Activision cites data claiming cheating in games is an $8.5bn industry; 69% of online multiplayer studios consider cheating "a significant or very significant problem"

Activision's Team Ricochet, the team responsible for Call of Duty's anti-cheat efforts, has revealed that cheating in video games is a multi-billion dollar industry. According to data cited by Activision, cheating generates around $8.5 billion annually, with cheat developers earning approximately $3.5 billion annually from 15 analyzed games.

This figure rises to $8.5 billion when services like spoofing and account sales are included. Team Ricochet has taken significant action against cheating, disrupting over 375 reseller operations, issuing more than 80 cease-and-desist demands, and shutting down 31 primary cheat vendors. In addition, they have implemented over 70,000 new hardware bans as part of their ongoing anti-cheat measures.

The CEO and co-founder of Anybrain, a leading anti-cheat solutions provider, echoed these findings, stating that cheating has evolved into a sophisticated industry, often aided by generative AI, real-time problem-solving tools, hidden hardware, and digital identity spoofing. This shift has made it increasingly difficult for anti-cheat solutions to keep up, as malicious actors can quickly adapt their tools to evade security systems.

A recent survey conducted by Anybrain found that 69% of studios view cheating as a significant or very significant problem, with many reporting measurable decreases in player retention and revenue loss. Over half of the surveyed developers have experienced negative impacts on their games due to cheating. While 76% of these studios have implemented anti-cheat solutions, most utilize multiple solutions to tackle the issue, recognizing that no single tool can effectively combat cheating on its own.

However, 24% of surveyed studios have not yet implemented anti-cheat measures, citing reasons such as the lack of an effective solution, concerns about community feedback, or the belief that cheating is not a significant issue in their games.