Off The Grid: Kestrel's first official ban wave
On October 21, 2026, Off The Grid ran Kestrel's first official ban wave. Off The Grid's developer update listed a share of bans by violation type plus three enforcement tiers. Flagged accounts get a 7-day quarantine, a 30-day suspension, or a permanent ban, depending on the tier.
Background
Off The Grid is a Gunzilla Games title. Matches run on Teardrop Island, the game's island map. Kestrel is the studio's anti-cheat for that game.
On October 9, 2026, Gunzilla's post called Kestrel in beta in Off The Grid, and Off The Grid the same day said it was live on Teardrop Island: two labels for the same launch. The October 21 developer update calls Kestrel a launch and does not mention beta.
Gunzilla's Kestrel page (opens in new tab) says the system is server-side only and installs nothing on the player's machine. Kestrel learns the motor signature each player leaves in their inputs.
What happened
Kestrel introduced (October 9, 2026)
On October 9, 2026, Gunzilla introduced Kestrel on X (opens in new tab) as a machine-learning cheat detection system that recognizes each player's motor signature to detect cheat-generated input. That post said Kestrel was open to third-party integrations.
Off The Grid's X account said (opens in new tab) a new account or machine does not escape the ban, because the movement pattern stays the same.
First official ban wave (October 21, 2026)
On October 21, 2026, Off The Grid's X account announced the first ban wave (opens in new tab). The same developer update is on Steam (opens in new tab).
Passive telemetry phase
The October 21 developer update says Kestrel's initial passive telemetry phase evaluated over 15 billion gameplay data segments. The studio does not define that unit.
Share of bans in this wave
From the developer update, as a share of bans in this wave:
| Share | Violation type | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 55% | Macro and recoil scripting | Automated recoil compensation, rapid jitter firing scripts, and automated movement loops |
| 27% | Hardware and input remapping | Unlawful controller converter remapping and third-party mouse macro configurations |
| 12% | Automated aim assistance | Rotational aimlock, silent aim, and automated targeting systems |
| 6% | Movement and memory exploits | Speed hacking and wallhacks |
No absolute ban count was published.
Three enforcement tiers
The October 21 developer update lists three tiers and says the 7-day and 30-day tiers also act as telemetry traps to trace how cheats adapt and map signatures back to cheat provider networks, so it can issue permanent bans across those networks.
- Tier 3: immediate permanent ban, for confirmed cheat engines, memory manipulation, aimbots, and wallhacks
- Tier 2: 30-day suspension, for repeat exploit abuse and party-boosting alongside confirmed cheaters
- Tier 1: 7-day quarantine, for initial anomaly flags, intentional bug exploitation, and active holds during live telemetry verifications
Accounts that stacked several cheats received an immediate permanent ban. Examples are hardware remapping plus recoil scripts, and rotational aimlock plus speed hacks.
Kestrel remains active in every match on Teardrop Island. Players are asked to keep submitting in-game reports.
Who it affects
Players
If you were quarantined, suspended, or banned, the penalty is a 7-day quarantine, a 30-day suspension, or a permanent ban, per the studio. Stacked cheats were a permanent ban. No appeal route was published.
At a glance
Timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| October 9, 2026 | Gunzilla: Kestrel in beta in Off The Grid |
| October 9, 2026 | Off The Grid: Kestrel live on Teardrop Island |
| October 21, 2026 | First official ban wave (developer update) |
Enforcement (studio-reported)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Share of bans in this wave | 55% macro and recoil scripting, 27% hardware and input remapping, 12% automated aim assistance, 6% movement and memory exploits |
| Tiers | Tier 3 immediate permanent ban, Tier 2 30-day suspension, Tier 1 7-day quarantine |
| Ban total | Not published |
On Web3Raider
Closest pages:
What to watch next
- Check Off The Grid on X (opens in new tab), Gunzilla on X (opens in new tab), the Steam developer update (opens in new tab), and the Kestrel page (opens in new tab) for a later ban wave, a published ban total, or an appeal route.
Official sources
- Gunzilla October 9 post (opens in new tab) (October 9, 2026)
- Off The Grid October 9 post (opens in new tab) (October 9, 2026)
- Kestrel page (opens in new tab) (read October 26, 2026)
- Off The Grid October 21 post (opens in new tab) (October 21, 2026)
- Steam developer update (opens in new tab) (October 21, 2026)
- Off The Grid site (opens in new tab) (read October 26, 2026)
Bottom line: Keep submitting in-game reports, and watch Steam, X, and the Kestrel page for a later ban wave, a published ban total, or an appeal route.
