Ban

A ban is used as a last resort for players who had unacceptable behavior or violated the rules (see EULA) in an outrageous way. It materializes either through the impossibility to play on that account, or the impossibility to play from that IP address (e.g. the same computer from which the ban was taken). Bans are also known as suspensions or blocks.

The length of a ban is based on the severity of the offense and past behavior. For example, a farming bot would be banned forever, whereas excessive spamming would probably result in a short ban of a few hours or days. When a player is banned, their account receives an account mark. Ban lengths will increase as account marks are accumulated on the account.

Innapropriate language and/or use of racial slurs are an oft-cited reason for bans. ArenaNet is sometimes at odds with particular sections of the playerbase because even though some words or phrases are considered benign in one neighborhood, in others people may find them offensive. "They are too sensitive" or "It's okay where I live" is not a valid defense, and due to the difficulty of protesting a ban, it is best for players to err on the side of caution in all cases. If it would offend anyone in any way, it's probably best not to say it at all.

ArenaNet does not actively monitor the chat channels for profanity and racism. Rather, it is the responsibility of the players to report unacceptable behavior and EULA violations through the in-game /report command or by e-mailing ArenaNet directly. Once filed, these complaints are researched by GMs and other ArenaNet staff, and a conclusion is reached. However, the original reporter is rarely if ever informed of what happens to the accused.