15 people arrested and fined $5.1 million over PUBG cheats

[midian182]

Despite some tough competition from Fortnite: Battle Royale, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds remains incredibly popular. One of the major criticisms still aimed at the game, however, is its abundance of cheaters, but PUBG Corp continues to crack down on the practice. Recent efforts include the arrest of 15 people accused of using hacks and cheats. Not only were they arrested, but the individuals were also fined a total of $5.1 million.

A Steam post by PUBG Corporation's Ryan Rigney reveals that in addition to upgrading the game’s security measures and improving/adding to its anti-cheat solutions, the company has been working with local authorities to bring those who develop, sell, promote, or use hacking and cheating program to justice.

At the start of the year, Chinese authorities working with Tencent, which partnered with Bluehole to release PUBG in China, arrested 120 people for the creation and designing of cheats for the game. On April 25, another 15 suspects were arrested. Based on their names, most if not all of these arrests are likely to have also taken place in China.

According to translated information from local authorities, the arrests were made for “developing hack programs, hosting marketplaces for hack programs, and brokering transactions.” But the suspects aren’t in trouble just because of cheating, but also for adding malicious code to the programs.

“Some hack programs that are being distributed through the internet includes a Huigezi Trojan horse (Chinese backdoor) virus. It was proven that hack developers used this virus to control users’ PC, scan their data, and extract information illegally.”

Rigney writes that the long-running rumor claiming certain hacking/cheating programs steal info from users’ PCs has now been confirmed to be true, which should make people think twice about using them.

While $5.1 million in fines is an incredible figure, it could go even higher as there are other suspects still being investigated.

"We’ll continue to crack down on hacking/cheating programs, until our players are free to battle it out in a totally fair environment," added Rigney

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/74371-15-people-arrested-fined-51-million-over-pubg.html

 

[cliffordcooley]

I'm just going to laugh out loud at them for directing the blame away from the devs.

I don't remember stories about fining devs for allowing cheats to happen. It seems to be easy enough anyone's five year old can cheat. That is a vulnerability the devs could stop, but instead they choose to harass the player base over their bad programming.

If the only way to enjoy playing a game is to join the cheaters and risk prosecution, you might as well stop playing all together. It is not the fault of the player base when there is a huge cheater problem.

 

[TheBigFatClown]

""We’ll continue to crack down on hacking/cheating programs, until our players are free to battle it out in a totally fair environment," added Rigney"

Translation: "We'll let communist China keep doing our dirty work for us so that we look like we actually care about cheaters!".

?

 

[silentdeath]

I'm just going to laugh out loud at them for directing the blame away from the devs.

I don't remember stories about fining devs for allowing cheats to happen. It seems to be easy enough anyone's five year old can cheat. That is a vulnerability the devs could stop, but instead they choose to harass the player base over their bad programming.

If the only way to enjoy playing a game is to join the cheaters and risk prosecution, you might as well stop playing all together. It is not the fault of the player base when there is a huge cheater problem.

If you play a game there is a eula read it. If you cheat go to jail that is the way it is in vegas video games are no diffrent cheating means ur scum.

 

[GeforcerFX]

I wish every hack program had all sorts of trojans and spyware in them, if you use the program you deserve anything that happens to you. I understand hacking for fun in a single player or a friends game, but public games and competitive public games is just a a$$hat move and show a complete lack of character and sportsmanship.

 

[cuerdc]

Hate cheaters but anyone else find it odd a lot worse crimes get less in the real world.

 

[cliffordcooley]

If you play a game there is a eula read it.

EULA's are not always legally binding. But in this case it would seem the contract was legally binding. At least enough for 15 violators to be fined 5.1 Million.

I couldn't care less what happens to someone that cheats. But seriously it is just a game and this fine is ridiculously overstated. I will stick to my original statement about the true villains being the devs. They don't appear to be trying to close any of the security holes allowing cheats. Instead they are taking advantage of their holes and chasing after EULA violator's with legal action, instead of closing their holes.

 

[ZackL04]

I'm just going to laugh out loud at them for directing the blame away from the devs.

I don't remember stories about fining devs for allowing cheats to happen. It seems to be easy enough anyone's five year old can cheat. That is a vulnerability the devs could stop, but instead they choose to harass the player base over their bad programming.

If the only way to enjoy playing a game is to join the cheaters and risk prosecution, you might as well stop playing all together. It is not the fault of the player base when there is a huge cheater problem.

If you play a game there is a eula read it. If you cheat go to jail that is the way it is in vegas video games are no diffrent cheating means ur scum.

Apples to oranges man

 

[m3tavision]

If you play a game there is a eula read it.

EULA's are not always legally binding. But in this case it would seem the contract was legally binding. At least enough for 15 violators to be fined 5.1 Million.

I couldn't care less what happens to someone that cheats. But seriously it is just a game and this fine is ridiculously overstated. I will stick to my original statement about the true villains being the devs. They don't appear to be trying to close any of the security holes allowing cheats. Instead they are taking advantage of their holes and chasing after EULA violator's with legal action, instead of closing their holes.

No, the problem is not having an adult EULA.

If they market and sold it to 18+ with credit car # and charge $20 more for the game, along with a modify EULA that gives the Developer's authority in closing accounts & managing their Player base better.

Once a hack is linked to a CC# it can never be used to buy another game again. No game needs little kids, or inept wannabee's who hack & cheat. That is the snowflake generation and those powder puffs need their own servers.

 

[cliffordcooley]

No, the problem is not having an adult EULA.

I fail to see how your comment counters what I said. In fact our two comments could play the same role. But then again I don't see how rewording the EULA will change anything.

 

[EClyde]

I might cheat at love and war but gaming?

 

[gamoniac]

If you play a game there is a eula read it.

EULA's are not always legally binding. But in this case it would seem the contract was legally binding. At least enough for 15 violators to be fined 5.1 Million.

I couldn't care less what happens to someone that cheats. But seriously it is just a game and this fine is ridiculously overstated. I will stick to my original statement about the true villains being the devs. They don't appear to be trying to close any of the security holes allowing cheats. Instead they are taking advantage of their holes and chasing after EULA violator's with legal action, instead of closing their holes.

The game maker and its employees livelihood depends on the profitability and gamer retention. So, it is not just a game. It is a product, like everything else on the market (hardware or software). And for a game this size, there are lots of bugs whether we like it or not.

 

[stewi0001]

So can we arrest people for cheating at UNO? XD

 

[Paul86]

Seriously? People are being fined and jailed for cheating on a GAME?!?
It's a Game!?! what the hell.
Don't get me wrong I hate cheaters just as much as the next guy.

 

[Don1905]

Seriously? People are being fined and jailed for cheating on a GAME?!?
It's a Game!?! what the hell.
Don't get me wrong I hate cheaters just as much as the next guy.

According to translated information from local authorities, the arrests were made for “developing hack programs, hosting marketplaces for hack programs, and brokering transactions.”
So cheaters are not arrested, those who profit from cheating programs are

 

[cliffordcooley]

So cheaters are not arrested, those who profit from cheating programs are

That makes a big difference. In which case I have no complaint with the hefty fine.

 

[Knot Schure]

I think online cheaters are just abused children.

I CANNOT follow their small minds with radar. I fail to see how they can get off on the misery of others, who's valuable free time has been set aside for some simple competition / enjoyment.

There really has to be something wrong in their lives, to find cheating in a public lobby an acceptable form of behaviour...and to get a rise out of it too, knowing they have no skill in these achievements at all. Their denials make me want to go full Freddy Krueger on them.

I hope when they get older / grow up, all their kids die at birth.

So as you can see, they really do get on my nerves.