Last week we reported on concerns raised by roleplayers about Elder Scrolls Online’s use of “AI-powered proactive and reactive moderation methods” that were reportedly causing accounts engaging in personal conversations or chat roleplay to be punished. The discussion has finally brought forth one of the devs to help try to clear the air with a bit of information and insight.
As MMO Fallout first noticed, one of ESO’s community managers has outlined some things about ZOS’s chat moderation: He admits that the studio has been “iterating on some processes recently and are still learning and training on the best way to use these tools,” which in turn has lead to “some occasional hiccups.” Despite that, he assures players that tool-assisted reports are all checked by a human first before action is taken and claims that no auto-modding occurs when a report is first generated.
“We are by no means trying to disrupt or limit your role-play experiences or general discourse with friends and guildmates,” he states. “You should have confidence that your private role-play experiences and conversations are yours and we are not looking to action anyone engaging in consensual conversations with fellow players.”
The dev closes by further admitting that a “small number” of temporary suspensions and bans were lifted upon further review and also makes sure to state the studio is acting within the EU’s Digital Service Act and all similar laws.
Player response to the post appears to be mixed, with some fans mollified, a few others claiming that they were auto-banned regardless, and some making baseless claims that these tools are creating lag in the MMORPG itself or that the referenced “processes” are just ZOS handing customer service to a third-party offshore company. Regardless, there is now a bit more insight on what’s happening.
