Battlestate Games Cracks Down on Datamining in Escape From Tarkov
Escape From Tarkov developer Battlestate Games has issued a warning against dataminers in the popular fps game, threatening to ban in-game accounts and even platforms that facilitate datamining. In its official announcement, pinned to the top of Escape From Tarkov’s official Discord server, the studio defines datamining as “extracting hidden information from in-game code and databases,” and considers it illegal infiltration. While datamining itself is not necessarily illegal, the means by which it is conducted and the use to which it is later put could well lead to legal consequences.Battlestate's Concerns
Battlestate’s concern, however, is not exclusively (or perhaps even mainly) about the potential effects on gameplay of potential cheats. The studio is primarily concerned about the revelation of hidden content, such as boss spawn chances, upcoming quests, and unannounced rewards, which spoils the ‘wow effect’ and makes the game less exciting and predictable. The studio goes on to state, “We also believe that actively relying on unofficial sources for information about the game is not only risky but also harms your own experience.” On a positive note, the studio does encourage players to rely on official sources for information and promises to be more transparent about future plans in response to “vocal feedback” it has received on this matter. “In the future,” the announcement adds, “we will be more open and will share more details on the way we are developing the game.” To enforce this, Battlestate will ban in-game accounts involved in datamining and sharing data discovered via that process, and also warns platforms that facilitate datamining will also face consequences. Again, while datamining itself may be somewhat ambiguous from a legal perspective, how it is conducted, and how its results are distributed, is less vague and undoubtedly breaches the privacy and intellectual property rights of the studio.Backlash and Questions
The announcement has sparked a backlash, with some arguing that dataminers have helped the game survive by alerting players to bad behavior by developer BTG, and that the studio should therefore appreciate their efforts. Others, however, question why sharing datamined data on the Tarkov Wikia is allowed, when sharing it on personal social media accounts is not. It’s also possible that this conflict between Battlestate and dataminers, including the popular YouTube and Twitch user LogicalSolutions, has played a part in this decision. Regardless, the studio’s stance is clear: “Unauthorized extraction or sharing of unreleased data can result in a full ban from the game.” PC Gamer has reached out to Battlestate for more information and will update this article accordingly.Escape From Tarkov Datamining Warning
The official Escape From Tarkov announcement on datamining gives a broad definition of the practice and indicates how serious Battlestate is about preventing players from accessing and sharing unreleased game data. It reads:“The main concern is not about potential cheats. The real problem is revealing data that the game developers want to remain hidden. Such information can spoil the surprise and spoil the game itself.”
“We want the game to remain exciting, which can be achieved by players trusting official sources only and avoiding unofficial content.”
“To avoid any misunderstandings, we will also punish those who leak data from the test server, including several types of accounts involved in the process.”
“Finally, we will strengthen our cooperation with platforms and services that provide the game data, including prime versions.”
