The latest Halo 2 auto update was released over Xbox Live yesterday and will automatically download to your console the next time you try to play a game over Live. This update contains tools to detect and ban anyone who uses hacked or modified content online. Despite our ongoing warnings, there are people who insist on using hacks and to date 2,550 of them have been permanently banned. There has been some speculation that the update was a bluff or that it didn't work as a number of players were still encountering modders online after getting the update. This is to be expected. Modders will still exist for a short time but once detected, they will soon be permanently banned as the new self-aware automated Banhammer starts swinging. Banned players will also potentially persist on the leaderboards for a short time following a ban from Live but will be cleaned out shortly afterwards. Also, please note, that the Bungie Team will still be banning and dealing with people who use network manipulation to their advantage as well as people boosting. Also, if you used modded content prior to the AU and used it to climb the leaderboards you will still get stripped off the leaderboards and potentially banned from Live. Please continue to use the in-game feedback system to deal with behavior / poor sportsmanship issues. For more information about cheating in general, please refer to the Bungie.net [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/page.aspx?section=FAQInfo&subsection=cheat&page=cheat]Cheating FAQ[/url]. [b]Banhammer Mini FAQ[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]I heard the Autoupate is ruining people's game discs!?[/b] False. Despite the fun rumors about discs mysteriously being scratched once the update was downloaded, there is no correllation between said disc damage and the auto update itself. [b]Once I installed the update I'm no longer able to load maps and/or it takes an incredibly long time. What gives?[/b] As with prior updates, once this is installed, it will clear the cache of your Xbox where the maps get loaded. This means that when you go to play, it will take longer than usual as it reloads the maps back into cache. The AU itself has not damaged your Xbox or your game. Some people are experiencing issues with maps failing to load altogether. The first thing you should do is double check that your disc is clean and free of scratches. If the problem persists, please contact Xbox Support at 1-800-4MY-XBOX or visit the [url=http://www.xbox.com/en-us/support/default.htm]Xbox.com Support Page[/url] for additional information. [b]I can't download the AU at all. It tells me there's an update avaialble and when I go to download it I get an error message. What's up?[/b] We have heard reports that people who have modified content on their Xbox may have intentionally or unintentionally altered or corrupted the program used to run the Xbox Live downloader. If you can't get the AU, you can't play Halo 2 on Live at all. If you're experiencing issues with the downloader itself, please follow the Xbox support recommendations listed above. Thank you to everyone who has continued to assist us in tracking down and removing various cheaters from our community and thank you as well for your patience as we continue to work towards making the Halo 2 online experience the best it can be.