Using bots in games is pretty low and it’s more often than not against a games rules or terms of service. Diablo 3 is no exception but it’s still a major problem.
Since the very first Diablo game there has been hacks, cheats and bots, it’s nothing new. When the real money auction house was up and running there was certainly an incentive to run bots, but the even though the RMAH is a distant memory, the problem is still there.
Now Diablo 3 players take part in the Seasons to get their hands on the new gear and using botting to rise up the ranks has become a problem. The Diablo 3 community has become increasingly frustrated with the problem and lack of decisive action by Blizzard against bot users, some of which are well known streamers and so called pillars of the community.
Core members of the community, including our very own Diabloii.Net, released an open letter to Blizzard over the weekend asking Blizzard to take action and do “something about the botters” and adding that “it cannot continue like this”.
Blizzard has stated in the past that they don’t always announce when accounts are banned and that games are continually monitored. However, for the community to come together and ask for further action indicates that Blizzard has not been doing enough for the Diablo 3 community. Some accounts are known to be on 23 hours a day which is impossible.
Since the game’s release it’s becoming more and more apparent that perhaps Diablo 3 is not that important to Blizzard. After all their cock-ups with the game such as the terrible launch, the incredibly bad idea of launching a real money auction house, a simplified skill system, and broken itemisation, perhaps they have moved on from the franchise as a whole. They have improved the game massively since launch but it still needs more care an attention.
We don’t really have any idea what Blizzard’s future plans are for Diablo but it always feels like it’s the one franchise they would rather not be associated with. Considering Diablo 3 has sold in excess of 30 million copies, according to their own numbers, you would think they would be right on top of issues such as botting. Let’s also not forget the lack of any Diablo presence at Gamescom in August, and a section at this year’s Blizzcon that’s so small you need a magnifying glass to see it on the floor map. It does make you wonder if they are supporting the Diablo 3 community at all.
Fans of the Diablo franchise deserve better. Let’s hope Blizzard sit up and pay attention to this open letter.
