'Elder Scrolls Online' is suffering bot plague just like any other MMORPG available. Zenimax Online Studios is doing everything they can to stop the crisis and prevent in-game effects of bots.

Know the facts on how bots in ESO can ruin gameplay and economy, and what can be done to counteract them.

ESO Bot Plague

"Elder Scrolls Online" director Matt Firor described the current state of the game and the range of the gold spammers and bots that comprise most of the complaints.

"The scope of the black market activity accounts for up 85 per cent of customer service emails and calls. Because of this huge influx of contact relating to this one issue, our CS team has been slower to react to other problems than planned - our sincere apologies if you have been held up for a long period of time waiting for CS to respond to you. Again, our goal is to keep this activity away from you so you don't have to contact customer service in the first place," Firor's statement at the forums.

In technical terms, bots are programs controlling characters in autopilot and perform activities like any other playable characters except they kill monsters all over again, getting experience and gold without actual player control.

ESO Bot Facts and What Can Be Done

Bots are also methods for scamming which can steal private information such as credit card details. Based on SkyrimFansite.com, bots may affect the entire game including players with the following factors:

1. Criminals may create accounts and release bots to steal private data such as credit card details.

2. Bots can infest the entire game and mine gold all over again.

3. Mined gold is sold to buyers for real cash.

Fault on why bots exist inside MMORPGs are viewed differently and people should consider the factors between the opportunists, players and the developer.

  1. Bots may be used to perform crime.
  2. Bots may be created to cheat and bypass in-game restrictions.
  3. Bots can be an easy way to buy in-game stuff such as gold from bot makers.
  4. Off-game purchases of in-game items keep the bot business going.
  5. Developers lack the proper and precise solution to put a stop against bots.

ESO players can help developers fight bots by performing certain countermeasures:

1. Increase the strength of the account authenticity and payment processing system.

2. File reports to the support team for any gold spamming.

3. Notify moderators regarding off-game purchases of in-game items.

For the developer, there are some suggestions as well which can help manage the occurrence and population of bots.

1. More in-game moderators to monitor game activity.

2. New ways to identify players, more accurate methods determine who purchases gold and ban accounts for any illegal activities.

3. Release new patches regularly to make it difficult for bot makers to push in their characters.