The online gaming world can pair players against some of the best out there. With the number of modes and the variety of playing styles, the possibilities can feel endless at times. However, video games will always have exploits along with those who take advantage of them, and Madden NFL 22 is no exception.
With exploits come a small minority of players that love to take advantage of them, and it's nearly impossible to create a video game that doesn't have one or the other. In Madden NFL 22, one such exploit allows players to intentionally desync from an opponent and pick up a victory, regardless of whether they were winning or losing during the game.
Reddit user GaryDGod took to the website posting a video of an interaction between himself and his online opponent. For context, GaryDGod claims he played the user in question several times, continuously beating him before the player desyncs himself, putting an end to the match. Desyncing issues in games are a constant problem, from sports games to most multiplayer online games, and the problem doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon. On this occasion, however, they made sure to capture the action on video and catch the user gloating about his wrongdoings.
"I'm not even mad. I can desync you out of the game and get the win right now," exclaimed the online opponent. In Madden NFL 22, the issue with desyncing is that regardless of the score, if a player is capable of forcefully desyncing their opponent from the game, they are automatically credited with a win. While EA Sports has remained vigilant with taking care of problems within its game, including removing controversial Raiders coach Jon Gruden, the developer is at the mercy of the player base to report this type of behavior to the correct departments to prevent it from continuing. Even then, the issue remains intact, and the next wave of cheaters will gleefully accept and abuse every exploit possible.
One of the most unfortunate moments in the video is when the cheater claims the exploit is earning him success online. "It's one of the only reasons I'm top-200 in the game, and I barely play this game," he reveals shortly before desyncing his opponent and bringing an end to both the game and the video. The reality of the situation is that there is no working process to stop the exploit from being used, and a minority of players will use it to climb the leaderboard and rank higher than those who play seriously. The matter will only worsen, as Madden NFL 22 is currently a free Amazon Prime game for March.
Madden NFL 22 was released on August 17th, 2021, and is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.