Call of Duty maker Activision claims video game cheating is now a £6.3 billion ($8.5 billion) a year industry
Activision has published a breakdown of the numbers behind cheating in its games, claiming cheating is big business, generating about £6.3 billion - $8.5bn - every year in account sales, boosting, and spoofing services. Read more
Activision has revealed that cheating in its video games generates a staggering £6.3 billion ($8.5 billion) annually through account sales, boosting services, and spoofing. Team Ricochet, a cheat squad based within the publisher's ranks, reported that cheat subscriptions from just 15 games alone bring in around £2.6 billion ($3.5 billion).
The company is actively combating this issue, targeting cheat sellers globally and tightening its technical detection. In just one weekend during the Closed Beta, Team Ricochet took down a cheat seller in Ohio. Activision's efforts include issuing cease-and-desist orders, shutting down 31 primary cheat vendors, and disrupting over 375 reseller operations.
Cheaters are increasingly being forced to pay more, with subscriptions now costing up to £75 ($100) and spoofing tools adding additional fees. In some cases, cheaters have spent over £750 ($1,000) per year on cheats. Activision's stance is that cheating is a losing investment, as the money spent by cheaters is lost when the company removes them.
Modern Warfare 4, set for release on October 23rd, is part of Activision's ongoing effort to combat cheating and improve the gaming experience.
Written by urgent.news from Eurogamer's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
