The blockchain-based extraction shooter game Shrapnel has identified many players attempting to “gain an unfair advantage in matches” and has permanently banned any form of manipulation.
During one of the game’s early access gameplay events, teaming and account sharing were discovered as illicit strategies employed by Shrapnel users to achieve higher rankings on the leaderboards. A group of Web3 players coordinated their lineups to eliminate other players, significantly impacting lone players.
Further investigation revealed that users were utilizing multiple devices to access the identical player account, which suggests they were gaining an undue advantage by cooperating. The firm’s statement further stated:
“This includes but is not limited to sharing login credentials, giving access to in-game characters, items, or progress to others, or using another person’s account.”
Although it has implemented systems to identify the irregularities mentioned above, which violate the game’s terms of service, Shrapnel cautions that “players found to be violating our terms of service will have their accounts removed from the current STX leaderboard and may be subject to a permanent ban.”
Additionally, they urged players to report any instances of abuse in the run-up to the game’s full release:
“It’s essential that we identify and rectify all issues before the game transitions to fully live status, especially as players begin extracting with NFTs and other digital assets.”
Nevertheless, according to one community member, the decision “penalizes” guilds and communities that favor team contests. In response to the criticism, Shrapnel stated that only users discovered engaging in unfair coordination to climb the leaderboard would be removed, not those playing with peers.
In September 2023, Shrapnel strategically decided to prohibit United States users from withdrawing in-game assets due to regulatory complexities arising from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). However, access to the game will remain unrestricted for Asian and European players.
During an interview with Cointelegraph on September 13, 2023, Shrapnel Head of Economy Francis Brankin stated:
“They [U.S. users] can do everything every other player can do, but they can’t cash out. Because that’s what makes it a security to the U.S. player, as soon as they can realize monetary value, that’s where the problem comes in.”
Brankin, nevertheless, is optimistic that the problem will be transient and that Neon, the organization responsible for developing Shrapnel, will shortly facilitate the transfer of funds from Shrapnel to the bank accounts of U.S. users.
