How to Fix ARC Raiders’ Cheating Problem for Good

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Cheating has become a major problem in the online game ARC Raiders, spoiling the experience for many players. All game modes are affected by hacks that let players see through walls, detect enemies easily, and manipulate the game map. While it’s frustrating, the developers have options – they could learn from other popular multiplayer games and implement strong punishments for cheaters to improve the game.

Dealing with cheaters is incredibly frustrating, especially for players who are affected. Reporting them doesn’t always lead to quick action. It’s also difficult for developers because it’s hard to tell the difference between genuine cheaters and skilled players. To fix the cheating problem in ARC Raiders, the developers need to focus more closely on those who are consistently exploiting the game.

Rust Deals With Cheaters By Following Their Actions At Every Step

The game Rust has a remarkably effective system for dealing with cheaters, recently detailed in an article with PC Gamer. According to Alistair McFarlane, a key developer on the Rust team, they continuously monitor players, meticulously tracking everything they do. As McFarlane explained, “Every gunshot, message, dropped item, and interaction is logged, recorded, and can be reviewed live or played back,” demonstrating the thoroughness of their anti-cheat measures.

According to McFarlane, cheaters in Rust often disconnect from servers when administrators are online, hoping to avoid being detected and banned. He notes that Rust admins frequently monitor player activity, even when not directly connected to a server, watching for cheaters almost like a real-time strategy game. When players are reported for cheating, those reports are usually processed by automated systems that analyze the player’s behavior and take appropriate action.

Although the specifics aren’t fully public, Rust’s developers actively combat cheaters with dedicated staff who monitor gameplay, review suspicious activity, and take action. They go beyond simply using automated systems, proactively trying to predict and counter cheaters’ tactics. Given the growing issues with ARC Raiders, the game could benefit from adopting Rust’s approach to improve its own anti-cheat measures.

Treating Cheaters Like An RTS Game Helps Developers Understand How Players Are Manipulating Systems

One of the clever things about Rust is how it fosters a constant cycle of improvement between cheaters and developers. Instead of simply banning cheaters, the game carefully tracks their actions. This allows developers to pinpoint exactly what weaknesses are being exploited and how. With this knowledge, they can then reinforce or adjust their in-game systems to better fight cheating software, particularly when certain exploits become popular.

The fact that cheaters might be watched even when the game’s administrators aren’t actively online sends a strong message. Cheaters usually try to avoid getting banned, so they often play when they think no one is watching. Knowing they could be observed at any time – even when it seems like the developers aren’t paying attention – might stop them from cheating in the first place.

ARC Raiders Has Greater Player Numbers, But Could Benefit From Rust’s Approach

A major challenge for ARC Raiders when it comes to handling cheaters is its larger player base compared to Rust. Because so many more people are playing, dedicating significant resources to tracking cheaters would be difficult. It would likely require a dedicated team within the development studio, focused solely on identifying, monitoring, and reporting the most problematic players across all platforms.

Even though there are challenges, the team behind ARC Raiders can learn from the game Rust. Specifically, understanding how to identify cheaters – recognizing the signs of exploits, tracking repeat offenders, and actively monitoring player behavior – could quickly reduce cheating in their game. Given that other similar shooting games offer a better experience without rampant cheating, it might be a better use of resources to focus on a strong reporting system and proactive monitoring.

Look, I love playing extraction shooters, and it’s frustrating when cheaters ruin the experience. It’s good to see the developers at least trying to address it, even if it’s a long road ahead. Honestly, Rust does a pretty solid job with anti-cheat, but they shouldn’t be the only ones the ARC Raiders team is looking at. They really need to study other successful live service games to figure out how to get their game back on track and make it the experience we all know it can be.

What’s the best way to handle cheaters in ARC Raiders? Share your thoughts in the comments or discuss it on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-11 22:14