In China, a group that acted as a provider of cheats for games has been broken up after a crackdown. And Chinese police reveal how much the guys there made from distributing cheats worldwide. Eight figures ...
They have sold cheats to players worldwide, from Overwatch to Call of Duty: Mobile. Through cooperation with police and Tencent, investigators managed to track down the suspects. A raid followed, making the lucrative business more apparent to some gamers.
Because selling cheats on a grand scale is lucrative, but it's also a shady business. The bigger one is, the greater the risk that developers will take notice and authorities will start investigating. How lucrative it can be is shown by the seized luxury sports cars of the members of the group, as well as the fortune they have amassed. Converted, they were able to accumulate about 64 million euros. A handsome sum that most people can only dream of. How cheat manufacturers can earn such vast sums is clear to all of us: subscriptions, such as daily keys, sometimes cost €10 or more, and a good €150 or more can be due for a month - and those interested are only too happy to pay that. To be the best at least once in the game? Everyone has their own priorities.
But all the luxury is now passé, and for the manufacturers and distributors from China it goes to jail for the time being. A total of ten suspects were arrested, and seventeen cheats they offered were destroyed.
Nevertheless, cheat makers from the Western world shouldn't have to fear FBI raids in their homes for the time being; cheaters are much more frowned upon in China than in our half of the globe. Nevertheless, developers will continue to try and get tougher and tougher against it in the future, which is a good thing - or not, depending on your attitude towards cheaters and their vendors.
They have sold cheats to players worldwide, from Overwatch to Call of Duty: Mobile. Through cooperation with police and Tencent, investigators managed to track down the suspects. A raid followed, making the lucrative business more apparent to some gamers.
Because selling cheats on a grand scale is lucrative, but it's also a shady business. The bigger one is, the greater the risk that developers will take notice and authorities will start investigating. How lucrative it can be is shown by the seized luxury sports cars of the members of the group, as well as the fortune they have amassed. Converted, they were able to accumulate about 64 million euros. A handsome sum that most people can only dream of. How cheat manufacturers can earn such vast sums is clear to all of us: subscriptions, such as daily keys, sometimes cost €10 or more, and a good €150 or more can be due for a month - and those interested are only too happy to pay that. To be the best at least once in the game? Everyone has their own priorities.
| Luxury cars of the group, then the arrest | |
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But all the luxury is now passé, and for the manufacturers and distributors from China it goes to jail for the time being. A total of ten suspects were arrested, and seventeen cheats they offered were destroyed.
Nevertheless, cheat makers from the Western world shouldn't have to fear FBI raids in their homes for the time being; cheaters are much more frowned upon in China than in our half of the globe. Nevertheless, developers will continue to try and get tougher and tougher against it in the future, which is a good thing - or not, depending on your attitude towards cheaters and their vendors.