FPS Games That Are Ruined By Hackers

For a long time, competitive first-person shooter games have been troubled by players who cheat using unauthorized software. These cheaters use tricks to gain an unfair edge, like seeing opponents through walls or automatically aiming perfectly. This ruins the game for honest players who want a fair and balanced experience. Game developers are constantly spending a lot of money on better security to protect their games. No matter the type of shooter – from large-scale battle royales to realistic military simulations – these frustrating disruptions continue to be a problem.

‘Call of Duty: Warzone’ (2020)

This popular free-to-play battle royale game lets players compete on huge maps until only one remains. Since it launched, the game has faced ongoing problems with cheating software, like wall hacks and aimbots, which give players an unfair edge. The developers created an anti-cheat system called Ricochet to address these issues. However, many players still report seeing suspicious activity, especially in competitive matches. This constant fight against cheaters remains a major challenge for both the game’s developers and its community.

‘Counter-Strike 2’ (2023)

This game has big shoes to fill as the next iteration of a beloved tactical shooter, and keeping the competition fair is a major challenge. Players often run into cheaters using automated scripts that spin characters or guarantee perfect aim, especially in ranked matches. While Valve has tried to fix this with updates to their anti-cheat system, many loyal players have turned to alternative matchmaking platforms to find a more enjoyable and honest experience. Ensuring a fair game for everyone remains a constant concern and a frequent topic of discussion within the community.

‘Apex Legends’ (2019)

Apex Legends is a quick-moving team-based shooter known for its smooth movement. The game has consistently faced issues with players using cheating software, like programs that eliminate recoil and automatically aim. Highly skilled players often complain about these cheaters. The game’s developers, Respawn Entertainment, have teams working to ban cheaters as quickly as possible. Keeping the game fair for all players worldwide is a major focus for the studio as they continue to update and improve Apex Legends.

‘Team Fortress 2’ (2007)

A popular team-based shooting game has been plagued by a serious problem with automated bots. These bots often play as snipers and use programs to instantly kill players with headshots. The issue became so widespread that players used social media to pressure the game’s creators to fix it. Although some updates have improved things, many players now choose to play on private servers run by the community instead of using the official game servers. Unfortunately, these technical issues continue to affect the game’s reputation and enjoyment.

‘Escape from Tarkov’ (2017)

As a big fan of this game, what’s really frustrating is how much tension is ruined by cheaters. It’s supposed to be a high-stakes extraction shooter where losing your gear feels awful, but hackers are using radar exploits to see everyone and everything on the map. It totally breaks the game because you can get ambushed or have all your hard-earned loot stolen with no way to defend yourself. The community’s been speaking up a lot about how this is messing with the game’s economy and how we progress. The developers are trying to fix it with ban waves and even trying to block cheaters at a hardware level, which is good to see, but it’s still a constant battle.

‘Destiny 2’ (2017)

Okay, so this game is mostly about teaming up with friends, which is awesome. But the competitive side? It’s been rough. I keep running into people in Trials of Osiris who are basically glitching with unlimited ammo or teleporting all over the place, which ruins the matches. The game developers, Bungie, are actually taking legal action against the companies making these cheating programs, which shows how seriously they’re taking it. It’s cool they’re fighting back, but honestly, keeping the competitive scene clean feels like a never-ending battle. It’s still a struggle to get fair matches, even with all that going on.

‘Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege’ (2015)

This shooting game emphasizes destroying parts of the environment and carefully gathering intelligence. However, some players use cheating programs, like wallhacks, which let them see enemies through walls and floors. This ruins the game’s strategic gameplay, which sets it apart from other shooters. The developers use BattlEye to ban cheaters, and they constantly update the system to counter new cheating methods and keep the game fair.

‘PUBG: Battlegrounds’ (2017)

This game is one of the first and most popular battle royale titles, but it has struggled with cheating since launch. Millions of accounts have been banned for using unfair advantages like speed hacks—which allow players to move incredibly fast—and aim assistance tools. With so many players, it’s hard to catch every cheater, even with multiple anti-cheat systems in place. The developers regularly announce the hundreds of thousands of accounts they ban each week, highlighting just how widespread cheating remains within the game.

‘Battlefield V’ (2018)

This World War II shooting game has had problems with cheaters for years, mainly on its official servers. Players often encounter users with unrealistic stats who easily dominate matches with machine guns. Because the game isn’t being actively updated as much anymore, these issues aren’t being fixed quickly. As a result, many players have switched to fan-run servers where administrators can ban cheaters directly. This unfair play often ruins the immersive experience of the historical battles.

‘Battlefield 2042’ (2021)

The newest game in the series had a rocky start, with both technical problems and hackers ruining the experience for players. People quickly found ways to cheat using the game’s tools and large environments, giving them an unfair advantage. While the developers implemented anti-cheat software, players are still sharing videos of others using programs to automatically aim and see through walls. It’s crucial to fix these issues and create a stable, fair game to keep players engaged for the long term.

‘Halo Infinite’ (2021)

When the iconic Master Chief returned, the game included free multiplayer, but this also led to a significant increase in cheaters. Because the game allows players on different platforms to play together, console players often find themselves competing against PC players who are using programs to unfairly improve their aim. Initially, it was hard for players to report these cheaters due to a weak reporting system. The developers, 343 Industries, have since added a system called Spartan Automated Detection to find and ban cheaters. However, many fans are still frustrated with the challenges of creating a fair playing field across all platforms.

‘Valorant’ (2020)

Riot Games created a secure tactical shooter using a powerful anti-cheat system called Vanguard, which operates deep within the computer’s core. While Vanguard is one of the best in the industry, it hasn’t eliminated cheating entirely. Skilled hackers still use advanced tools like trigger bots and private scripts to gain an unfair advantage in competitive matches. The developers acknowledge an ongoing battle between their security team and those creating cheats. Even a single cheater can spoil a competitive game, despite the strong security measures in place.

‘Overwatch 2’ (2022)

Since the game switched to a free-to-play system, reports of cheating have gone up significantly. Players are frequently encountering opponents using aimbots with heroes like Widowmaker and Soldier 76. Because it’s free to make new accounts, cheaters face little punishment when they’re banned. To combat this, Blizzard is now requiring phone number verification for new accounts, making it harder to create temporary accounts. Given the game’s fast-paced action, the anti-cheat system needs to quickly identify and address suspicious activity.

‘Rust’ (2018)

This survival game is plagued by hackers who ruin the experience for others. Players can spend countless hours building up their bases and gathering resources, only to have it all stolen. Cheaters use software that lets them see through walls, pinpointing valuable items inside enemy bases. This makes raiding incredibly easy and efficient for them. The game developers are working with server administrators to improve moderation and catch cheaters. Unfortunately, for many players, the worry of losing their hard-earned progress to a cheater is more stressful than the challenges of the game itself.

‘DayZ’ (2018)

This zombie survival game features a large, open world, which unfortunately makes it vulnerable to players exploiting long-range sniping. Hackers are able to find and eliminate other players from extreme distances without being detected. Another problem is item duplication, which breaks the game’s economy by making items too common. Although the official game servers have trouble with these issues, many players choose to play on private servers that are well-managed and have strong rules against cheating. Losing a character you’ve spent weeks developing to a hacker is a frequent and incredibly frustrating experience.

‘Titanfall 2’ (2016)

I absolutely love this game – the way you move and the titan battles are just amazing! But honestly, it’s been really tough watching it struggle with hackers. For a long time, people were constantly attacking the servers, making it impossible to even get online. And it wasn’t just that – hackers were messing with the matchmaking, specifically targeting popular streamers and good players. Things are better now, thankfully, because the community really stepped up and the developers have helped, but we’re still worried about it. It’s become a prime example of how easily hackers can ruin something everyone enjoys, and it’s been scary to watch.

‘The Cycle: Frontier’ (2022)

Man, it really sucked when that extraction shooter finally shut down. The biggest problem? Cheaters everywhere! I was constantly getting killed by people who were clearly hacking – like, invisible enemies and perfect aimbots. The devs tried so hard to fix it, pouring money and time into anti-cheat systems, but it just wasn’t enough. Too many players had already left because of it, and the game’s reputation was ruined. It just goes to show how much damage hackers can do to a game and a whole studio, honestly.

‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’ (2023)

This year’s version of the game continues to battle widespread cheating. Advanced cheating software, like aimbots, now mimics real human movements to bypass automatic detection. Players are also using programs to unlock valuable in-game items—like character skins and weapons—without earning them through gameplay. While the game uses the Ricochet anti-cheat system for constant monitoring, its popularity makes it a prime target for those creating exploits. This constant fight against cheating significantly impacts the multiplayer experience for both casual and professional players.

‘Battlefield 1’ (2016)

This World War I game is known for its realistic and captivating environment, but the official online servers are frequently overrun with cheaters. Players commonly see others flying around or using altered weapons to quickly dominate matches. Because the game is older, its cheat detection isn’t updated often enough to keep up. Many dedicated fans now rely on community-run servers to find fair gameplay. The disconnect between the game’s authentic feel and the ridiculous actions of cheaters is frustrating for both newcomers and long-time players.

‘Warface’ (2013)

This popular free-to-play shooter has always struggled with players who cheat by altering game files. Players often face opponents with unfair advantages, like weapons that don’t kick or the ability to see through smoke. While the game uses anti-cheat measures, it’s easy for banned players to create new accounts and return. The developers constantly need to update their security software to address new cheating methods discovered by the player community. Unfortunately, these encounters with cheaters often ruin the experience for those enjoying the game’s cooperative and competitive modes.

‘Paladins’ (2018)

This team-based shooter features a wide variety of characters, but the game’s fairness is often compromised by programs that automatically aim projectile weapons. Hackers can easily take advantage of abilities with large areas of effect, significantly boosting their power with little skill. While the developers use Easy Anti-Cheat to combat this, some cheating methods still get through. Players regularly talk about how these cheaters affect ranked matches and the competitive environment. It’s crucial to have a fair game, especially one that emphasizes strategic gameplay and diverse character abilities.

‘CrossFire’ (2007)

This incredibly popular game has been battling cheaters for over ten years. Players have used everything from basic hacks that let them see through walls, to sophisticated programs allowing them to move through objects. Because so many people play the game around the world, the developers have to maintain different versions with varying security measures. While frequent and large-scale bans are common, the game’s massive player base means new cheaters quickly emerge. Despite these ongoing challenges, the game remains popular and successful.

‘H1Z1’ (2018)

This battle royale game initially gained popularity, but its player base quickly shrank due to widespread cheating. Hackers, especially those who could move at incredibly high speeds, were a major problem. They could zip across the map instantly, making it impossible for regular players to play safely or have fair fights. The game’s creators tried to fix the issue with anti-cheat software, but couldn’t keep up with the hackers. Many players stopped playing because of the constant cheating and moved on to other similar games.

‘PlanetSide 2’ (2012)

This large-scale shooting game pits hundreds of players against each other on one map, making it hard to spot individual players. Some players exploit glitches to teleport around, letting them quickly capture points or eliminate groups of opponents from unexpected locations. Because so many players are involved in each battle, even one cheater can have a big impact and ruin the experience for many squads. The game developers use both automatic systems and reports from players to try and control cheating. Keeping these large-scale battles fair for everyone is an ongoing challenge for the team maintaining the game.

‘Quake Champions’ (2017)

This arena shooter is hard to master, but that’s often ruined by players using programs that automatically aim for them. Because precise movement and shooting are so important, facing a cheater with this kind of advantage makes winning nearly impossible. The game has a small, loyal community who are quick to notice when someone is cheating. Although the developers have tried to prevent cheating, the game’s relatively small size makes it an easy target for those who create hacks. Experienced players can usually tell when someone is cheating, but it’s still incredibly frustrating to lose to them.

‘Insurgency: Sandstorm’ (2018)

This fast-paced shooting game emphasizes realistic combat, meaning players can be eliminated quickly. Because of this, cheating by revealing enemy locations—often called ‘wallhacking’—gives cheaters a huge advantage, allowing them to win easily and safely. Players and server administrators have repeatedly asked for better tools to deal with this problem. Although the game includes anti-cheat software, new and improved hacks keep appearing. This ruins the intense, strategic gameplay because players can’t be sure their opponents are playing fairly.

‘Hell Let Loose’ (2019)

This World War II game is built around players communicating and working together across a large battlefield. However, some players use cheating programs – specifically radar hacks – to instantly see where enemy bases and outposts are located. This removes the challenge and strategy from the game, letting cheaters easily destroy the opposing team without any scouting. The game developers are actively trying to identify and stop these hacks to ensure fair matches. For many players, these cheats completely ruin the realistic experience of historical combat, as one person unfairly knows everything happening on the battlefield.

‘Squad’ (2020)

The military simulator ‘Squad,’ known for its realistic combat, struggles with players who use vision hacks. These hacks let players remove trees and terrain from their view, making it easy to spot enemies who are trying to hide. This ruins the strategic gameplay that relies on camouflage and good positioning. Server admins work hard to ban cheaters, but it takes manual effort because it’s difficult to automatically detect these hacks in such a complex game. This shows how important community moderation is for keeping the game fair.

‘Combat Arms’ (2008)

This popular free-to-play shooter became well-known for its incredibly creative and often ridiculous hacks. Players frequently used them to do things like fly around the map or fire pistols at an impossible rate. Throughout its history, the game changed owners and developers multiple times while constantly battling these cheating issues. Despite numerous attempts to fix the problem with anti-cheat software, hackers continued to target the game. It serves as a prime example of how easily a widely available game can be ruined by weak security.

‘Point Blank’ (2008)

This fast-paced shooter, famous for its destructible environments, has struggled with cheaters for a long time. Players frequently report that aimbots – programs that automatically aim and shoot – give opponents an unfair advantage, allowing them to win easily even at long range. The game is especially popular in Southeast Asia, and the developers work with regional partners to address security concerns. They regularly release updates to try and stay ahead of new cheating methods. Unfortunately, many players find that the exciting gameplay is often ruined by these dishonest tactics.

‘Alliance of Valiant Arms’ (2008)

This shooting game has been released multiple times, but it consistently struggles with cheaters who manipulate the recoil of their weapons. These hackers use programs to make their guns fire perfectly straight, eliminating the need for aiming skill. The game has had several attempts at anti-cheat software over the years, as it’s changed publishers. Despite a loyal player base, cheating is a common complaint online. The developers are constantly working to keep the game fair and enjoyable for everyone, especially new players.

‘Dirty Bomb’ (2015)

This team-based shooter, where players fill specific roles, was very popular but unfortunately became plagued by cheaters who used aimbots – programs that automatically aim weapons. Because the game depended on teamwork, even one hacker could ruin matches for everyone. The developers tried to fix the problem with security updates, but the game’s popularity eventually faded. While many players still have fond memories of its interesting gameplay, the cheating significantly harmed the community. It serves as a reminder of how hard it is for smaller, team-focused shooters to stay alive when facing widespread cheating.

‘Blacklight: Retribution’ (2012)

The game included a special feature called the Hyper Reality Visor, which essentially allowed all players to see opponents through walls – it was a built-in, legitimate way to gain an advantage. Unfortunately, cheaters discovered ways to make this vision permanent or to extract even more information than the visor was designed to provide. This made it hard for honest players to tell the difference between normal gameplay and actual cheating. The game also suffered from problems like item duplication and other technical exploits that broke the way players advanced. These issues ultimately led to the game losing players and its official servers being shut down in many areas.

‘Tribes: Ascend’ (2012)

Man, this game was seriously awesome – super fast-paced skiing combined with shooting projectiles, and it took a TON of skill to get good. But then hackers showed up and completely ruined it. They used scripts to predict where everyone was going and just landed perfect shots, all the time. Because the game was already hard to learn, these cheaters made it impossible for new players to even try. The developers eventually just stopped updating it, leaving us to deal with the problem ourselves. It’s a real shame, honestly. Everyone says it died because of a bad way to make money and all these exploits that were never fixed. It was a unique shooter, and it’s sad to see it go.

‘Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory’ (2003)

This older game is now free and open to everyone, but that’s also led to a lot of automated players and those using cheats. Many public servers are full of people using outdated hacks that were never fixed. Dedicated players have created their own tools to try and combat this and keep the game enjoyable for long-time fans. However, without proper moderation, playing on these servers can be frustrating and unfair, showing how difficult it is to keep older games balanced and fair.

‘Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’ (2020)

This game struggled with cheaters in both its online multiplayer and its Zombies co-op mode. Players in the competitive mode encountered common cheats like aimbots and wallhacks. In Zombies, some users modified the game to unfairly boost their experience points and leaderboard positions, resulting in many bans. Because the game allowed players on different platforms to play together, these cheating issues impacted everyone.

‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’ (2009)

The first release of this game was quickly overrun by hackers who dominated public online matches. Players frequently encountered modders who would unlock all weapons and challenges for everyone. Some hackers even managed to crash other players’ computers or secretly change their game settings. This made the official online matchmaking unusable and dangerous for years. Ultimately, the player community built its own, more secure versions of the game to keep the multiplayer experience alive.

‘Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’ (2007)

Man, this game is awesome, but it’s been a real struggle with cheaters for the last ten years. The servers are getting old, and it feels like everyone’s using aimbots or some kind of silent aim hack because there’s no good anti-cheat system. Honestly, a lot of us long-time fans only play on servers run by dedicated admins who are constantly kicking cheaters to keep things fair. It’s a lot of work for them! It’s a shame, because it’s hard for new players to stick around when they keep getting messed with. It really impacts the player base, you know?

‘Battlefield 4’ (2013)

The game boasts huge maps and lets you destroy parts of the environment, but its official servers don’t consistently monitor for cheaters. Players often report others who are unfairly modifying their weapons to instantly kill opponents. While the game uses PunkBuster to try and prevent cheating, it’s become less reliable as new hacks emerge. Many long-time players recommend sticking to servers with active anti-cheat plugins, such as BF4DB, to ensure a fair game. It’s hard to have fun in such a large game when players are clearly breaking the rules.

‘Titanfall’ (2014)

The first game in the series became well-known for a lengthy period where it was effectively broken because of hackers. One person was able to repeatedly crash the game servers, preventing players from joining matches for months. What made this unusual was that the hacker wasn’t trying to cheat or gain an advantage – they simply wanted to stop everyone from playing. This left the player community very frustrated while the developers worked hard to fix the ongoing server attacks. It’s still considered a particularly severe case of a hacker targeting the core systems of an online game.

‘Splitgate’ (2019)

This fast-paced shooting game blended traditional shooting with the innovative use of portals, making it incredibly challenging to master. However, hackers exploited the portal system with programs that allowed them to instantly track players, giving them an unfair advantage. This meant skilled, legitimate players felt at a disadvantage, as they were often eliminated with pinpoint accuracy. The game’s small development team worked tirelessly on security updates as the game grew in popularity. Even with these efforts, cheaters remained a frequent problem, especially at higher skill levels.

‘Left 4 Dead 2’ (2009)

Although the game is mainly designed for teamwork, the Versus mode has struggled with players who ruin the experience for others, often using cheats or automated programs. These players might create endless items, have perfect aim, crash the game for everyone, or unfairly kick others from matches. This has made it hard to find honest and competitive games using the official matchmaking system, so most serious competitive players now use alternative setups like ProMod to guarantee a fair and cheat-free environment.

‘Shatterline’ (2022)

This new free-to-play shooter saw a rise in cheating reports during its initial release. Players frequently encountered cheaters using tools that allowed them to see opponents through walls. The developers have been open about their work to improve reporting and ban cheaters, but because the game is free and easy to access, banned players can quickly create new accounts. The player community is actively helping the developers improve the game’s security as it evolves.

‘Isonzo’ (2022)

This World War I shooting game puts you in intense mountain battles where seeing the enemy and finding a good position are crucial. Unfortunately, some players are cheating using hacks that let them see everything on the map, even through fog, and eliminate weapon sway. This lets them make incredibly difficult shots with ease. Because the game is designed to be realistic and deliberately slow-paced, these hacks really stand out and ruin the experience. The developers have released several updates to strengthen their anti-cheat system and preserve the game’s authentic, historical feel.

‘Verdun’ (2015)

Look, I love this WW1 game, but there’s been a real problem with cheaters. It’s a one-shot-kill kind of game, so if someone’s using aimbots, they can just instantly wipe out my whole squad. Thankfully, the community’s pretty tight-knit, so we usually spot and report these guys quickly. But honestly, the biggest worry is that the game doesn’t have a good anti-cheat system. It’s super frustrating when someone breaks the rules and ruins the immersive, gritty trench warfare experience for everyone else. It really threatens how long this game will last if it isn’t fixed.

‘Tannenberg’ (2019)

This game, set during World War I on the Eastern Front, emphasizes large-scale movement and strategy. Unfortunately, some players use cheating software, like aimbots, to unfairly win long-distance fights. This makes it very difficult for teams to capture important areas or move forward as the game is designed. The developers are trying to combat this by responding to player reports and using anti-cheat systems. Though cheating isn’t as common here as in some bigger games, it can still ruin individual matches.

‘Post Scriptum’ (2018)

This realistic military game demands teamwork and strategy, but hackers using radar can ruin it. When cheaters know where everyone is, it destroys the challenge and excitement players expect. The game depends on dedicated servers and moderators to keep things fair. A single cheater can make hours of careful planning and skillful gameplay pointless. Server admins focus on maintaining the game’s tactical depth and preventing cheating to ensure a good experience for everyone.

‘Rising Storm 2: Vietnam’ (2017)

This game focuses on unconventional combat in thick jungle settings, where hiding is key. Unfortunately, some players are using hacks – specifically, a type of cheat called ESP – to see through the dense plants and easily spot others, giving them an unfair edge. This breaks the game’s stealth-based gameplay, which is central to the Vietnam War theme and makes it enjoyable. Because the game is no longer actively developed, fixing these hacks is difficult. As a result, many players now only play on servers with strong moderation teams to ensure a fair experience.

Let us know in the comments which of these games you think is most affected by hackers.

2026-02-11 01:22