Taking advantage of exploits in online video games to cheat or benefit is never welcome. Some game developers take it more seriously than others, however. Rockstar Games clearly takes it very seriously. It's being reported that some Grand Theft Auto Online players who recently took advantage of the so-called "Casino Chip Glitch" are now facing severe consequences. They're having their entire Grand Theft Auto Online accounts wiped, from cash to characters.

The report comes from Twitter user Tez2, well-known for tracking Grand Theft Auto Online news and leaked information. Tez2 initially reported that "Rockstar is in [the] process of resetting #GTAOnline characters, progress and inventory of all the players who have done the casino chip glitch." Rockstar has since confirmed.

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Normally, cheaters and exploiters wouldn't get so much attention thrown toward their punishment. However, a full account wipe is an escalation in severity compared to what Rockstar has previously done. The typical punishment for similar GTA Online exploits is a simple wipe of the player's cash store. Of course, this isn't much of a punishment. Players would exploit to get a ton of money, go on a buying spree, and then would hunt for the next exploit afterward. A step up in severity would definitely be appropriate.

It doesn't seem that Rockstar is fully committing to more severe penalties for exploiters in Grand Theft Auto Online, however. Tez2 later corrected that they'd heard reports that many players were only receiving cash wipes and not full account wipes. The ratio of cash wipes to full resets isn't clear, but is likely tied to the severity of abuse and an account's history of infractions.

Rockstar even issued a response to questions regarding its punishment for casino chip selling abuse. Rockstar says that its policy is to either remove funds from exploiting accounts or to have those accounts' characters reset. Rockstar also warns that further abuse will result in suspensions or permanent bans.

No one is likely to cry for cheating accounts getting severely punished in Grand Theft Auto Online, or in any other game for that matter. It's still interesting to see Rockstar seemingly escalate its efforts against exploiters, though. Considering how often exploits seem to crop up, it'll be best for Rockstar to set a firm example going forward. If earning in-game cash seems a little too easy, it probably is an exploit. Don't take the risk.

Grand Theft Auto Online is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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