or VPN servers, or spoofing or changing their hardware configuration. Some companies and leagues ban suspected cheaters by blacklisting specific installation or serial keys, or user accounts, meaning that the player is effectively prevented from playing the game online. Certain games are known to identify cheaters and "shadow ban" them by placing them in matchmaking with other cheaters only, so as not to let the cheaters know that they have been identified. While game publishers are known to ban players employing cheats, the actual number of players banned is usually not revealed. Exceptions to this include Blizzard Entertainment, Nexon, and CipSoft, known for banning cheaters in batches, and publicising the number of banned accounts, presumably in order to discourage others from cheating. Suspension In some cases a ban may not be permanent and will expire after a certain period of time. Suspensions are commonly used as a punitive measure for abuse of game glitches, harassing players, or benefiting from hacks. Temporary bans may also be utilized in case a violation cannot be fully proven, as is common with anti-cheating methods based on supervision or statistical detection. In-game kick In general kicking is perceived as a mild punishment, serving as a warning for the player in question. Some anti-cheat systems may decide to kick players out of a game server when the system integrity cannot be enforced nor be determined with certainty. Other anti-cheat methods may also utilize kicks as an instant punishment for presumably unfair game play behavior. Some games may also provide the community with the option of voting for particular players to be kicked. Such a system provides the power to self-regulate and effectively get rid of abusive players without depending on supervision or other anti-cheat methods. Even though vote kicking brings many benefits, it may also serve as a tool for trolling or griefing by allowing for legitimate players to be removed out of the game through the voting process. Demotion When a violation is the result of farming or stat-padding, it may be too severe of a punishment to suspend or ban players. Some games, therefore, implement a system of demotion in which the offender is moved to a lower rank (demoting), the opposite of a promotion. Progress-removal In several games where points are used, if a player is caught cheating they will get their score reset to the base value that is applied when a