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Are AI Bots Allowed in StarCraft II Tournaments? Rules and Fair Play

Blizzard prohibits unauthorized gameplay bots, but dedicated bot competitions can set their own rules. Here’s what StarCraft II tournament entrants should verify first.
WorldStarCraft II Tournaments? Rules and Fair Play Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Usually not in an ordinary StarCraft II tournament unless Blizzard and the event organizer expressly authorize the bot. Blizzard’s End User License Agreement prohibits unauthorized software that automates control of a game or platform feature. Dedicated bot competitions are a different format: they can establish rules specifically for automated players. The existence of a StarCraft II API does not, by itself, grant permission to use a bot in a human tournament.

What Blizzard’s rules mean for tournament play

Blizzard’s End User License Agreement prohibits bots that are not expressly authorized by Blizzard. It defines a bot as code or software that automates control of a game or platform feature, such as controlling a character. The agreement also covers cheats, hacks, and unauthorized code that changes or facilitates gameplay.

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For a player considering an ordinary human tournament, the practical default is straightforward: do not use software or AI to control gameplay unless the relevant permission and event rules clearly allow it. The policy does not establish that every possible use of AI is forbidden; authorization and what the software actually does matter.

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Blizzard’s StarCraft II fair-play guidance says legitimate play uses an unaltered game client and warns that cheating, hacks, or modifications can lead to a permanent ban. The EULA is the more direct source for the unauthorized-bot rule.

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Why the StarCraft II API does not equal tournament permission

Blizzard’s StarCraft II API repository documents an interface for external control of the game. It describes uses including scripted and machine-learning bots, replay analysis, and tool-assisted human play, and points to community bot ladders.

That documentation supports development and technical uses; it does not grant blanket permission to enter an ordinary tournament with an automated player. API access, Blizzard authorization, and an event organizer’s rules are separate questions. A bot developer should confirm all applicable permissions before using a bot in competition.

Human tournaments and bot competitions are different formats

A human-player event and a bot-versus-bot competition should not be treated as interchangeable. A dedicated AI event can authorize bots and specify how they compete. For example, the AIIDE 2010 StarCraft competition paper describes an explicitly organized event in which bots played one-on-one matches under a defined competition format. It is a historical example, not evidence that bots are allowed in current human tournaments.

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Blizzard’s historical automated-tournament announcement discusses in-client tournament mechanics. It does not establish that entrants may use participant-controlled AI bots. For any current event, the organizer’s live rules determine the event-level requirements.

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What to check before entering

Get the current rulebook and ask the organizer for written clarification before using any automation. Check these points:

  • Does the event expressly permit software or AI to control gameplay, or is it for human play only?
  • Does Blizzard authorization cover the specific bot and proposed use?
  • What restrictions apply to scripts, input automation, external tools, APIs, or modified clients?
  • Which game build, API, maps, and match format does the event support?
  • Must entrants disclose or obtain approval for a bot, and what are the reporting and appeal procedures?

If the organizer cannot confirm that your bot is permitted, do not use it in that event. Rules can vary by organizer, event, region, and date.

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Community competition rules for organizers

Blizzard’s Community Competition License, updated September 13, 2024, sets terms for qualifying community competitions. It states prize limits of $25,000 for one competition and $100,000 across events organized under the license during the prior 12 months. These are event-organization license conditions, not permission for players to use bots. Organizers and entrants still need to check applicable authorization and event rules.

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How to report suspected bot use

Blizzard’s published fair-play guidance describes reporting a player from the in-game score screen and submitting a replay to Blizzard’s hacks team. Because that guidance is historical, check Blizzard’s currently available support route before submitting a report. In a tournament, also use the event’s official reporting or dispute process and provide the evidence the organizer requests.

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