At this point, it’s rare to be into multiplayer games and not have some experience playing against cheaters.Whether it’s an insta-headshotting sniper bot inTeam Fortress 2or the recent aim hacking trend inBattlefield 6’sbeta, it’s something many of us have sadly grown accustomedto.
Despite years of us frustratingly dealing with cheaters, every “solution” has felt more likea short-term answer.Luckily, the company PlaySafe ID has recently made it their mission to fight on the side of both players and developers for the sake of fairness within the video games millions of us play every day.
But to help us truly fight back against cheaters, it is first essential for us to understand them. To help with this,PlaySafe ID recentlyreleased a reportciting statistics that show how impactful cheating has been to the current state of multiplayer gaming.
Not only does this report shine a light on all of the interesting statistics behind cheating within gaming, but it also does a good job of showing the potential causes behind the self-sustaining cycle of hacks and cheating in the modern gaming ecosystem.
To begin, the report presents statistics that illustrate the wide reach of cheats in the modern day. For instance,they highlight how 80% of gamers have encountered cheats in some form, with around 52% saying they encounter these cheats monthly.
One of the most shocking statistics, however, is that 42% of gamers have at least considered outright quitting a game due to cheats that plague it, and simply looking at these games, it’s not hard to see why.
Battlefield 6’s Multiplayer Beta just had its first test-run, and not even hours into the test, there were alreadymultiple reports of cheatsbeing used. Additionally, games like the upcomingBlack Ops 7are already stating their intention touse specific anti-cheatsonce the game launches.
Another striking statistic reveals that79% of players believe cheater repercussions should extend beyond in-game bans, encompassing multiple online platforms to ensure cheaters are penalized across multiple game spaces.
This indicates that players are likely growing increasingly frustrated with cheaters across multiple games. Not only are a majority of gamers frustrated with cheating, but they believe the current state of repercussions isn’t going far enough, as after all, most cheaters can simply make multiple accounts and continue on once they’re banned.
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Of Game Cheats
The part of the report that I find most interesting is that62% of gamers have felt at least tempted to try out cheating for themselves, with 25% feeling this temptation quite often.As PlayerSafe ID explains, this demonstrates a feeling of “if you can’t beat them, join them.”
For instance, if you’ve ever been in a lobby in, lets say,Counter Strike 2against someone using wall or aim hacks, and you sit there playing rounds for over 30 minutes with no way to win,it could be tempting to be interested in trying cheats for yourself, if not for nefarious reasons then to simply even out the odds.
So, with more and more people being exposed to cheats, you can expect more people to try them out themselves. As long as cheating remains available, it’ll forever be self-sustaining, highlighting PlayerSafe ID’s purpose tostamp out the firebefore it spreads even further.
And the truth is, stamping out cheating is entirely profitable for game publishers as well. According to the report,55% of gamers are reluctant to buy into microtransactions if cheaters are present.This suggests that even greedy corporate executiveshave a vested interestin eliminating cheating from their services.
From my perspective, PlayerSafe ID is one of the first resources to provide a comprehensive view of cheating, not just the damage it causes, but also why it happens and why players feel compelled to resort to hacking and cheats in the first place.
Players are quitting games, spending less money within those games, and even being tempted to cheat themselves due to this issue. Thecat and mouse game of developers vs cheaters has evolved to the point where mass cheats and mass ban waves are more prevalent than ever.
If multiplayer gaming continues into the next decade, I think we can all agree that more decisive actions are needed to ensure that the games we nowspend nearly $70-$80on aren’t made unplayable the day they release due to cheats.
Battlefield 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Lock & load for the ultimate all-out warfare experience. Fight in high-intensity infantry combat. Rip through the skies in aerial dogfights. Demolish your environment for a strategic advantage. In a war of tanks, fighter jets, and massive combat arsenals, your squad is the deadliest weapon. This is Battlefield 6.
