Kunshan police partenered with Tencent in order to crack down a cheat enabler group, who are mostly dedicated to providing cheats in the game Valorant. It is the greatest anti-cheat operation ever, according to the Chinese Police. The operation reportedly earned as much as $10,000 daily, with calculations estimating that the total profits could be around $750 million dollars during the organization’s lifetime.

Among the assets seized, valued at 46 million dollars, were high end sports cars.

The Chinese police known as Kunshan police were working with Tencent Games to take down the biggest Cheat provider based in China they were Jailed and around $46m in assets were Seized this is the BIGGEST GAME Cheating provider bust ever

Cheaters never prosper what a big win pic.twitter.com/WBfkjNiP2g

— Anti-Cheat Police Department 🕵️ (@AntiCheatPD) March 28, 2021

​

Source (Portuguese)

 

[ZeroFX]

Yikes, but well it is china we're talking about, and a very big company of china. So shitty things like that happens.

And no, i don't think cheating or "selling cheats" on a digital game is something you stop with arresting, although is something I would never do (cheat or selling cheats), i think you fix that with patches and anti cheat improvement (better yet if such anti cheat ist intrusive like the valorant one, guess this news just proves that ring-0 anti cheat is just for tracking).

 

[Viri]

Wow, I guess there really is a place where cheating in Mario Kart online, can get your door kicked in, and sent to a forced labor camp.

 

[Deleted User]

On balance, for all the units sold, the folks that created the latest slew of Nintendo Switch cracks don't have a single luxury Sports Car to their name. Yet they're taken to task in the United States and the so-called Democratic legal system ruled against them.

So scale is undoubtedly a contributing factor to this, and I wouldn't be surprised if these people added salt to the wound by promoting their gains in the popular Social Media sites there.

As such, I fail to see how this effort to combat cheating in the Gaming industry is something uniquely Chinese.

 

[gamesquest1]

To bad they can't cheat their way out of jail :')

I'm sure they can and will, they will simply be assigned jobs hacking foreign website/games/businesses

 

[the_randomizer]

Pretty tough coming from a country that encourages piracy and bootlegging

 

[UltraDolphinRevolution]

I am still far from convinced that cheating in games has need of the filth being set upon you or courts getting involved.

I disagree. Cheating ruins gaming for the majority just so a minority can enjoy themselves. It hurts business as well. Imagine a cinema in which 2 people stand up and scream and try to block the screen. It is not illegal per se but it is ruining it for everyone. Cheating should be punished. (at least on public matches)

 

[Joe88]

South korea in particular I believe is is actually illegal to develop/use/sell/distribute cheats for online games, its simply because how online gaming is so big there.
China has already has always been strict when it came to cheating, im sure some people have seen the images of students in desks tasking tests outside on a running track which proctors keeping on eye on them to prevent any type of cheating. This though I believe is just tencent being in the ccp's pocket.

 

[BitMasterPlus]

tbh I'm mostly cool with cheating as long as you don't do it with online multiplayer and online games as to not have unfair advantages and disadvantages over other players, but that's just me.

 

[raxadian]

I think the article is missing the world "online" somewhere. As in "Online cheating group".

 

[banjo2]

I think the article is missing the world "online" somewhere. As in "Online cheating group".

Valorant is multiplayer-only (afaik) anyway so

 

[Lunar]

Good. Hopefully they took out a chunk of the market for PUBG cheats as well because that game has been infested. I've actually know some people that have used cheats before and not only are they super expensive but they require full access to your computer in order to run. It's not only a waste of time but it puts money into these Chinese companies' pockets so they can go spend money on super cars.

 

[raxadian]

Valorant is multiplayer-only (afaik) anyway so

Yeah but the headline makes it sound like the police wil bust into your home fir using a cheat in any game instead of just online games.

 

[leon315]

I am still far from convinced that cheating in games has need of the filth being set upon you or courts getting involved.

Such an investigation? For cheating in games? *sees that it's in China* Oh. Nevermind.

It's not just simple as a single individual cheats in game, according to the news, it's an organisation specialised creation of cheats and sell them for profits, which is illegal as f.
Beside any tencent Esport game in China requires you to input your ID code, if you are banned cheating online, you are done forever. forever.

 

[FAST6191]

It's not just simple as a single individual cheats in game, according to the news, it's an organisation specialised creation of cheats and sell them for profits, which is illegal as f.

And? Assuming it is illegal then should it be illegal? Does it matter if it is some skiddie that read https://web.archive.org/web/20080309104350/http://etk.scener.org/?op=tutorial and had the wherewithal to search "PC program memory editor" afterwards or a publicly traded company with everything down to a janitorial budget?

I disagree. Cheating ruins gaming for the majority just so a minority can enjoy themselves. It hurts business as well. Imagine a cinema in which 2 people stand up and scream and try to block the screen. It is not illegal per se but it is ruining it for everyone. Cheating should be punished. (at least on public matches)

There is a difference between being banned from a service and having the filth tool up and kick down your front door before dragging you in front of a court and having it fine you.

 

[HarveyHouston]

In regards to my Rock Band Customs Project, I was accused by an "ethical hacking" group of cheating, because Rock Band 3 can connect online and I recover the DLC. While it may not be considered "ethical", it's not the same thing as cheating. Cheating is when you can get gacha stuff for free, like FortNite coins or Asphalt 9 tokens. What I've done is tried to recover DLC that is no longer available for older Rock Band editions, and as for the online bit, it's only to play with other people remotely to be part of a virtual band - no gacha element involved at all. Now, there are Gecko codes for the Wii, and ways to manipulate the game on other consoles which I guess could be considered "cheating", but they can work fully offline and are not related to DLC.

Cheating to make money is highly illegal, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I would (and have) gladly buy something that a game I like offers, including DLC, so long as it remains available to buy. It's only when it's no longer available that I would try to get it through illegitimate means, if there's no way I can get it legitimately - and I don't do that with everything I like, either.

So, yeah. China may not be our friend, but these guys should have been taken down sooner. Unfortunately, I have read where China has a huge problem with piracy (maybe because of all the communism?). In fact, Nintendo had to add new security measures to their hardware due to Chinese pirates, IIRC.

 

[anhminh]

I sure hope that hacker don't take this as challenge and create free cheat for the game.

 

[FAST6191]

In regards to my Rock Band Customs Project, I was accused by an "ethical hacking" group of cheating, because Rock Band 3 can connect online and I recover the DLC. While it may not be considered "ethical", it's not the same thing as cheating. Cheating is when you can get gacha stuff for free, like FortNite coins or Asphalt 9 tokens. What I've done is tried to recover DLC that is no longer available for older Rock Band editions, and as for the online bit, it's only to play with other people remotely to be part of a virtual band - no gacha element involved at all. Now, there are Gecko codes for the Wii, and ways to manipulate the game on other consoles which I guess could be considered "cheating", but they can work fully offline and are not related to DLC.

Cheating to make money is highly illegal, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I would (and have) gladly buy something that a game I like offers, including DLC, so long as it remains available to buy. It's only when it's no longer available that I would try to get it through illegitimate means, if there's no way I can get it legitimately - and I don't do that with everything I like, either.

So, yeah. China may not be our friend, but these guys should have been taken down sooner. Unfortunately, I have read where China has a huge problem with piracy (maybe because of all the communism?). In fact, Nintendo had to add new security measures to their hardware due to Chinese pirates, IIRC.

Can't say I have ever run into an ethical hacking group proclaiming things when wandering around the game space.

I have met those with all sorts of ideas* but caring that much about Rock Band is a new one.

*quick list
1) You have your garden variety no commercial games no how set. As well as the lesser degree "not available by any other means" types, and backups are OK I guess types.
2) Anti cheat of various flavours from no online, to online but not competitive/ranked, to never under any circumstances including offline.
3) Back during the Zelda DS dpad hacks there were those that thought those hacking were insulting the devs by doing it.
4) Whatever the pokemon set were doing. When various legendaries were leaked, the whole Nintendo not being very good at online security and broadcasting the opponent pick in plaintext while there was still time on the clock to pick a team of your own thing, and generated vs 100% legit vs illegal combos stuff is ever the fun debate.

"Cheating to make money is highly illegal"
Is it though and should it be? Cheating at a game of chance in actual gambling... rather different matter. Taking some payment to provide some cheats... I am less sold on that being a matter for the law. No problems with all involved being kicked/banned from the service but that is a different matter.

 

[HarveyHouston]

Can't say I have ever run into an ethical hacking group proclaiming things when wandering around the game space.

I have met those with all sorts of ideas* but caring that much about Rock Band is a new one.

*quick list
1) You have your garden variety no commercial games no how set. As well as the lesser degree "not available by any other means" types, and backups are OK I guess types.
2) Anti cheat of various flavours from no online, to online but not competitive/ranked, to never under any circumstances including offline.
3) Back during the Zelda DS dpad hacks there were those that thought those hacking were insulting the devs by doing it.
4) Whatever the pokemon set were doing. When various legendaries were leaked, the whole Nintendo not being very good at online security and broadcasting the opponent pick in plaintext while there was still time on the clock to pick a team of your own thing, and generated vs 100% legit vs illegal combos stuff is ever the fun debate.

"Cheating to make money is highly illegal"
Is it though and should it be? Cheating at a game of chance in actual gambling... rather different matter. Taking some payment to provide some cheats... I am less sold on that being a matter for the law. No problems with all involved being kicked/banned from the service but that is a different matter.

Some good points pointed out, here. You must wear glasses.

 

[leon315]

And? Assuming it is illegal then should it be illegal? Does it matter if it is some skiddie that read https://web.archive.org/web/20080309104350/http://etk.scener.org/?op=tutorial and had the wherewithal to search "PC program memory editor" afterwards or a publicly traded company with everything down to a janitorial budget?

you missed the point..... are u sure u are still on earth, are u still with us?!

 

[FAST6191]

you missed the point..... are u sure u are still on earth, are u still with us?!

You said it is a hardcore hacking team, might even by typing on green text terminals they are that hardcore. Raking in the profits from it and that such things were illegal as fuck.

I said is it really illegal (China will just make up something to have it stick if it bothers the wrong people) and if it is should it be? What does it matter if it is such as above, or some skiddie that just learned about memory viewing and comparing on their gameshark?
Ban them and their clients by all means but sending in the filth to kick down doors, slap cuffs on people and steal all their stuff... that is harder to justify.