NC Soft Bans 150,000 Accounts in Lineage Classic Macro Crackdown

NC Soft permanently sanctioned approximately 150,000 abnormal accounts on April 16, 2026, as part of an escalating effort to eliminate illegal macros from ‘Lineage Classic,’ according to the gaming industry report dated April 17, 2026. The company has implemented a total of 63 game usage restriction measures to date and introduced a real-name phone authentication system to combat illegal activity.

Enforcement Scale and Industry Context

Beyond Lineage Classic, NC Soft has extended aggressive anti-macro measures across other major live games including ‘Aion 2’ and ‘Blade & Soul,’ removing hundreds of thousands of abnormal accounts and filing criminal charges against malicious users. The company has adopted a company-wide “war on illegality” approach, as stated by an NC Soft representative.

Technical Detection Challenges

Despite these enforcement efforts, players continue to voice complaints about macro activity. According to the source, this reflects a fundamental technical limitation: software macros involving data manipulation can be detected and blocked immediately, but hardware macros using physical mechanical devices are extremely difficult to distinguish systematically from normal player input patterns.

The source notes that hardware macro detection challenges represent a longstanding industry problem affecting games with high combat operation requirements. Major domestic portal sites display hardware macro sales platforms prominently when searching “Lineage macro,” indicating widespread illegal trading.

Real-Name Authentication Solution

In response to these detection limitations, NC Soft introduced a real-name phone authentication system. According to the source, this system adds mobile phone verification to existing CAPTCHA (automated bot detection) authentication when suspected illegal activity is detected. The measure is designed to create a physical barrier for illegal operations running multiple accounts, as each account would require separate legitimate phone verification.

The source explains that NC Soft faces a design dilemma: while the company provides basic convenience features like targeting assistance, implementing comprehensive automation would contradict Lineage Classic’s core identity centered on manual mouse-click hunting. The real-name authentication approach attempts to preserve this classic gameplay experience while addressing technical gaps.

Company Statement

An NC Soft representative stated: “This measure represents a minimum defensive line to protect the majority of legitimate users. We will refine our detection systems to create a pleasant play environment. We believe creating a fair and pleasant environment is our greatest responsibility, and we are listening carefully to both criticism and encouragement from our players.”

Stock Market Impact

On April 16, 2026, NC Soft opened trading at 266,500 Korean Won. As of 9:45 AM, the stock was trading at 264,500 Korean Won, down 2,000 Won (0.75%) from the previous day’s close.