Activision is suing prominent game cheat provider EngineOwning, accusing the German-based website of distributing malicious cheats and hacks. The company is seeking $2,500 for each violation, according to the lawsuit.
EngineOwning was established in 2014 and sells cheats for a variety of major games, which it claims are undetectable. The website prominently features Activision’s Call of Duty series on its landing page, offering cheats and exploits such as aimbots, rapid fire, radar and player detection enhancements, and other advantages.
In the lawsuit, Activision claims it has been committing huge amounts of resources to combatting cheating in its games, but that continued efforts by cheat providers has caused the company to suffer a loss of revenue and reputation.
The EngineOwning website displays a mission statement that "everyone should have the ability to win and enjoy online matches." Yet, cheats in competitive multiplayer games, such as Call of Duty: Warzone, tend to ruin the experience for the majority of players, breaking gameplay mechanics and undermining the competitive element. In turn, angry players may blame the game developers if the cheating issues go unaddressed. Indeed, Reddit users on /r/CODWarzone reacted positively to the news that Activision was suing the website, with many expressing hope that the outcome would be positive for gamers.
With websites like EngineOwning profiting from cheats and exploits, the problem can end up feeling like a security arms race. It was recently reported that Richochet, the anti-cheat system in Call of Duty: Warzone, had banned around 50,000 cheaters in a day, which goes to show the scale of the issue. However, cheaters now appear to be bypassing the system, with some openly mocking the game with usernames such as 'NiceAnticheat' and '@YesImHacking.' Call of Duty: Vanguard has also been experiencing a wave of cheaters, leading some to question the long-term effectiveness of the Richochet anti-cheat system and Activision’s approach.
Other major game studios have also been increasingly proactive in trying to curb cheating in their multiplayer games. Last year, Rockstar games began hiring more cheat analysts to address on-going problems in Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Online. It's also taken stricter measures against players caught in the act, with Rockstar wiping accounts in some cases.
For those who enjoy experimenting with cheats and exploits, this latest move by Activision could be bad news. But while cheats can be fun in some games in certain contexts, they are generally harmful in competitive multiplayer games, ruining the experience for most players. Efforts to stop these operations could be beneficial for the Call of Duty: Warzone community and other games targeted by EngineOwning's activities.