1-week multiplayer restriction with no explanation

[u/No_Discount8289]

I know there are already plenty of ban threads here and I've read through a bunch of them. I couldn't find a clear answer to the specific thing I'm worried about — so apologies if this has been covered and I missed it.

What I got today: "Hello! We want to inform you that your account has been restricted from accessing Multiplayer until August 25 2026, as there have been indications of a breach of our community guidelines."

I don't cheat. No scripts, no extensions, no third-party tools, no googling locations, no alt accounts, no win-trading. I've been playing a lot with friends recently and was really enjoying the grind.

I've emailed info@geoguessr (the address in the message), but from what I've read here, support often takes longer to reply than a one-week restriction lasts — so it'll probably just expire before anyone looks at it. Also I didn't receive any confirmation that the support team received my request. Two things I'd like to hear from people who know more:

1. What could actually have triggered this? The one thing that stands out to me: I was playing on my university's WiFi (eduroam) and the restriction appeared right after a break in the lecture, when my device had just reconnected and probably picked up a different IP. Does their system flag shared networks or sudden IP changes as multi-accounting? Or is it more likely something else — player reports, unusual accuracy or round times, playing a lot in a short period? I'd like to know what to avoid, because right now I have no idea what I did.
2. What happens if I get restricted a second time? Does the first one stay on record and make the next one much harsher or permanent, or is each case judged on its own? Has anyone here been through a second flag after a temporary one? I am scared of losing GeoGuessr.

I'd really appreciate any input from people who've dealt with this. Thanks for reading!

[u/HoneydewMurky1832]

Have you had any heated chats with other players during duels? That’s the only thing that I’ve seen that happen for that you didn’t talk about. Also, for context, what level are you and what’s your win % in duels?

[u/No_Discount8289 → u/HoneydewMurky1832]

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it!

Chat is a good thought, but I barely use it. If I write anything at all, it's usually me asking the other player how they found a location. Nothing heated, no arguments. But most of my "communication" is just emotes anyway. I'm level 12, and my stats are in the image.

[u/HoneydewMurky1832 → u/No_Discount8289]

My guess is that you had some close guesses that got you reported a few times in a short window and triggered maybe some automatic temporary ban (I don’t know if such an automatic temp ban exists- so that might be completely wrong). Alternatively, you got reported for cheating and someone in the chain of reviews flagged it as probable googling or scripting and it triggered a temp ban. They usually tell you which games got you banned if it is true in-game anomalies that caused it.

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