Cheat creators for 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' to pay Activision $3 million in fines

For creating exploits that get around the anti-cheat engine used in Modern Warfare 2 and other Activision Blizzard games, two members of the infamous Call of Duty cheat creator group EngineOwning have been fined a sizable sum.

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In the video gaming industry, there has always been a subculture of dishonest gamers. They might be trying to figure out how to take advantage of the system or make things difficult for skilled, legitimate gamers. This happens a lot in competitive free-to-play games because it is simple to open a new account even after being banned. Nevertheless, cheats have somehow been able to enter even the most sophisticated Call of Duty games, like Modern Warfare 2. Players have reportedly claimed that Modern Warfare 2's recently deployed Ranked Play option has been plagued by hackers who use illicit third-party software to get around the game's built-in anti-cheat system, RICOCHET. And recently, a judge rendered a decision in Activision's favor, imposing a hefty fine on two EngineOwning cheat creators. Furthermore, according to early reports, Activision had sued EngineOwning, alleging that the latter's illegal cheats and hacks had cost the renowned video game publisher millions of dollars. And a judge has finally decided to issue a fair decision after hearing the matter for some time in court. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Image credit: GAMINGbible[/caption] Additionally, Axios' Stephen Totilo tweeted about the EngineOwning verdict after seeing it. According to the verdict, for developing cheats and hacks with EngineOwning, Manuel Santiago and Ignacio Gayduchenko must pay Activision $3 million in fines. Also, those implicated have been permanently prohibited from creating any software in the future that could be used to breach any game's Terms of Service or End-User License agreements.

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In the past, a number of publishers, including Activision, Bungie, and Take-Two Interactive, have successfully sued the allegedly dishonest developers for millions of dollars. On another note, despite the existence of sophisticated anti-cheat systems that are always being improved, cheat creators have nevertheless been able to astound publishers with their cutting-edge new tools and strategies. And this has prompted many publishing houses to look for legal support to stop the practice. Lastly, the stunning and expensive decision in Activision's lawsuit against EngineOwning and countless other businesses that commit fraud by giving players an illegal advantage in competitive games like Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 will have long-lasting repercussions for those businesses.