The intense competitive scene that has emerged from online gaming has been a source of both amazement and confusion in recent years. Now, one game developer is demonstrating the lengths they will go to in order to ensure fair competition, having recently taken the drastic step of banning over 6,700 cheaters and publishing their usernames in a statement revealing the action.
The game in question is VALORANT, an FPS title and rival to Battlefield, which launched on June 2nd of last year. Developed by Riot Games, this latest action has taken place in response to cheating that was revealed in their malware scans, after the cheaters were using special software to gain an advantage in the game. This attempt to manipulate the game mechanics allowed some players to easily win matches and challenge others with an unfair edge.
On July 20th, in a statement published on the official VALORANT blog, writers at the company proclaimed their commitment to ensuring the highest levels of fair play, announcing that they had banned the 6,700 players in the previous week, and included the usernames of those involved as a deterrent to others. Financial punishment in the form of refunds had also been issued to those who purchased in-game content from any of the affected players.
In the climate of always-on gaming and high pressure competition, VALORANT are not alone in their stance when it comes to cheating in games. Both Grand Theft Auto V and Fortnite have implemented similar punishments this year, in their attempts to preserve the sanctity of their servers – however, such a public statement and release of usernames is relatively rare.
The aim here is to put off any future attempts to cheat, dissuading those who might believe they can gain some kind of easy advantage in an increasingly cut-throat gaming landscape. Making an example of the previously banned players is a strong move to make and a risk that Riot Games are clearly willing to take in order to stamp out unfair play in VALORANT.
This is a well-timed move from Riot Games, reinforcing their strict stance regarding any activity that could potentially disrupt the gameplay for their users. With the scene in online gaming continuing to expand, the message from Riot Games is clear. Cheating will not be tolerated.