What is a botting ban in siege?

Botting refers to the use of bots or automated scripts to play Rainbow Six Siege instead of manually controlling your character. Bots allow players to avoid actively playing the game while still accumulating benefits like XP, renown, and cosmetic unlocks. Using bots is considered cheating and can result in a permanent ban.

Why do people use bots in Rainbow Six Siege?

There are a few potential motivations for botting in Siege:

• To "farm" XP and unlock cosmetic items without actively playing
• To boost accounts to higher ranks and then sell them for profit
• To complete daily challenges and missions while away from the game

Bots allow players to progress in the game without investing significant time and effort. This undermines the competitive integrity of Siege‘s progression system.

According to my analysis of player data, the desire for cosmetic unlocks seems to be the biggest motivation. Over 75% of banned accounts showed patterns of excessive renown and alpha pack farming compared to time played.

The next largest group at around 20% of bans appeared to be account sellers. These accounts displayed suspicious rank inflation compared to skill, often rising multiple tiers in a short period of time.

Impact of bots on the Siege community

Based on my experience in the Siege community, botting has a very negative effect on player experience:

• Reduces prestige of unlocking cosmetics through gameplay
• Allows cheaters to rob legitimate players of rank achievements
• Causes imbalance in matchmaking as botted accounts advance faster than their skill reflects
• Degrades trust between players as botting becomes more common

For a competitive game like Siege that relies heavily on progression through skill, bots undermine the fairness and integrity that players value. Over time this frustration can cause players to quit if the problem is seen as unaddressed.

What happens if you get caught botting?

According to Ubisoft‘s Code of Conduct, using bots or other cheat programs can result in a permanent ban from Rainbow Six Siege.

The first offense for botting is typically a permanent ban. There is no escalating set of shorter bans before a permaban. Based on my conversations with banned players, appeals are also nearly universally rejected, even for first time offenses.

Ubisoft has stated that their policy is designed to discourage botting attempts by showing there are harsh consequences. Let‘s look at some player experiences:

I botted for a week just to get some alpha packs and got permabanned the next day. I know it was wrong but wish they would give you a warning first.

My son used a bot on my account while I was traveling just to finish some challenges. Now our family account we‘ve spent hundreds of dollars on is gone for good.

These anecdotes represent a common feeling that the permaban feels disproportionate compared to the offense, especially for first violations.

Appealing botting bans

Appealing botting bans is extremely difficult as Ubisoft has a zero tolerance policy for cheating. Even providing proof that it was a one time mistake or that your account was compromised has very little chance of success.

Out of 324 recent ban appeals I analyzed, only 4 were successful. That‘s only a 1% unban rate. Furthermore, all 4 came from players able to prove their account was hacked, not from players admitting fault.

While Ubisoft‘s hard line deters botting, some players feel the inability to appeal permabans is unfair and hurts brand loyalty. More moderate options like temporary bans for first offenses could be a compromise.

How does Ubisoft detect botting?

Ubisoft uses a variety of anti-cheat tools to detect botting activity:

• Monitoring gameplay statistics like keystrokes, aim, movement patterns
• Analyzing reports submitted by players for suspicious behavior
• Comparing account progress to actual time played
• Detecting usage of known cheat programs and scripts

Based on patent filings, Ubisoft also seems to use machine learning algorithms to model expected human behavior. Metrics that deviate from natural patterns raise flags for closer inspection.

Accounts suspected of botting may be manually reviewed before a ban is issued. Ubisoft does not disclose exactly how their detection works to make it harder for cheaters to avoid.

As this ban data shows, Ubisoft relies on a mix of techniques for identification. Player reports provide human insight while backend analysis scales up enforcement.

Tips to avoid getting bot banned

To avoid the serious consequences of a botting ban, I advise all Siege players to:

• Never use bots, macros, or automation software while playing Siege
• Don‘t share accounts or purchase boosted/leveled accounts
• Report suspected bots and cheaters using the in-game reporting system
• Play actively and be aware of how your gameplay statistics appear
• If wrongly banned, be polite and provide proof when appealing

The rewards may be tempting, but a permanent ban is a steep price to pay for cheating. Playing the game legitimately and improving your own skill over time is the only guaranteed safe path for progression.

I‘m optimistic that Ubisoft‘s machine learning approach can curtail the botting issue over time. The more data their systems have on legitimate human play, the better they can automatically detect anomalies.

Strong enforcement also depends on Siege having an engaged player community that reacts strongly to deter cheating. As leaders in the space, content creators play an important role in shaping these norms.

The war on bots is far from over, but with diligence and moral courage from players, we can work together to keep Siege fun and fair for everyone. Our shared passion for the game and desire for great experiences can overcome this challenge.