One of the common issues that competitive player-vs-player mobile games have is that there’s a big gap between free-to-play players and players who spend money. That problem though, is not an issue for games like PUBG Mobile. The things that you can buy in the game don’t provide any advantage. However, this doesn’t mean that the shooting game is not dealing with a severe issue. The issue that PUBG Mobile, and other similar games like it, deals with is hacking.
Many players would hack the game and cheat to have an advantage. One of the everyday hacks that cheaters do is an aimbot, which allows them to automatically aim their gun at enemies to get a kill or a headshot quickly. Another typical hack is being able to see through walls or having an enhanced sensory perception. But is cheating still prevalent in the game today? Let’s take a look.
PUBG Mobile Bans More than 10,000 Players For Cheating
Last July 2020, the developers of PUBG Mobile had announced that they issued a 10-year ban on more than 10,000 accounts because of hacking or cheating. This thing is part of the developer’s on-going campaign called PUBG Mobile Project: Ban Pan. It’s an on-brand campaign that was launched to combat hackers and cheaters who are making the game less enjoyable for many players.
The massive ban is a response to the new cheat that the developers discovered. They said that the cheat “one-shot kills players then invert their screen momentarily.” Though they didn’t get into the details of what the cheat is, this shows that the developers are still battling against hackers until today. They also added the Death Replay feature to let players see how they get killed from the point-of-view of the killer. Despite these efforts, the massive ban shows that there are still many people hacking and cheating in the game.
Are the Developers of PUBG Mobile Effective in Their Campaign
PUBG Mobile’s developers are coming out with campaigns and plan to battle against cheaters. But still, they aren’t effective in getting rid of them. They haven’t even lessened the number of players who are hacking and cheating, despite the numerous bans they already laid out. One player also streamed his rampant cheating online, shortly after the PUBG Mobile Project: Ban Pan was implemented. This matter showed that what they’re doing is not working.
And this has been a constant complaint from many players. They feel the developers are just more focused on trying to add features to the game that will bring in more money instead of addressing the cheating problem. The 10-year ban, which was introduced in 2019, didn’t scare off cheaters as well. Well, it’s because it is a free-to-play game. So, getting one account banned doesn’t mean that much. It’s because players can always create a new one to continue with their cheating ways. Though it is good to see that the developers are at least trying to do something about it, they should step up their game, or they will lose more players if this continues to be rampant.
How to Avoid or Deal with Cheaters in the Game
The cheaters in PUBG Mobile are usually those who are in the mid to high levels in the game. So if you’re new and starting, you won’t notice them much since you’re still also learning. But if you’re competitive and are trying to rank up to the higher tiers, dealing with them can be frustrating. Fortunately, there are some ways that you can avoid them, or at least minimize the frequency of encountering them in a match. Here are some tips that you can follow:
- Play in First-Person Mode – This is the best way to avoid many of the cheaters and hackers in the game since this mode limits the hack tools that they can use. The only issue you’ll deal with here is the auto-aim. This thing can be dealt with if you’re good enough, and if you have a good strategy.
- Don’t Choose Popular Maps – Another way to avoid cheaters is by not choosing the popular maps to play. Many cheaters thrive from the attention and other player’s frustration, so they will most likely go for very popular maps. Choosing the less popular ones means that you will encounter them less.
- Don’t Engage in Long-Range Fights – In case you do encounter a hacker, it is important not to engage in long-range fights since this is where they have the most advantage. Try to get close and use the terrain for cover since bullets won’t pass through here.
- Try to Avoid 1-on-1 Battles – Having a 1-on-1 fight against hackers will be very tough unless you are good at the game. Fortunately, most hackers are arrogant and confident and will likely engage in multiple fights instead of 1-on-1. Use this opportunity to get away or try to get closer to have a more fair fight.
The tips provided above won’t guarantee that you will avoid hackers or defeat them in a battle. But it will give you a chance. You can check out PUBG Mobile here.