Escape from Tarkov has declared war on cheaters. Earlier this week, developer Battlestate Games banned over 3000 players for cheating in the wildly popular MMO.
Battlestate Games announced the mass banning through its official Twitter account. It also said that this wouldn't be the last mass ban of cheaters from Escape from Tarkov, stating that it would be alerting fans every time a"large BE ban wave" happens.
Escape from Tarkov has surged in popularity in recent months, quickly becoming one of the most watched games on Twitch. But alongside the newfound popularity came a new problem: cheaters. Many players have been complaining that other players haven't been playing fairly, and clearly Battlestate Games heard these complaints.
Since the first tweet, Battlestate Games has announced multiple waves of bans. Today, it banned another 700 players for cheating. These moves have been met with widespread support from players, with many hoping that other FPS games will take banning cheaters this seriously.
A number of gaming companies have started cracking down harder on cheaters in recent months. Players have been permanently banned from Pokemon Sword and Shield for using exploits that allows them to escape losing matches.
It's pretty hard to feel bad for anyone banned from a game for cheating. While one could argue that a lifetime ban for first time offenders is harsh, cheaters make games worse for everyone. This is especially true in a game like Escape from Tarkov, which is known for its gritty realism. Running into a cheater pulls one out of the game, which is both frustrating and fundamentally un-fun, and can add a whole layer to existing controversies.
Escape from Tarkov is on PC.
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