PunkBuster/PBBans to work hand-in-hand with DICE..

[Raener]

The known PBBans that has had a good track record as one of the few ways to reduce hacking on PunkBuster enabled games is going to be working with DICE to make the playing-fields hacker-free. Looks like DICE have started to take hacking more seriously!

PBBans will be streaming blacklisted cheaters to servers by default without needing to keep an updated list on your server by choice. PB's effectiveness mainly comes from third-party organisations like PBBans and others that can maintain a database on all those fail-some cheaters.

You will still be able to play on PB-disabled servers but I'm guessing most server hosts will want PB and PBBans enabled saving a bit of /kicking and /banning finger exercise. The servers without PB will be dominated by hackers trying to out-hack each other I'm guessing, minimising that feel of utter annihilation by closing the gap.

Ranking on PB-disabled servers won't be possible (IIRC) and getting banned on a PB server will likely get you put on that PBBans list. Before, administrators of server used to have to submit people they'd recently banned with evidence. Now I assume it to be an easily automated process.

Just take extra precaution when trying hacks, making hacks and owning with hacks

[Koen]

I will be, damn, I'm pretty scared. At least I know I won't be hacking on the full BFBC2, (I think, maybe just non-pb servers to test out hacks before posting 'em here), but I've already been kicked from some PB-enabled servers, I hope they didn't blacklist me for the original game, or else I'd have to join full-of-hackers-Non-PB-servers xD