The game has recently launched a device ban feature where devices of cheaters will be identified and banned permanently from the game. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star
Members of a hacking group have been ordered to pay around US$10mil (RM42mil) in damages for creating and distributing hacks that allowed players to cheat in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile.
According to a statement, federal courts in the US and Germany have ruled in favour of PUBG Mobile publisher Tencent Games and studio Krafton in their lawsuit against the group. The defendants have also been instructed to cease future illegal activities involving cheating, and to divulge the mechanics of how they were able to exploit PUBG Mobile as well as information on their collaborators, if any.
Tencent Games’ PUBG Mobile producer Rick Li said the judgements “send a clear message that we will not tolerate cheating in PUBG Mobile”.
“Fun and fairness is the bedrock of the PUBG Mobile experience and cheating in any form will not be tolerated. As such, we will continue enforcing our IP rights with unwavering resolve against any who seek to tarnish or misuse them,” said Krafton Inc’s head of PUBGM product management Minu Lee in a statement.
The companies said any recovered funds from the lawsuit will be invested in further development of anti-cheating technology in PUBG Mobile.
The game has recently launched a device ban feature, where devices of cheaters will be identified and banned permanently from the game. They will also no longer be able to log into the game or create a new account on the device.
The company said it has also invested in technology to improve replay screening and evaluation to catch cheaters, and imposed more penalties on players exploiting cheats.
Gaming companies have been stepping up measures to combat cheating. The Verge reported that Activision has filed a lawsuit against a company for advertising cheats for Call Of Duty games and other online shooter titles. Activision has also recently rolled-out a new anti-cheat system called Ricochet to stamp out cheaters from Call Of Duty: Vanguard and Call Of Duty: Warzone.
