Anti-cheat services in video games are now a selling point

“Destiny 2” is the second major game in a week to promise anti-cheat services as an upcoming feature.

Why it matters: Cheating is widespread in many major online games, driving players, including influential streamers, to quit in frustration.

• No one likes getting shot by a player who is paying for a cheat to effectively snipe without aiming.
• Anti-cheat software isn’t new. But in the ongoing arms race between cheaters and developers, the implementation of better anti-cheat tech is meant to tell players it's OK to play.

The details: During a Tuesday showcase of upcoming content for “Destiny 2,” a developer said that anti-cheat was ​​“one of the biggest asks from our community” and is being offered in advance of the highly competitive Trials of Osiris mode. (The studio teased the addition last week.)

• Last week, Activision devoted a portion of its blog post announcing the next paid “Call of Duty” game to note that "Warzone," its very popular — and cheater-infested — free battle royale, would soon get “a new PC anti-cheat system across the entire experience when it launches with the new map.”
• Activision has banned more than 500,000 “Warzone” accounts for cheating since the game’s 2020 launch, while Bungie has filed new lawsuits against sites that sell cheats.

What they’re saying: "This is not a silver bullet fix that will end all cheating in Destiny forever,” Bungie’s developers noted in a blog post today. “This is another step in our strategy to combat cheats and improve our detection and banning methods.”

• The studio is also encouraging other developers and publishers to join their lawsuits.

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