1. General Principles  

• Definition of Operational Policy  

- This Operational Policy contains information members (refers to a person who agreed to the Terms of Service; hereinafter referred to as “member”) should acknowledge and understand while using the services provided by Pearl Abyss and its affiliated companies (hereinafter referred to as “Pearl Abyss” or the “Company”) and the operational guidelines and criteria—penalties and/or repercussions (hereinafter referred to as “restriction”) for violating the terms and conditions (“Terms”); appeal process for restrictions; recovery support policy—for members playing the online game (hereinafter referred to as “game”) provided by Pearl Abyss.       

- As specified in Article 15 of the Black Desert Terms of Service, members are obligated to comply with all provisions of this Operational Policy. If a member violates the Operational Policy, the member shall be deemed to have also violated the Company’s Terms of Service. In such an event, the member may be subject to penalties and restrictions in accordance with the Operational Policy and Terms of Service. 

- Any matters not mentioned in this Operational Policy shall be governed by the Terms of Service, and any matters other than that shall be interpreted and governed in accordance with the relevant laws/regulations and/or general social norms. 

- This Operational Policy is applicable to the Black Desert game service. 

- The Black Desert Operational Policy was prepared in the English language. In the event where the Operational Policy contents in other languages conflict with those of the English language version, the English language version shall prevail. 

• Changes and Notifications Regarding the Operational Policy 

- The Company reserves the right to revise and/or amend the Operational Policy in order to provide better services. Amendments and revisions shall be made easily available to members by way of notification in accordance with the Black Desert Terms of Service Article 6.3.   

- Members are advised to periodically check our notices and emails for any revisions/amendments to the Operational Policy, as the Company shall not be held liable, unless otherwise stipulated by the relevant laws/regulations, for any damages and/or disadvantages caused by misapprehension of any amendment or revision. 

• Definition, Role, and Responsibility of a GM  

- GM stands for 'Game Master.' GMs shall process members’ inquiries and requests in accordance with the procedures and methods set forth in the Black Desert Operational Policy to ensure the proper operation of the game and the management of members’ rights to use the game. 

- GMs shall strive to quickly address and respond to service-related issues in order to ensure a stable service of Black Desert. 

- GMs shall not engage in disputes between members. However, if the content of the dispute between the members is deemed to be a serious matter relevant to the operation of the game (such as break down of game order, violation of actual law or public order, etc.), appropriate measures may be taken in accordance with this Operational Policy. 

- GMs are strictly prohibited from offering benefits to specific members and from providing information about upcoming Black Desert services, including updates and events, unless an announcement has already been disclosed to the general public. 

- GMs shall not request or change/disclose a member’s personal information within the game. However, when requested to provide personal information through a legitimate process by a government agency or a judicial authority etc., the Company may provide personal information to the agency concerned. 

• Rights and Obligations of Members  

- Members shall acknowledge and understand this Operational Policy. The Company is not obligated to provide assistance in the event of problems or harm caused by the member’s failure to observe the Operational Policy.  

- Members shall provide correct and accurate information when registering for membership. If false, stolen, and/or inaccurate information is provided, the member may be restricted from utilizing the services. In addition, this member shall no longer be entitled to the protection of their rights regarding their account information.  

- Members have the right to use all contents and services provided by Black Desert.  

- The Company holds ownership of all game content, such as in-game characters and items. Members can receive guidance and support in resolving any issues that may occur while using the game by inquiring through Customer Support. 

- Members shall report any problems, such as bugs or game system errors, found while using the services of the Company, and shall not disseminate the problems to other members or utilize the problems for unauthorized purposes. In the event the member does not report the occurrence of such problems and uses with the intent of gaining advantages, the member may be restricted from using the services in accordance with the Operational Policy for bringing harm to other members.  

- Members may be restricted from using the services if they are found to have circulated or disseminated false information which has not been officially announced by the Company, and in doing so, causing confusion to other members.  

- Members may be restricted from using the services in the event members violate any of the provisions stipulated in the [5. Table of Restriction Criteria].  

- The Company shall not be liable for any loss incurred from the inability to access the game as a result of a member being restricted from using the services.  

- Members shall respect the rights of other members; this is an online game where many members play at the same time.  

- Members shall be responsible for the protection and management of their account information using protection services, such as OTP, PC registration, provided by the Company. The Company shall not be liable in the event of any damages caused by a third-party using their account information as a result of the member’s negligence in protecting and managing their account information.  

- Members shall comply with any investigation due to suspicion of using unauthorized programs/macros. If the member is unwilling to comply or unresponsive, the member shall be logically deemed as using unauthorized programs not permitted by the Company.  

2. Recovery Support Policy  

• In the event a member’s item/character is lost and/or data is changed due to a technological error of the Company, recovery support of the lost item/character or changed data will be granted if the details of the error are clearly verified by the in-game records, and the recovery does not unduly impact the game balance. 

• Member’s character and item data are always subject to change, modification, or deletion according to game design or operational judgment; recovery support will not be granted in such cases. 

• In principle, losses that occur due to member’s failure to acknowledge and understand the details of the game system, Operational Policy, in-game notices, and notices on the website or due to the member’s negligence are not eligible for recovery except for the losses enumerated under [3. Table of Recovery Support Criteria]. Recovery for each category will be processed based on the recorded data, and any losses that do not have a record cannot be recovered.  

• Request for recovery should be made within 15 days from the date of loss through our Customer Support on the website. Any requests made after 15 days may not be possible due to the difficulty and time required to verify game data. 

3. Table of Recovery Support Criteria  

• Recovery is subject to the Table of Recovery Support Criteria below. For cases not listed below, the general principles of recovery will determine whether or not a recovery is possible.  

 <Table of Recovery Support>  

※ Recovery will be limited regarding cases where items are lost intentionally by a member, in violation of system settings, or possibly abusable within the game.   

※ Cases/recovery requests due to changes in opinion/buyer's remorse for reasons such as update or changes to item settings, etc. are not eligible for recovery.    

※ Recovery for each case is processed based on recorded data; if records do not exist, the recovery is not possible.   

※ Limits on the number of times a recovery can be fulfilled is set per account. Members are asked to manage and protect their accounts accordingly. Requesting recovery due to stolen information will be counted towards the limit even if the account is shared by multiple people.   

※ In the event the Operational Policy is violated by abusing the item recovery and other services, there may be restrictions from using the game.  

4. Use Restriction Policy  

• Restriction and Reporting Process  

- The restrictions and reporting process for the violation of the Terms of Service and Operational Policy are as follows.  

- Act violating the Terms of Service and/or Operational Policy → (Reported) → GM investigates → (Prior Notice) → Restrictions → Appeals → Notification with results of any appeal   

- Reporting “Fraud”, “Inappropriate Language”, and “Account Hijacking” is only possible within 15 days of being harmed   

- The Company shall notify the member of the restriction details, the reason for the restrictions, how to appeal, etc. by email, in-game mail, a popup on the title screen, etc. at the time of restrictions. However, for certain acts that are specified separately in the Terms of Service, the Company may instead provide post-notification.  
- If an investigation is required to determine whether or not violations of the Terms of Service took place, the Company reserves the right to temporarily restrict the use/access to the game and related services to investigate or perform follow-up procedures. Members will be notified of the reason for their restriction and instructions on how to appeal. 

• Restriction Types  

- Warning: GM’s warnings/recommendations, activity restrictions, character/family/guild name changes, deletion of post/images, being forcibly exited from the game, and includes other temporary restrictions  

- Time Based Restrictions: restrictions to the use of game service and related services (game login, community forum, etc.) for a certain period of time.  

- Permanent Restrictions: permanent restrictions to the use of game service and related services (game login, community forum, etc.) 

- Temporary Restriction: restrictions imposed temporarily on game services and related services (such as game access and community boards) during urgent situations where the company needs to confirm facts related to bugs, specific damages, or suspected violations of operational policies. If normal use is not justified within the appeal period, the temporary restriction will remain in place. However, even if normal use is justified within the appeal period, if evidence of policy violations is found, appropriate sanctions will be applied. 

- Content Restriction: time based restrictions to the use of game content due to acts that violate said game content. This includes actions such as obscuring chat, and content restrictions may be applied on a per account, guild, or clan basis.   

- Adjustment of Game Data: changes, deletions, and resets to the properties of any numerical data that can be obtained through the game systems, such as Family/Character information, items, paid content, and silver, which are related to any violating acts.     

- Retrieval/Withdrawal: if a violation is deemed to have a severe impact on the entire system of the game economy or negatively impacts other members’ gameplay, 3 times the value of the items gained unfairly through the violation may be changed, deleted, or reset. However, up to 200 billion silver may be collected if the amount unfairly gained cannot be clearly calculated.     

- Customer Support Restriction: restrictions to the use of Customer Support services for a set period of time.  

- IP Restriction: restriction to certain IP addresses 

- Hardware Restriction: Certain hardware will be restricted from accessing the game for violating the operational policy.  

- Pearl Abyss Account Restriction: restriction to use of the account. Once the use of the account is restricted, the use of all services provided by Pearl Abyss linked to the account will also be restricted.  

• The criteria for restrictions are as follows.  

- The Company reserves the right to impose “Adjustment of Game Data,” “Retrieval,” and “Content Restriction” at the same as imposing “Warning,” “Time Based Restriction,” and “Permanent Restriction.” 

- If two or more acts that violate the Terms are identified, the Company may impose restrictions based on the most serious violation of each act.  

- If a third party uses a member's account and violates the Terms of Service and/or Operational Policy while sharing an account, restrictions may be imposed on the member and the account.  

- If a member acquires an item obtained by a member violating the Terms of Service and Operational Policy, the Company shall retrieve this item and all related numerical data from the Character/Family. In addition, the account that acquired the item and data may be subject to restrictions in accordance with the Operational Policy.  

- In the event that abnormal access, account theft, or suspected gold farming activities are detected from a specific IP address or PC, "IP usage restrictions" and "PC usage restrictions" may be applied. 

- If access to the game is not available due to game restrictions, the logins missed during the restriction period will not be counted towards the Returning Adventurer period.  

5. Table of Restriction Criteria  

• If any act listed in the 'Table of Game Restriction Criteria” below are committed, the member who committed the act may be held legally liable and be subject to the robust restrictions and penalties as imposed by the Company. The list of violations enumerated hereunder is not exclusive and may include other offenses which constitute as violations of the Terms of Service, related laws, and acts that severely impact the balance or systems in the game, which may result in restrictions that are not included in this Operational Policy.  

• Depending on the severity of the violation committed by the member - Warning, Temporary Restriction, Permanent Restriction, Retrieval, Penalty, etc. may be imposed. Depending on the severity of the violation, penalties may be reduced or increased. If the game is severely impacted, even a single offense can result in a permanent ban of the integrated account. In addition, depending on the violation, two or more restrictions can be imposed at the same time, in which case, the Company shall impose restrictions based on the most serious violation. 

• Even if several members violate the same matter, the Company may judge which restrictions should be imposed among: Warning, Temporary Restriction, Permanent Restriction, Retrieval, Penalty, etc., depending on the severity of the act. 

• In the event that a violation is confirmed, corresponding sanctions will be imposed, and forced disconnection may be executed simultaneously depending on the situation. If game usage restrictions are applied, limitations on game connection, website bulletin board usage, and payment system access will be enforced concurrently. 

• Otherwise, if a member’s action is found to be contrary to relevant laws and regulations, the Company will immediately take strong actions of restrictions and the Company can ask for investigation or help to the authorities concerned and judicial authorities, and vice versa, the Company will respond immediately in case there are requests from the authorities concerned and judicial authorities for cooperation.  

• “Game play” refers to all actions from the moment the client is opened or accessed until the end point. 

<Table of Restriction>  

* The Company shall not be liable for the loss of certain content that requires continuous management incurred from the inability to access the game as a result of being restricted from using the services.   

* Items acquired by violating the Operational Policy will result in the adjustment of game data and/or retrieval of the item and 3 times the item’s value withdrawn in silver. If an exact value for the item/violation cannot be obtained, a maximum of up to 200 billion silver.  

* Regardless of the intention and imposed restrictions, any advantages obtained through violations of the Operational Policy are subject to retrieval and adjustment at any time.  

* However, in the event the violation was unintended or impact on the game balance/system was minimal, only the items obtained through the violation will be retrieved, and the withdrawal of 3 times the item’s value in silver may not be imposed.   

* Game information of the member, such as Family name, Character name, Guild name, etc., may be disclosed through a notice on the official website or community for violating the Terms of Service or Operational Policy.  

6. How to send Appeals  

• How to send Appeals  

- Members can submit appeals regarding restrictions through the website’s Customer Support within 15 days of being notified.   

• Possible Appeal Effect:  

- If the objection made by the member is deemed reasonable, the Company shall remove the restrictions imposed on the member and recover adjusted items, etc.  

- If the category of a restriction is changed through an appeal after a restriction is imposed according to the Table of Restriction Criteria, the restriction period will be retroactively changed from the start date of the previous restriction.  

- If you do not file an appeal within the time limit during the temporary restriction period, the temporary restriction status will be maintained, and if the appeal is not deemed reasonable even if the objection is filed, the account will be immediately converted to permanent restriction.  

7. Compromised Account Recovery Policy and Criteria  

• Compromised Account Recovery Policy  

- Members shall be liable for the protection and management of their account/personal/payment information.  

- If an account has been compromised, members can apply for compromised account recovery by contacting Customer Support.   

- All information required on the form must be provided in order to apply for compromised account recovery.  

- In order to prevent further harm to the compromised account and begin our investigations, members must agree to a “Temporary Restriction” to the account that applied for compromised account recovery. The “Temporary Restriction” will last 7 days at most, but extensions on paid content cannot be provided as a result of the temporary restriction. Members that do not agree to the “Temporary Restriction” will assume all liability for all damages, complications arising in the investigation, and additional losses that may occur.  

- The investigation and item recovery for compromised accounts may take up to 30 days.  

- The Company shall not be liable for temporary/permanent restrictions due to violations of the Operational Policy in accordance with “Rights and Obligations of Members” under Article 1 of this Operational Policy, and for any harm caused by the use of member’s account information by third-parties as a result of negligence in protecting and managing their account information.   

• Criteria for Compromised Account Recovery  

- Recovery may not be possible after a certain period of time (approximately 15 days) since the account was compromised, as the Company may be unable to accurately verify the data or the time required may be too excessive.    

- The Company will judge whether or not an item can be recovered depending on the results of the investigation.  

- Recovery support will not be possible if the security services (OTP and/or PC registration) provided by the Company were not being used.   

- Recovery support will follow the criteria set below. Recovery that is not under the “Criteria for Compromised Account Recovery” will be determined by the normal recovery criteria.  

- Recovered items may differ from the item that was lost. The details as to why the items may differ will not be explained.  

• Members must immediately report receiving Pearl items (items must not be used) from an unknown account by contacting Customer Support. Members that have received Pearl items from compromised accounts and have not reported receiving the gift from an unknown account will be penalized as being involved in compromising the account and may be restricted from the game.  

• The Company may remove the restriction if the member is able to prove that they were not involved with compromising the account even though they have received a gift from an unknown account. However, the restriction will not be removed if the member is not able to prove they have not been involved with compromising the account or if the Company deems the member as being involved.  

< Compromised Account Recovery >  

※ Recovery may be limited for items that are intentionally lost, violate the system settings, or are potentially abusable within the game.  

※ The state of an item will not be included in the recovery if the item was changed or cannot be used due to updates.  

※ Recovery for each criteria will be processed using the data available. Items cannot be recovered if there are no records available.  

※ If there are cases not listed in the details above, the Company shall decide whether or not the items should be recovered   

8. Name Policy for Long-Term Absence  

• In order for service betterment and to prevent issues in the operation of the game, the Company reserves the right to change the names (Family names, Character names, Guild names) of Families (hereinafter referred to as “Long-Term Absent Family”) and Guild/Clans (hereinafter referred to as “Long-Term Absent Guild/Clan”) which fulfill the conditions below.    

- More than 1 year has passed since the last login to the Black Desert game.   

- Members of the guild(clan) have not logged in to the game for over 1 year. 

• If the name of a long-term absent Family and/or long term absent Guild/Clan is planned to be changed, the Company will announce the schedule and details of the change 30 days in advance on the official website through a notice.   

Addendum 

This Agreement will be effective as of July 19, 2024.