A ban in a shooter results in jail time. Because the player did not see the ban and committed a serious crime.
It’s really nothing new that gamers can get pretty hot tempered at times. But how far some go to take their frustration out on others occasionally reaches worrying qualities.
In 2020, Yanni Ouahioune, then 19, had been banned from Rainbow Six Siege. In response, he called the police and claimed that a hostage situation was taking place at the Ubisoft building in Montreal and “dozens of employees were being held captive”.
The call led to an hour-long, large-scale police operation that was quite distressing for everyone involved. While the police secured the building and several streets were cordoned off, Ubisoft employees barricaded themselves in their offices to protect themselves or fled to the roof – before the operation turned out to be a “prank” and the search for the culprit began.
What crime is this? These acts are commonly called “swatting” and are a “trend” that started in the United States and has since spread around the world. Most streamers are sent a SWAT team to their home, often claiming that the person is in the middle of a hostage situation. The caller can then often “enjoy” live how the police storm the victim’s apartment – and not only accepts the costs of the police operation, but also the life-threatening situation for the victim and roommates, who often suffer from psychological consequences for a long time to come .
Why was he even banned? The reason for the ban was simple: Ouahioune was a notorious cheater and used illegal software, such as aimbots, to gain an unfair advantage in the game. As in most other games, such cheating is usually punished with a temporary or permanent ban. The latter then led to the crime for which he was now accused and convicted.
Ouahioune reportedly made the call from his parents’ home and had it routed through Russian servers.
What verdict was passed? According to the Montreal Gazette, the Paris court case was divided into three distinct cases. The court ruled that Ouahoioune must serve a 3-year prison sentence and also provide the victims with appropriate compensation. He was also required to join self-help groups and work towards being able to participate in them.
In the other two cases, he is accused of launching a DDoS attack on government offices and threatening Minecraft developers.
On the other hand, the fact that Ouahioune had been undergoing psychological treatment for several years before the crime may have had a mitigating effect.
Swatting often ends in tragedy: 28-year-old man dies after a $2 bet was sent after a SWAT team.