Developers of the mobile version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, a popular battle royale, player vs. player shooting game, are continuing to crack down on cheaters with the latest update’s in-game measures.
“The implementations address several suspicious behaviors, including assorted plug-in software, auto-aim, and other hacks, and adds new upgrades to existing preventative systems,” PUBG Mobile said in a press release.
One of the plug-ins targeted is called “Plug-In Z,” which allows players to kill others right after they parachute, significantly altering normal gameplay.
PUBG Mobile said that it countered the plug-in in July and penalized accounts that were using it. Some Android users with jailbroken devices were able to take advantage of “Plug-In M,” which gave players advantages like zero recoil, zero shake screen, auto-aim, fog removal, and vision expansions.
“Cheaters caught using these plug-ins have received 10-year bans on their accounts,” the release said.
Auto-aim has been a persistent problem in the game, and with update version 1.0, PUBG Mobile’s anti-cheating team said that it worked to get rid of 20 different types of auto-aim hacks while increasing the penalties for using it.
“Additional methods are continually monitored and addressed through updated detection protocols,” the release said.
Finally, PUBG Mobile tackled the “Grass Hack,” a cheat that gives players an unfair visual advantage in the game. Security and prevention for this hack, and the game at large, have increased. PUBG Mobile is also adding a replay review system to help its anti-cheat team.
Other anti-cheat protocols include optimizing the spectating system, which expands the monitoring scope of an enemy’s position. This means that cheaters can no longer manipulate the spectate mode with multiple accounts to gain an advantage. The monitoring performance has also been optimized, meaning that security monitoring power consumption and lagging has been reduced, “ensuring a smooth gaming experience while protecting the game’s integrity.”
Other miscellaneous security measures have also been implemented, like the fixing of engine security risks, “increased Livik penalty thresholds, chat channel plug-in promotions, and a crackdown on Team Death Match cheaters.”
Players who notice cheating in the game can file reports using game replays and screenshots by tapping the in-game report button. They can also contact customer service through the game’s settings or visit the official report forum and anti-hack channel.
PUBG Mobile is available for free in the App Store or the Google Play Store.