Cheating has always been present in many video games. The more developers try to prevent cheating, the more players get even more creative. With the arrival of battle royale games, the incidences of cheating have increased. This is not surprising, as the goal in most battle royale games is to be the last fighter standing. One such game doing what it can against cheaters is PUBG Mobile.
According to the PUBG Mobile Operations Team, the goal has always been to offer a gaming environment that is not only fair, but also enjoyable for each and every player. When it comes to cheating, the Team takes this issue seriously and thus each account in violation has received a 10-year ban. The team adds that they continue to enforce stringent discipline against cheaters and are not afraid to publish the IDs of those confirmed as cheaters.
A partial list of players banned for 10 years because of cheating from June 25 to July 1 can be viewed here.
It was back in July of last year when the team first admitted that there was a rise in both cheaters and hackers. During this time, the team revealed that behaviors identified as cheating or hacking included, but was not limited to, auto aiming, acceleration, recoil reduction, and any other methods that modify the game or its data. Since then, the team has never backed down from revealing the accounts of those confirmed to have cheated.
PUBG was first released through the PC, and after the Chinese publication deal for the game's Windows version, PUBG and Tencent Games agreed to enter into a partnership to launch two mobile versions in China. The first was PUBG: Exhilarating Battlefield, which was followed by PUBG: Army Attack. The first functions as an abridged version of the original game while the second introduced more arcade-style elements. An English version of PUBG: Exhilarating Battlefield was initially launched in Canada and is titled PUBG Mobile. The game later had a worldwide release by March 2018.
It has not been smooth sailing for the game, as PUBG has faced bans in different countries. Two states in India banned the game, stating that PUBG Mobile served as a distraction for students. In Nepal, a nationwide ban was implemented citing that many children have been addicted to the game. This has since been lifted by the Nepal Supreme Court. In China the game continued to await approval from government regulators, eventually forcing Tencent to make the decision not to release the game in the country.
