My Once Human Diary: Cheaters, Bans, and a Fairer Nalcott

I’m not gonna lie, the last couple of weeks in Once Human have been a real rollercoaster. I’ve been running around Nalcott with my usual crew, scavenging, building, and occasionally getting absolutely wrecked by a guy who somehow zipped through a wall like a ghost. So when the dev team dropped their latest enforcement roundup for March 13 to March 19, I grabbed a coffee and read every word. Honestly, it was a mixed bag of relief and frustration.

First, the numbers. From March 13 to March 19, Once Human banned a total of 197 players. Out of those, 97 were publicly penalized for using cheats, and 21 were hit for maliciously affecting other players. The team also warned that because their AI model is still being updated, backend monitoring data shows there is still a slight chance of false bans being triggered. I felt that in my bones. A mate of mine got slapped with a suspension last month, and he swears up and down he was just scouting bushes. If you’re in that boat, the official advice is to submit an appeal through the in-game appeal screen. They apologized for the inconvenience, which is nice, but it still stings when you’re on the receiving end.

During that same period, the devs kept getting reports from Metas about cheating players. The most frequently reported cheating types were wall clipping, ESP (extrasensory perception), aimbot, flying, and teleporting. I’ve seen the flying one with my own eyes, and let me tell you, it’s a real kick in the teeth. One minute you’re lining up a clean shot, the next the guy is hovering above a cliff like he owns the place. Wall clipping is another classic — enemies just phasing through solid rock like it’s not even there. The devs say they verified these reports promptly and took appropriate action, and I want to believe that. The ban list image they shared shows a serious crackdown.

When I saw that long list, I won’t lie, I did a little victory fist pump. There’s something satisfying about seeing cheaters get the boot. But the story doesn’t end there.

Then came the March 20 to March 26 report, and the focus shifted to language violations. A total of 158 penalties were issued for speech violations. The breakdown was: 30 days for 6 cases, 7 days for 15 cases, 1 day for 104 cases, and 2 hours for 33 cases. I mean, that’s a lot of salty mouths. They didn’t publish the list of speech-banned players due to space limitations, which is fair enough. But here’s the kicker: the devs have been paying close attention to feedback about the chat restriction system. They launched a focused optimization effort, including upgraded smart filtering to reduce false positives and better manual review processes for more accurate judgment. That’s a breath of fresh air, because I’ve seen innocent jokes get caught in the filter before. Nobody wants to get muted for saying ‘gg’ in a sarcastic tone.

Here’s a little table to keep the speech penalty data straight:

The devs also mentioned that this world is brought to life by our interactions — sharing highlights, fighting alongside friends, and every sincere exchange brings warmth to the game. They hope everyone uses kind words to build meaningful memories and protect the beauty of Nalcott together. That hit different. At the end of the day, it’s a shared world, and the vibes matter as much as the loot.

Now, about compensation. During the first period, a total of 180 compensation grants were issued to 454 players under the cheat damage compensation mechanism. But here’s the honest part: the current scope of compensation cannot yet cover all situations. If you encountered cheating and didn’t receive compensation, the devs sincerely apologized. They made it clear that this doesn’t mean your experience has been overlooked — it just reflects current limitations in detection and coverage mechanisms. I felt that. I had a match where a teleporting player cleaned out a whole supply drop before I could even blink, and I never saw a single grant. It’s frustrating, but the devs are asking for feedback through official customer service, including match information, specific time, and the impact you experienced. Every piece of feedback helps improve their compensation algorithms and expand protection coverage. So keep your receipts, folks.

Another thing that caught my eye: after banning an account, they check for associated ‘alt’ accounts and ban those as well. That’s the kind of thoroughness I can get behind. Cheaters love to hop on a backup account after getting caught, and now they’re getting kicked to the curb twice over. It’s not perfect, but it’s progress.

The devs wrapped up by saying they take a firm stance against behaviors that disrupt others’ gaming experiences. Going forward, any verified malicious behavior that disrupts gameplay will result in immediate bans. They encouraged all Meta-Humans to play responsibly and help maintain a fair and enjoyable gaming environment. If you see something shady, report it through the in-game reporting system or customer support. Don’t be a bystander.

So where does that leave me? Honestly, a little more hopeful. The system has cracks, and the AI false bans are a pain in the neck, but at least the team is talking openly about it. They’re refining the chat filter, expanding compensation, and nuking cheaters and their alts. I’ll keep scavenging, keep fighting, and keep reporting every wall-clipping weirdo I spot. Nalcott is worth protecting, and fair play is what makes the wasteland feel like home.

That’s my two cents. If you’ve been wrongfully banned, appeal it. If you ran into a cheater, report it. If you got cheated out of loot, file that feedback with the time and match info. We’re all in this together, and the only way to keep Once Human from becoming a wild west of hacks is to speak up. See you out there, Metas — play fair and square.