How many ruined matches does it take to break a gaming community? Arc Raiders recently exploded onto the scene as a massive hit with over fourteen million copies sold and hundreds of thousands of concurrent players. This massive influx of extraction shooter fans brought an equally massive wave of malicious actors looking to exploit the system. Wall-hacks and aim-bots are currently running rampant across the servers to completely tarnish the high-stakes multiplayer experience.
• Arc Raiders sold over 14 million copies
• The game reached 700,000 concurrent players
• Rampant cheating is ruining the experience
High-profile content creators are reaching their breaking point with the current state of affairs. Prominent streamer Shroud recently expressed immense frustration after falling victim to yet another blatant hacker who eliminated him instantly while hurling slurs. The popular broadcaster stated his firm belief that the development team at Embark Studios has completely abandoned the community and simply does not care about the integrity of the product. He dismissed any hopes of an imminent software upgrade by insisting the developers are doing absolutely nothing behind the scenes.
• Top streamers are incredibly frustrated
• Shroud believes the developers do not care
• He dismissed rumors of an upcoming fix
This sentiment echoes across the wider player base as everyday users encounter similar frustrations. Fellow players in the same broadcast reported running into obvious rule-breakers up to seven times in a single day. Early protective measures proved highly ineffective when malicious users bypassed bans by simply switching to linked accounts through family sharing features. The studio eventually patched that specific exploit earlier this month, yet the broader war against illicit software remains largely ineffective.
• Players report multiple hackers daily
• A family sharing exploit was fixed recently
• Broad anti-cheat measures remain weak
Punishments for confirmed offenses previously relied on a highly criticized three-strike system. Players caught using illicit software would receive temporary suspensions of thirty or sixty days before facing a permanent account closure. This lenient approach stood in stark contrast to upcoming competitors like the highly anticipated extraction shooter Marathon. Bungie recently announced a strict zero-tolerance policy for their rival title where any confirmed cheating results in an immediate and permanent ban with no chance for an appeal.
• Arc Raiders used a lenient three-strike system
• Suspensions lasted 30 or 60 days initially
• Competitor Marathon announced zero-tolerance bans
Public pressure from massive creators and rival studios finally forced a significant policy shift. Embark Studios released an update this week outlining a much harsher stance that closely mirrors the approach taken by their competitors. The development team confirmed that severe infractions will now trigger immediate permanent bans rather than temporary suspensions. They also pledged to continuously tighten their detection systems in an ongoing effort to restore fair play and win back the trust of their massive audience.
• Embark Studios updated their policy this week
• Severe infractions now trigger instant permanent bans
• The studio pledged to improve detection systems
Via: Dexerto
