Hey everyone,
I want to shine a spotlight on a toxic issue plaguing high MMR players in Starcraft 2: server blocking. This isn’t some random glitch—it’s a calculated move by some players to sabotage games, especially at the top of the ladder. It’s frustrating, it’s unfair, and it’s driving people away from the game we love. Let me walk you through exactly how they’re pulling this off with IP sniffers and botting scripts, why it’s devastating high-level play, and what we can do about it.
How Server Blocking Works: The Technical Nitty-Gritty
Starcraft 2 relies on Battle.net servers to handle matchmaking, game hosting, and real-time communication between players. Server blockers exploit this system by intentionally disrupting their connection to these servers at strategic moments. Here’s the detailed breakdown:
1. Sniffing Server IPs with Tools Like Wireshark
- What’s an IP Sniffer?
An IP sniffer is a tool that captures and analyzes network traffic flowing in and out of your computer. Popular ones include Wireshark, tcpdump, or even simpler packet analyzers built into some gaming VPNs. - How They Use It:
- A player launches Starcraft 2 and starts a game while running the sniffer in the background.
- The sniffer logs every packet of data, revealing the IP addresses of the Battle.net servers the game connects to. These might look like 192.168.x.x (local network) or public Blizzard ranges like 137.221.x.x.
- They filter the data for TCP and UDP traffic—protocols Starcraft 2 uses for gameplay and matchmaking.
- After a few matches, they compile a list of server IPs (e.g., 137.221.64.10, 137.221.64.11). Some even cross-reference these with known Blizzard server locations (US-West, EU, etc.) to be extra precise.
- Why It’s Easy:
These tools are free, legal to use for personal diagnostics, and don’t require advanced hacking skills—just a YouTube tutorial or two.
2. Blocking Connections with Firewall Rules
- Setting Up the Block:
- With the server IPs in hand, they configure their firewall—like Windows Defender Firewall, iptables (on Linux), or third-party tools like Little Snitch (on Mac).
- They create a rule to block outgoing traffic to those specific IPs. Here’s an example:
- Action: Block
- Protocol: TCP and UDP (both critical for Starcraft 2)
- Remote IP: 137.221.64.10 (or a range like 137.221.64.0-255)
- Scope: Outbound connections
- Some might use their router’s firewall instead, inputting the IPs into a block list via the router’s admin panel (e.g., 192.168.1.1).
- What Happens Next:
- When the rule is active, their game client can’t reach the server. If they’re in a match, it drops instantly—showing a “disconnected” error to both players.
- They can toggle this rule on and off manually, but that’s where automation comes in.
3. Automating the Chaos with Botting Scripts
- What’s a Botting Script?
A botting script is a small program (often written in Python, AutoHotkey, or PowerShell) that automates repetitive tasks. Here, it’s used to weaponize the firewall trick. - How It Works:
- The script launches Starcraft 2 and queues for a match.
- When matchmaking pairs them with an opponent, the script checks the opponent’s username (either via the game UI or by scraping the Battle.net API if they’re fancy).
- If it’s their target (say, a top player like “Serral” or “Maru”), the script:
- Executes a command to add the firewall rule (e.g., netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name=“BlockSC2” dir=out action=block remoteip=137.221.64.10).
- Waits a few seconds for the disconnect to register.
- Removes the rule (e.g., netsh advfirewall firewall delete rule name=“BlockSC2”) and re-queues.
- If it’s not the target, it might play normally, disconnect randomly, or idle to mask the pattern.
- Sample Pseudocode:
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Launch Starcraft 2 While true: Queue for match Opponent = GetOpponentName() If Opponent in ["TargetPlayer1", "TargetPlayer2"]: Run "netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name='BlockSC2' dir=out action=block remoteip=137.221.64.10" Wait 10 seconds Run "netsh advfirewall firewall delete rule name='BlockSC2'" Else: Wait 30 seconds // Simulate normal play or random drop Wait 5 seconds Re-queue
- Scaling the Attack:
- Some run multiple instances of the game on different accounts or even virtual machines, each with its own bot. This floods the queue, increasing the chance of hitting the target.
- Advanced setups might use proxies or VPNs to rotate IPs and avoid Blizzard’s detection systems.
Why This Wrecks High MMR Play
In high MMR brackets, the player pool shrinks to a dozen or so active players at any given time. With fewer opponents, bots can repeatedly match with the same targets. Imagine queuing for 10 games and getting disconnected 8 times because a bot swarm is targeting you. It’s not just annoying—it’s unplayable. Top players can’t practice, stream, or climb the ladder, which kills the competitive scene.
The Broader Impact
This isn’t just a nuisance—it’s harassment, plain and simple, and it breaks Blizzard’s Terms of Service. Legally, it’s murky too—intentionally disrupting network services could violate laws like the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in the US. Beyond that, it’s poisoning the community. If high-level play crumbles, the ladder loses its prestige, and casual players lose interest too.
What We Can Do About It
- Blizzard’s Role:
- Implement better detection for unnatural disconnect patterns (e.g., frequent drops from the same accounts).
- Randomize server IPs or use encrypted handshakes to make sniffing harder.
- Crack down with bans—make an example of offenders.
- Community Action:
- Report suspicious players who disconnect repeatedly, especially in high MMR.
- Share clips or logs on forums and social media to raise awareness.
- Pressure Blizzard to prioritize this fix—tweet at @BlizzardCS or post here!
Let’s fight to keep Starcraft 2 alive and competitive. Have you run into this? Got any ideas to stop it? Let me know below!