Q&A with the Game Security department
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤWho decides where a “bug” ends and an “exploit” begins?
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤWhy do some players get banned while others receive only a warning?
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤAnd what exactly does the Game Security department do?
Jilee, the head of the PAWS team that keeps order in the Zone, answered these and other questions.
[h2]PAWS is?..[/h2]
Why is the department called PAWS? Are you really “the paws” now?
Jilee: The name changed after an internal reorganisation.
The abbreviation stands for Player Account Welfare & Security.
How much has your toolkit changed since SC first launched?
Jilee: Since I became head of the department, we’ve developed many new tools and in-game improvements.
For example, the buyback system for accidentally sold items and the partial character deletion mechanism were both created at our initiative.
Would you say the MMO nature of SC: X makes your job easier or harder?
Jilee: That’s quite a philosophical question. Since this is an MMO with an open economy — it certainly makes things more complex. But overall, it’s a manageable challenge.
Are bans issued only after violations are confirmed, or can a player be banned before the investigation?
Jilee: Usually, bans are issued only after a confirmed violation. Rarely, a mistake can happen due to human error.
A temporary “pending investigation” ban is possible, but only when we need to immediately stop malicious actions.
Any inside jokes or memes about your work?
Jilee: Sadly, we can’t show our internal memes as they’re under NDA, but we have favourite memes outside of work too! Here are some random ones:
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[h2]ACCOUNTS & SECURITY[/h2]
Will a player be banned for sharing an account that participates in clan wars, if the other person doesn’t actually take part in CW?
For example, lending your account to a friend just to farm open world, but not to play Tournaments.
Jilee: Technically, account sharing is forbidden even outside of CW. However, we do understand that such practices exist.
Restrictions are applied through a support ticket. For now, nothing is changing in this regard.
Also note: if you share your account with a friend or even your mum “just to test some guns,” support team may refuse assistance in case of an account theft.
How does PAWS deal with Steam-related incidents?
For example, if someone’s Steam account gets hacked, the attacker logs into STALCRAFT: X and uses cheats, resulting in a ban.
Jilee: The responsibility for third-party account security cannot be on us — legally or technically.However, we’re prototyping a system to improve protection for Steam users. No details yet.
Is there a vulnerability that allows session hijacking through fake links?
Jilee: Depends on the link. Some scammers create phishing websites mimicking trusted platforms.
Always double-check where you log in. The official resources are:
· https://stalcraft.net/
· https://support.exbo.net/en
· https://exbo.net/
Official social media links can be found on the game’s website in the Community tab.
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[h2]RMT & THE BLACK MARKET[/h2]
Why fight the black market instead of legalising it like in some other MMOs?
Jilee: RMT is like cancer for games with open economies. It causes long-term damage to both developers and honest players.Other games like Albion Online also fight RMT activities.
Legalisation is rare and usually found only in games with fully bound, non-tradable items. And let’s be honest — if we legalise RMT, it stops being a game and becomes a job. This leads to many other problems.
Where’s the line between RMT and legitimate gifting? How do you tell the difference?
Jilee: The main rule: if in-game items are earned legitimately (farming, selling crates, etc.), you’re safe.
If you receive valuable items from an unknown source, the item or rubles may be confiscated. Easy come, easy go.
Punishments are applied only with solid evidence. If you believe deduction of funds from your account was a mistake, you can email [email protected].
What sanctions apply for RMT — item removal or negative balance?
Jilee: Both can be used, depending on the case.
Does PAWS recognise that in-game items, once purchased, represent monetary value protected by law?
And that confiscating them without compensation could be seen as denying a paid service?
Jilee: No, we don’t, and won’t, recognise that.
We operate strictly within the legal framework and the Licence Agreement.
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[h2]BUG ABUSE, CW & AMNESTY[/h2]
Why do bug abusers (excluding those harming the economy) receive light punishments?
Even before the Reconstruction, I reported people clipping into walls and shooting from inside — they only got a one-day ban.
Jilee: We’re not executioners. Anyone can make a mistake. If the violation isn’t critical on a global scale, the punishment will be proportional.
However, it’s important to understand that if we see repeated violations, the next punishment becomes more severe.
Why weren’t players punished for bug abuse in CW before the new rules were introduced?
Jilee: That’s not entirely true.
Players have consistently been restricted when such violations were detected. The new Subdivision Battles rules now allow us to apply sanctions to the entire subdivision. For example, if something is placed outside the playable map, the whole clan benefits from it, so the sanctions may apply to them collectively as well.
Under the new Subdivision Battles rules, are all clans monitored closely, or only S- and A-tier ones?
Jilee: The rules apply to all clans without exception.
If you’ve noticed something suspicious or have information about a violation, you can always report it to Support Team.
But don’t worry — we also have our own monitoring tools.
Are there penalties for using out-of-bounds areas of the map?
For example, exploring the map beyond the boundaries or using out-of-bounds areas for more efficient farming.
Jilee: Yes, there are punishments for that. We’ve even fine-tuned our logs to detect such cases more effectively. However, we must distinguish between different levels of bug abuse. There’s usually nothing interesting beyond the map, if it doesn’t pose a direct threat to other players or fair play. We’ve always been fairly understanding about this kind of “exploration.”
Will there be amnesty for players permanently banned under rules 4.1.9, 4.1.2, etc., if many years have passed?
Jilee: No, amnesty is not planned.
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[h2]OTHER[/h2]
Why does the Support Team ask players for evidence when they file complaints? Isn’t collecting proof supposed to be your responsibility?
Jilee: We receive an enormous number of tickets. If we were to review every case without evidence, our efficiency would drop significantly.
Are there penalties for using auto-traders, stash-farming bots, crafting scripts, etc.?
Jilee: Some of these systems are getting blocked, but the details fall under the responsibility of the EXENS department.
Do you play STALCRAFT: X, and what kind of activities do you enjoy?
Jilee: Yes, from time to time. Nearly 5 000 hours on my main character. My favourites are quests (always interesting to go through them) and session modes.
How do you feel about some players calling PAWS a “sledgehammer” rather than a “shield”?
Jilee: That’s fair, but you must understand — a shield can’t exist without a hammer. Protecting players also means punishing offenders. Without that, there would be no order.
What would you like players to understand about your work above anything else?
Jilee: We’d like players to understand that we mostly deal with the consequences of someone’s actions. Sometimes we manage to address the causes as well, but, for example, we can’t protect you from a virus downloaded onto your PC — that’s the player’s own responsibility.
The articles we write together with the Interactions Team, the requirement of mandatory 2FA for Support Team requests, and many other rules are primarily aimed at protecting those who don’t think about risks or aren’t familiar with basic online security principles.
All of these measures didn’t appear out of thin air — you could say they’re written in blood.
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ㅤThe Zone shows no mercy, but the chaos remains contained as long as PAWS stands on guard.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤWe thank Jilee for his answers and all of you for your questions.
ㅤTake care of your accounts, Seekers. The Zone has enough enemies, no need to make anotherㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤone yourself.