Cheaters never prosper, as the saying goes. Unfortunately, that isn’t as true as we might like to believe. Case in point: a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare cheater has been using third party software to rapidly kill off opposing players and evade death by hiding outside the game’s maps. The player has been reported to Infinity Ward, and video and pictures of the incidents have been shared in the Modern Warfare subreddit (which is developer-supported), but nothing has been done, at this point. The player, who uses the handle Straiyan, has been causing trouble for some time in the game’s Australian PC lobbies.
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Players on the Modern Warfare subreddit seem understandably upset about Infinity Ward’s failure to take action. The developer has very clearly been made aware of the issue, and the Reddit poster claims that his posts about the issue have been taken down twice now. With the game already having some spawn issues, fans shouldn’t have to worry about even more problems, particularly when cheating problems could be handled quickly and decisively. It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
It’s a very odd thing when players decide to cheat in video games. Though gamers are always seeking advantages over their friends, cheating online just seems pointless. For most gamers, the thrill of winning comes from the actual achievement; cheating negates that. That said, even Billy Mitchell, one of the most highly acclaimed gamers of all-time, has been accused of falsifying his high scores. In Mitchell’s case, there’s the temptation of celebrity, but that doesn’t apply in cases like Straiyan’s.
Of course, for some cheaters, it’s less about winning and more about trolling other players, ruining the game for everyone else. That’s most likely the case here, which is why it’s important that Infinity Ward step in and ban Straiyan. Allowing this player to continue isn’t just helping them rack up high scores; it’s ruining the game for a lot of other players. If Activision and Infinity Ward want to continue getting players to spend billions on the franchise, they’re going to have to find ways to keep fans interested in playing. Banning players like Straiyan would be a step in the right direction.
Have you encountered cheating in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare? Is Infinity Ward doing enough about the problem? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
