Auction Rules — Official Player Guidelines

Auction Rules — Official Player Guidelines

Welcome to the Business Auction! Here you can bid on entire enterprises and compete with other players for control of valuable businesses.

Please read these rules carefully to understand how the auction works and what to expect during the process.

1. Auction Purpose

An auction allows players to buy a full enterprise. While the auction is running, the enterprise continues to operate normally, but cannot be managed or upgraded by the current owner. Once the auction ends, the winning bidder becomes the new owner.

2. Auction Stages

Auction is in EST time 

Every auction goes through the following stages:

Planned

The auction has a scheduled start time. Before the auction begins, bidding is not available.

Active

The auction is open for bids. Players can place offers according to the bid rules below.

Finished

The auction has ended, and the business transfers to the highest bidder.

3. Bidding Rules

To keep auctions fair and competitive:

  • Each new bid must be higher than the current bid.
  • The minimum increase is determined by the auction increment (shown on the auction page).
  • All bids must follow the increment step. For example: if the increment is 10,000, your bid must be +10,000, +20,000, +30,000, etc.

If there are no bids yet, the first bid must be at least the starting price + increment.

Once placed, a bid cannot be withdrawn.

4. Anti–Sniping Protection

To prevent last-second “sniping,” the auction includes an automatic time extension:

  • If a new bid is placed within the final 3 minutes of the auction, the auction end time is extended to 3 minutes from the moment of the bid.
  • This extension may happen multiple times if bids keep arriving in the last minutes.

This rule ensures that all players have a fair chance to react to last-minute bids.

5. Auction Transparency

  • The identity of bidders is not shown.
  • Only the current highest bid is visible.
  • Bid history is not publicly disclosed.

6. Enterprise Operation During Auction

While the auction is active:

  • The business continues running and generating profits.
  • Some operational data may be restricted for other players to prevent unfair analysis.
  • The current owner temporarily cannot make changes to the enterprise.

This ensures that no one can influence performance during the bidding process.

7. Winning and Ownership Transfer

At the moment the timer reaches zero (after any extensions):

  • The highest bid wins.
  • The enterprise is transferred to the winner.
  • All other participants are notified that the auction has ended.

If no valid bids were placed, the enterprise remains with its current owner.

8. Fair Play

To maintain a healthy economy:

  • Attempts to manipulate bids, disrupt auctions, or abuse mechanics may result in cancellation of the auction.
  • Actions considered harmful or unfair may lead to review of results and appropriate corrective measures.

Play fair — everyone benefits from a stable and competitive marketplace.