Bethesda Closing Elder Scroll Accounts

A link

Pay up another $50 for the game or else

Bethesda and ZeniMax Online have announced in a forum post that they are beginning to close Elder Scrolls Online accounts bought through unapproved Steam key resellers.

Starting yesterday, May 26, accounts with codes bought from certain grey-market sellers will receive an email explaining their access to the game has been revoked. It’ll also oh-so-helpfully give the player more information on how to repurchase the game for the full price of £50.

In the post, ZeniMax explain its stance and provided a rather long list of places you can buy from and expect to actually keep the game:

“We want to remind gamers to shop wisely and only purchase online keys from a reputable source. Fraudulently obtained keys obtained via Steam and then re-sold via third-party websites is a violation of both our and Steam’s Terms of Service. We will be deactivating all game accounts created with such stolen keys starting on Tuesday, May 26th. Affected users will receive an email with instructions on how to regain access to their game account via a valid game purchase.
The companies selling stolen keys make a practice of using stolen credit cards, or misappropriating credit card information from their own customers to buy codes from legitimate retailers. Often these companies have the lowest price available anywhere for the digital item they are selling. Customers who purchase from these vendors are at increased risk for identity theft.
Extreme discounting below the published prices on our website may be a clue that the digital key purchased for the game may have been fraudulently obtained.”

This implies they’re only targeting resold Steam keys, rather than keys intended to be redeemed directly on the site. However it’s not unreasonable to assume they will expand this policy to cover those too in the future.

I don't see the problem here? Keys that were purchased through unauthorized retailers are always in a grey area. Bethesda are neither the first, nor will they be the last, PC publisher to take action against these.

As much as you would want it to be otherwise, they are not in the wrong here.

I'm confused.

The thread creator has a problem with Bethesda stopping people from stealing?

He made a thread supporting criminal activity?

As someone who has been incarcerated twice, an opinion wasn't given.

This is what happens when you trust G2A.

Been buying off them for years.... never had anything banned.

Hell, I bet G2A isn't one of those effected.

Maybe one day, Gamespot will close TC's account. If we're lucky.

Was that before you served in the Falklands War or after you became a kid of the 90's?

I was protecting badgers from a cull, I'm very environmentalist.

Bet that's going to make some people mad...

This. Another Uninspired attempt, just like he does CDP.