How to check bans and comm blocks
Search the ban page with a SteamID. If you are already banned, file an appeal. If it has not been handled yet, file a report.
Search with a SteamID
Open the ban page and search by SteamID, player name, or reason. Comm blocks (mute, gag) sit in another tab. Do not only read the ban list. Use the lite ban page in the in-game browser.
Bans and communication bans are not the same thing
The two are recorded separately, searched separately, and expire separately. Looking at only one tab makes it easy to conclude "I'm not banned" when you are.
- Ban
- You cannot get in. The connection is refused outright, usually with a stated reason. Look this up under the ban list tab.
- Gag
- You can join and play, but what you type never reaches public chat. Seeing your own messages while nobody else does is the classic sign.
- Mute
- You can join, but nobody hears your voice. The mic icon may still light up as usual, which is why this often gets mistaken for a hardware problem.
Gags and mutes are communication bans and live in a separate tab on the ban page. Gagged players usually assume it is their network or that someone blocked them — checking your SteamID in that tab is the fastest way to find out.
What a record shows
You usually see the reason, length, start time, and time left. A permanent ban does not fall off by itself. If the ID does not match yours, check the copy first, then consider another account.
- Reason：Written by the admin at the time. A terse reason does not mean there was no basis — in an appeal you can ask which round it refers to.
- Duration and time left：Timed bans lift themselves on expiry; there is nothing to apply for. The countdown runs on server time, not on the time you spend online.
- Start time：Matching it against the rounds you played that day tells you far more than guessing from the reason.
- Scope：Anne's bans apply across servers, so being unable to join a different one is expected — that server is not broken.
No record, but you still cannot get in
Most "I think I'm banned" cases are not bans. Rule these out in order and you may save yourself an appeal:
- Check you copied the SteamID correctly. One digit too few or too many and the search returns nothing.
- See whether every Anne server refuses you or just one. Just one usually means that server's own problem or a full room, not a ban.
- If the server is on a custom map you do not have, it stalls on load and then disconnects — which looks a lot like being kicked.
- Dropping right after connecting, or hanging on Connecting, belongs in the connection troubleshooting article.
Once all four are ruled out, file an appeal as a ban issue. State in it that you checked the ban page and found no record — that makes it much easier for admins to locate.
If you would rather not go through this again
Most bans on Anne come from a few very specific behaviours and have nothing to do with playing badly. Knowing where the line is saves a lot more trouble than appealing afterwards.
- Deliberately harming teammates：Nobody minds the occasional friendly fire. Repeated hits clearly aimed at the same person get recorded.
- Blocking paths and trapping people：Using your body to block a required passage or to pin a teammate in a corner counts as ruining the game for others.
- Abusing votes：Repeatedly calling map or mode changes that interrupt other people's rounds draws complaints quickly.
- Attacks in chat and voice：Most gags and mutes come from this. Disagreement is fine; personal attacks are not.
- Third-party programs：These are usually permanent straight away, with little room for appeal.
One thing worth saying separately: when you clash with someone in game, the cheapest fix is !block and then carry on. Arguing all the way through usually leaves a record on both sides.
Which door next
- Already banned：File an appeal and state the fact you want reviewed.
- Behavior that has not been handled：File a report, with the time and evidence.
- You just cannot join：Rule out connection failure, a full server, and custom-map issues before you check bans.
For a timed ban, waiting it out is usually faster than appealing. Appeals exist for records that are themselves wrong — the wrong person, a misread of the evidence, or new and complete material you now hold. An appeal that just says "I know I was wrong, it won't happen again" gives admins no fact to check and usually goes nowhere.
One more case worth calling out: a stolen account, or a family member causing trouble on yours. State the time window and your own reasoning in the appeal — do not just say "that wasn't me".