The AFK rewards rule change has definitely sparked some questions in the community. Let's tackle the biggest ones we've been getting asked.
Why was this rule added?
This rule was added to improve the player experience. We know that having a large number in a server's player count is important for server owners when advertising, but we have received many complaints and reports of servers falsely inflating their player count by providing AFK rewards.
Recently, when our teams were at Gamescom, Devcom, and GDC, they heard game developers repeatedly say: "Trust is currency". What this means is that players are more likely to stay on your server longer when they trust what they see. But when most of your player count is AFK, as we've seen in numerous complaints about this meta, that trust can be broken, leading to increased server churn and reducing player retention.
AFK rewards entice players to use multiple alts and/or bots to gain as many rewards as possible, but at the sacrifice of new legitimate player acquisition and retention. We already had rules that disallowed the use of bots to inflate player count, so this complements those rules and helps us to help you achieve the most long-term success with your server. Let's work together to rebuild any possible lost trust with all of our players!
Will servers be automatically suspended for AFK rewards?
Nope! We get that rule changes take time to adjust to, we have no intention of automatically suspending any server. We're giving everyone a fair chance to comply with the new rules before taking any action.
Here's how the process works:
Someone reports your server → We investigate
No rule violation found → Nothing happens, you're all good!
Rule violation confirmed → You get an email with a deadline to fix it
You fix the issue → Case closed, no penalties (unless it happens again)
Issue isn't fixed by the deadline → Server gets suspended, but you can appeal
Important: Make sure you're checking your email regularly! All server-related communication comes through email, so don't miss important messages about your server.
Will players be banned for going AFK on a server?
Not at all! Just being AFK won't get you banned. We totally understand that sometimes you need to step away from your computer.
What can lead to a ban:
- Using bots to stay online,
- AFK clients or similar automated tools,
- Any other tactics to artificially inflate your playtime,
The bottom line: If you're a regular player who just goes AFK sometimes, this change doesn't affect you at all.
Why are playtime rewards allowed?
Playtime rewards are meant for active players to promote the natural gameplay progression on the server. For example, on a parkour server, players can be rewarded for parkouring, but it would be inappropriate to reward them for being AFK on the server as that does not progress gameplay. We want to reward genuine engagement, not servers gaming the system. If your players are legitimately active and occasionally go AFK, no worries! That being said, if you abuse this reward and knowingly allow a large number of AFK players to receive rewards you will receive a warning. Attempts to use AFK clients, bots, or plugins that make AFK players appear active will result in a warning as well.
What about Gens, Tycoon, Farming, and other Idle game modes?
These game modes are totally fine! We know that being AFK is literally part of how these games work - staying online to collect resources, money, or items while you're away is expected gameplay.
What's allowed:
- Players going AFK to collect gameplay items (gens, farm produce, tycoon income, etc.),
- Any idle mechanics that are part of your game mode,
What's NOT allowed:
- Servers giving idle players additional rewards on top of the regular gameplay progression,
- Using or encouraging the use of AFK clients, plugins, or bots that auto-reconnect players,
The bottom line: Idle gameplay mechanics are perfectly fine, just don't layer AFK rewards on top of them.
Am I required to kick AFK players off of my server?
Nope! You don't have to kick AFK players, that's totally up to you and how you want to run your server. However, if most of your player count is just AFK players, we might take a look and potentially issue a warning. This goes back to our goal of preventing misleading player counts that disappoint people looking for active servers to join.
The bottom line: It’s okay if some players are AFK, that’s normal. But if most of your server’s player count is inactive just to boost numbers, we may take action.
Does this rule apply to external servers?
Yes, external servers still need to follow all Minehut rules, including this one. Additionally, using a proxy to only give AFK rewards to players who direct connect is still a rule violation.
I still have more questions, where can I ask?
If you still have some questions feel free to reach out to our Support Team by creating a ticket.