Over Half of EFT’s Matches Have Cheaters
It’s like the game is a savannah in hunting season.
Escape from Tarkov is a demanding game; its dedication to realism makesEscape from Tarkov players keep track of several mechanics while playing. There’s the survival aspect, where they must manage their characters’ hunger, thirst, or injuries with Tarkov items. More than that, some systems operate recoil and weapon handling, and how player characters must fill empty magazines by hand.
No wonder it has become one of the most competitive and strenuous video games. Still, some players find it difficult, so they turn to more underhanded tactics.
Cheating and Hacks in EFT
Yes, though you might not see it in other games as much, cheating is rampant in every game. It’s no different in Escape from Tarkov. There are more apparent hacks and those subtle ones, but it all boils down to one thing: anyone who uses them is cheating.
Obvious hacks in EFT include:
- Ones that let players fly
- Turn them invisible
- Speeds up their movements
That’s by no means an exhaustive list. However, you’ll rarely see those because, well, those are easy to spot and be reported. Cheaters would want to continue their reign of terror, so they would prefer to not get caught.
They use more subtle hacks, such as:
- Seeing through walls
- Knowing the locations of every Tarkov item
- Aimbots
A curious YouTuber wanted to see how rampant cheating in EFT really is, so they jumped into the bandwagon to see. Though they only caught the ones who had the same cheat as they got (seeing through walls), the streamer found them in over half of their games. Their method did not account for other hacks, but it’s worrying information.
This means, more often than not, there’s a cheater (or more) in every game you play.
No Anti-Cheat?
That doesn’t mean the developers ignored the issue or turned a blind eye to it. The director has announced that they’ve been banning cheaters by the thousands. However, like vermin, they come back stronger and more numerous.
Just as the developers improve their anti-cheating measures, those who make hacks also enhance their craft. The latter are trying to subvert the prevention measures, making their hacks and cheats more undetectable by programs.
It’s an ongoing battle between the two, which is why the root cause of the cheating problem hasn’t been solved yet. Also, there’s a delicate balance between relaxed and strict parameters. The former will make hacks more rampant, while the latter will be prone to false positives.
Why Players Do the Dirty Deed
The reasons are varied. There’s a psychological craving and reward for people with perceived superiority. Cheaters also find it difficult to play any other way, as they’re used to getting what they want when they want it. They’ve eschewed the usual, effortful way of leveling up and getting loot.
Otherwise, some players might say, “If I can’t beat them, might as well join them,” and use cheats too. Though our example streamer from above is like that, there is no evidence that they’ll continue using the hack. Still, this isn’t something to be advertised.
Some would consider themselves ‘noble’ cheaters. They use their hacks to keep the more unscrupulous ones from taking unfair advantage of others. Otherwise, they’d only use it to locate and collect the necessary things without bothering other players. However, the use of cheats is what everybody protests, so this does nothing to atone for their misconduct.
The Most Dangerous Game
While a non-cheater may feel like prey amid cheetahs (pun very much intended), they’re not the ones constantly at risk of being banned because of cheating. In that one aspect, they have nothing to fear. Cheaters should be quaking in their boots because their Escape from Tarkov account could be banned anytime.
Also, like in the referenced story, even prey can outwit the predator. Cheaters may have the upper hand, but you can still win against them, even as a regular player. You don’t have to confront them, though avoiding them when you don’t know who they are is quite a challenge. Still, most hackers only mess around with average players if the latter is bringing something valuable or desirable.
Though this puts a damper on the enjoyment you can get from the game, it’s something you must live with. While the developers are trying to cut it down, the hackers and cheaters spring back up. Until they can attack the roots, we can’t do anything but do our best to report any sightings.