Online gamers are often known for their competitive spirits in their bid to be the best. But how far are they willing to go to show their prowess? From using aimbots and making multiple betting accounts, to stream sniping, cheating has unfortunately become a trend in the online gaming world.
As technological advancements continue to penetrate the online gaming world, cheating is more prevalent than ever before. But cheating and being smart about it are two different things. As you’ll see, not every gamer who used the necessary tools to cheat was clever enough to get away with it.
2011 WSOP Champion Cheating in Online Poker
Darren Woods, former poker pro, had to spend 15 months in jail and pay back over $1,000,000 to the victims of his fraud. All this is after he was caught cheating in poker by making multiple accounts on casinos online. He even went as far as to use different online payment services at the same time to take advantage of the bonuses offered by using the banking methods.
In multiple games, Darren used his numerous accounts to pose as other players and rig the odds in his favor. Sometimes, he would just play against the different accounts he had created, which made it easy to win. It was Feruell who exposed him when he saw one of Woods’ training videos and realized he was one of his opponents, but he was logged in under a different screen name.
Jonathan’s Fortnite World Cup Incident
In 2019, gamer Jonathan Kosmala, a.k.a. JonnyK, was caught using a wall hack during the Fortnite World Cup. Because of these illegal moves, the team he was representing, Team Kaliber, punished him by kicking him off. Sneaky players use wall hacks to see items and other players behind walls, which helps them gain an advantage over opponents.
Usually, wall hacks are harder to spot during games, unlike tools like aim bots. But this time, the gamer was exposed by the hacker who created it, who stated that he wanted players to use it for fun, not serious tournaments. After further investigations, conversations between JonnyK and the hacker leaked, further implicating him in the scandal which led to authorities getting involved.
MissQGemini the CS:GO Streamer
Haley ‘MissQGemini’ started gaining popularity back in 2017 when she was getting trolled for cheating in CS:GO. Taking a defensive stance, she went on a rant about how the people accusing her are just doing it because she is a woman. The funny thing is, almost immediately, she entered a competitive CS:GO game where she was seen on stream loading several hacks, including wall hacks and an auto timer.
On realizing that she had been caught, she tried defending herself saying it was her friend who had installed the cheats despite being seen activating them mid-stream. Since the drama, she went off the grid with her presence across social media becoming almost non-existent. Her channel also got banned, to the relief of her CS:GO competitors who were actually good at the game.
xQc Stream Sniping
Felix Lengyel, popular by his Twitch nickname xQc, was among the most beloved Twitch streamers until he was caught cheating. During the GlitchCon convection in 2020, xQC was competing against fellow bigwig streamers. As he was playing a game called Fall Guys, he decided to use stream sniping, which allowed him to know where his opponents were and predict their movements.
The problem with streaming online games is that everyone can see what you’re doing, and just like that, xQc was busted. As a result, his rivals called him out after which he was banned from gaming events for 6 months. Since then, the streamer has apologized and reformed, which has healed his reputation and he remains one of the most-watched streamers.
Russ Hamilton Basically Invented Cheating
Going back as far as 1994, cheating was still a thing in online gaming as demonstrated by poker pro Russ Hamilton. He was popular within the poker world for winning the Main Event before being involved in a cheating scandal at Ultimate Bet Online. Unlike Darren Woods, his tactic wasn’t to steal from the casino, but from fellow players, an activity that earned him millions.
Russ scammed people by using a superuser account, allowing him to view other players’ cards when playing poker. He could then use this knowledge to make informed bets, ultimately cheating his opponents out of over $16 million over two years. While he admitted to his cheating, he didn’t return the money he won, which cost Ultimate Bet since they were forced to refund players who lost money.
How Do Tournament Organizers Monitor and Detect Cheating?
One of the most common ways to detect cheating is by noticing suspicious behavior, like a player always getting instant kills and knowing the opponent’s next move. Some players also move too fast or do things that should be impossible without using external software. Apart from that, gaming tournaments also use anti-cheat software such as BattleEye and Valve Anti-Cheat.
As for online casinos, most have a strict verification process where you’re required to provide a picture and a copy of a bill to prove your identity. They also ensure that all games are fair and random, making it impossible for players to predict an outcome.
