been banned for violating the terms of use and/or committing a code of conduct violation. It is also possible in the case of an especially egregious violation, that your Xbox 360 system itself is now banned from Matchmaking. The duration of this ban will be based on the type, frequency or nature of the committed violation.

In most cases, Custom Games will still be available. In extreme cases, they will not.


Types of violation include, but are not limited to, the following example actions:

• Manipulating network conditions to give yourself an advantage, or to the detriment of the experience for other players.
• Modifying your Xbox 360 hardware or game software and services in any way.
• Skill, EXP, or Credit Boosting, deleveling, idling through games, cheating, habitual quitting or any other type of unsociable and unsportsmanlike behavior.
• Impersonating a Bungie, 343, or Microsoft employee on Xbox LIVE with intent to defraud or cause harm to other players.


The following things will not result in a visit from the Banhammer:

• Lag (poor or intermittent network performance).
• Occasional disconnects due to inconsistent network conditions.

Please note that while this process is automated, it is accurate. Bans are almost certainly legitimate, and will stay in force for their stated duration. To keep your matchmaking privileges in good standing, immediately cease any unsociable behavior and wait out the ban. Either way, there will be no response communication from this process.


Below are some sample questions and answers.

I shouldn't be banned. My brother/sister/cousin/dad/mom/friend must've logged on with my account and done bad things. Will you please reverse my ban?

If this is indeed the case, we do understand your frustration. However, it is your sole responsibility to keep your account information secure and not share it with others who would abuse it. We have no way of detecting who is playing with your account, and if your gamertag is caught making naughty, you will be banned. Those are the rules.

I didn't do anything wrong, and you can't prove it. Will you please reverse my ban?

No. Like it says above, our automated system builds up a digital case of wrongdoing before any ban is enacted. If you accidentally disconnect a time or two, you won't get banned. Instead the system looks for patterns that can't happen accidentally. If the banhammer detects enough wrongdoing, you were doing wrong. Case closed.

Will posting in this thread guarantee my ban will be lifted and that someone will respond personally to every post?

Unfortunately, no. We simply don't have enough eyes, ears and typing hands to respond to every single post. However, the community will help keep you honest. You have a public game history for everyone to see. If you post you were banned unjustly, the community is in their rights to check out your history to confirm or deny your claims. Please, just keep it clean.


The purpose of this thread is to keep all questions pertaining to bans in one place. Without a megathread for such questions, the rest of the forum will almost certainly turn into a cavalcade of ban questions.

If you were banned and think you have a case, this is the ONLY thread you should post in. If other moderators see posts pertaining to bans in other threads, they will either be deleted outright or a kind-hearted mod might just move the posts to this thread.

If any users are caught habitually spamming ban threads in other threads, we will consider that a violation of the forum Terms of Use. You will risk being banned here as well. We don't want to have to ban anyone, but we do want an open, honest and positive place to post about all things Halo, so a thread like this is necessary.

Thanks,

- Total Sellout

I don't need one reversed, I'd just like some info. I'm positive that the ban was from an account on my system getting some 0 kill games. I am wondering if the ban message is supposed to appear every time I sign in. Every time that I have signed in over the last two weeks, it has said that I am credit banned for two weeks, and I don't know if it is supposed to show the message every time...

Disregard the last post, it ended this morning.

Problem solved. See this thread is working already. :)

Haha, yes it is. Thanks anyway, Frankie.

Not Frankie, but glad to see you're back up and playing.

Well then thank you Not Frankie, and not Frankie.

I havent been banned or anything..just a question though. What justifies a ban in halo reach?

The obvious things such as modding/ cheating in any way, as well as afk'ing (not playing in a match), getting zero kills (because the banhammer thinks you are afk), resetting challenges, and some other things.

There are also quit bans, in which case you can't rejoin matchmaking for a short period of time, and voice bans, which automatically mute you (although you can be un-muted).

Ban system doesn't work properly while you can AFK. If you want to justify bans, make a notice for everybody when they sign in on update day....... or something that is always seen like those banners in Halo 3 matchmaking when searching.

Well 343i aka OP posted some rules these down here are taken from Bungies matchmaking rules and i assume 343i have the same, or even a bit stricter rules

*Types of violation include, but are not limited to, the following example actions:

*Manipulating network conditions to give yourself an advantage, or to the detriment of the experience for other players.

*Modifying your Xbox 360 hardware or Bungie software and services in any way.

*Skill, EXP, or Credit Boosting, deleveling, idling through games, cheating, habitual quitting or any other type of unsociable and unsportsmanlike behavior.

*Impersonating a Bungie, 343i employee on Xbox LIVE with intent to defraud or cause harm to other players.

Now there is allso a rule where boosting kills against AFK/Idle guest's can get you cR banned.
Sadly many are going around the banhammer by getting 1-4 kills with the AFK guest, while the main player gets 200-400 kills

Was playing saturday night with my brother in-law and his two cousins who are AWFUL at halo, and the next morning I am temp banned. I'm not mad because its only 24 hours but still, maybe this should be looked at. I understand people cheat and they should get banned but I can't be the only one who's played with family members who are just terrible at video games? There should be more criteria other than 0 kills per game for the banhammer to strike.

What do you guys think?

whats your GT?

GT = blackjack v3

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

Yah, I was banned in late November for Reach. It was a permanent console and account ban, but I really do not think that big of ban was neccesary. Ok, I did mod, but all I did was a service tag mod. I know you shouldn't mod and I realize that now, but I really do not think I deserved that big of ban for such a little thing. So I was just posting my case, and in which I think I have learned my lesson.

So the banhammer accumulates information over the course of 3 games? So it's something like 33.33% banned each game you quit? When does that percentage refresh to zero?

I'm wondering exactly how it works because I quit two games yesterday when the majority voted for BTB snipers, only because it's vastly different from what I want out of a BTB experience. On my third, I was in a Firefight game and 2 of my 3 teammates quit. I quit and was immediately banned. Yes, that one I could see I deserved.

Then today, 24 hours later, I'm playing a game. Every one suddenly goes red bar and I'm dropped from the game. Haven't quit once today and I'm banned instantly. So yeah, I'm just interested in when these bans refresh.

last night i was playing reach, and i didnt get a message on my screen saying that i was banned from earning cr, but im still not earning any? and when i signed in this morning i didnt get a message saying i was banned but i didnt earn any cr

Well if your GT is the same as your forum name A MutatedMonkey. Then you are banned for guest boosting against Idle players in Grifball

http://www.bungie.net/stats/reach/gamestats.aspx?gameid=756145465&player=A MutatedMonkey

http://www.bungie.net/stats/reach/gamestats.aspx?gameid=756114823&player=A MutatedMonkey

http://www.bungie.net/stats/reach/gamestats.aspx?gameid=754457820&player=A MutatedMonkey