GTA Online BattleEye anti-cheat is the lifeline the game needs right now
It only took nine years, but GTA Online is finally tackling its issues with hackers on PC.
17th Sep 2024 16:26
Images via Activision
GTA Online BattleEye anti-cheat is the lifeline the game needs right now
It only took nine years, but GTA Online is finally tackling its issues with hackers on PC.
17th Sep 2024 16:26
Images via Activision
It's a problem that continues to plague modern games, and while developers try their hardest to keep cheaters at bay, someone always seems to slip through the net. Grand Theft Auto is no different, and when it comes to GTA Online, it's a sometimes unplayable mess where cheaters reign supreme.
While we're sad that 2013's GTA V skipped out on its single-player DLC content, it's all to do with the surprise success of GTA Online. Helping the game become the most-profitable entertainment product of all time, it's hard to remember a time GTA didn't have GTA Online.
GTA Online finally adds BattleEye anti-cheat
Nine years after GTA Online finally launched on PC, GTA insider TezFunz2 pointed out that the game's Steam database reveals a new patch with third-party anti-cheat software. Although some have an issue with BattleEye's invasive nature, there's no denying that it works in combatting cheaters.
We've all seen those GTAO lobbies where cheaters fly across the sky like Superman, and with BattleEye supporting a global ban system, it should stop hackers from creating new accounts. Better yet, those who are against kernel-level anti-cheat should be able to turn it off when playing the standard story mode.
Other major online games, from PUBG to Fortnite, use BattleEye, while Call of Duty: Warzone struggles to keep legitimate players engaged due to rampant cheating problems. When it comes to Black Ops 6, Seth "Scump" Abner has said he's worried the game will be dead by Season 2 if it can't beat its cheaters.
Players on the GTA Online subreddit have spotted that start-up windows are now referencing BattleEye, proving it's already locked in. Rockstar was struck by a major hacking problem inside GTA Online back in 2023, and while patches 'fixed' it, we've been asking for a more robust anti-cheat since.
Looking ahead, there's seemingly good news for GTA 6's online component. Given GTAO's success, Rockstar will want to capitalise on it in GTA 6. Whether that involves a whole new game that will eventually see the OG shuttered (akin to Warzone 2.0 becoming the only version) or not, BattleEye will likely be featured.
As GTA 6 is already being hyped as the biggest video game of all time, it makes sense that Rockstar wants to get its ducks in a row and make sure its online contingent is more secure than Fort Knox. No matter what you think of BattleEye and other anti-cheats, it's another small victory against the cheaters.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
