Skip to main content

PUBG Mobile is cracking down on cheating with new update

Developers of the mobile version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, a popular battle royale, player vs. player shooting game, are continuing to crack down on cheaters with the latest update’s in-game measures.

“The implementations address several suspicious behaviors, including assorted plug-in software, auto-aim, and other hacks, and adds new upgrades to existing preventative systems,” PUBG Mobile said in a press release.

Recommended Videos

One of the plug-ins targeted is called “Plug-In Z,” which allows players to kill others right after they parachute, significantly altering normal gameplay.

PUBG Mobile said that it countered the plug-in in July and penalized accounts that were using it. Some Android users with jailbroken devices were able to take advantage of “Plug-In M,” which gave players advantages like zero recoil, zero shake screen, auto-aim, fog removal, and vision expansions.

Cheaters caught using these plug-ins have received 10-year bans on their accounts,” the release said.

Auto-aim has been a persistent problem in the game, and with update version 1.0, PUBG Mobile’s anti-cheating team said that it worked to get rid of 20 different types of auto-aim hacks while increasing the penalties for using it.

“Additional methods are continually monitored and addressed through updated detection protocols,” the release said.

Finally, PUBG Mobile tackled the “Grass Hack,” a cheat that gives players an unfair visual advantage in the game. Security and prevention for this hack, and the game at large, have increased. PUBG Mobile is also adding a replay review system to help its anti-cheat team.

Other anti-cheat protocols include optimizing the spectating system, which expands the monitoring scope of an enemy’s position. This means that cheaters can no longer manipulate the spectate mode with multiple accounts to gain an advantage. The monitoring performance has also been optimized, meaning that security monitoring power consumption and lagging has been reduced, “ensuring a smooth gaming experience while protecting the game’s integrity.”

Other miscellaneous security measures have also been implemented, like the fixing of engine security risks, “increased Livik penalty thresholds, chat channel plug-in promotions, and a crackdown on Team Death Match cheaters.”

Players who notice cheating in the game can file reports using game replays and screenshots by tapping the in-game report button. They can also contact customer service through the game’s settings or visit the official report forum and anti-hack channel.

PUBG Mobile is available for free in the App Store or the Google Play Store.

Jon Silman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Pragmata is a game from a bygone era, and that era rules
A man in a spacesuit holds a gun in Pragmata.

Most modern big-budget games don't have the most complicated sales pitches these days. Assassin's Creed Shadows? It's an open-world action-adventure game with stealth. Doom: The Dark Ages? It's a first-person shooter with some extra melee combat. The First Berserker: Khazan? Soulslike. They all have elevator pitches that are easy to boil down to a quick genre descriptor. Capcom's Pragmata, on the other hand, is the rare modern AAA project that will make you sound like you're making a game up when describing it.

I know that feeling firsthand because it was playable for the first time at this year's Summer Game Fest. I had a demo scheduled for it on day two of the event, but those who played it before me kept hyping it up to me. I asked what it is, expecting a reply like "it's a third-person sci-fi shooter." Instead, I was given a sales pitch about how I had to do puzzles in order to shoot. I couldn't even picture what that looked like from the description, and that's exactly what makes Pragmata special. It is a throwback to a specific kind of early 2010s action game that is built around a wild idea that you need to try to truly appreciate.

Read more
Mario Kart World review: Nintendo’s big Switch 2 debut delivers where it counts
Excellent racing makes up for a tacked on open-world in Mario Kart's most ambitious installment to date.
Mario and Peach racing in the foreground of a screenshot of Mario Kart World.

BUY NOW

How do you keep players coming back to a game for 10 years? Many studios have fallen into last place in pursuit of that answer, but Nintendo is determined to find it and claim the ultimate prize with Mario Kart World.

Read more
The insane Samsung Odyssey Ark gaming monitor is $900 off today
A person playing a video game on the Samsung Odyssey Ark 2nd Gen Gaming Monitor.

For a gaming monitor that's going to supercharge your gaming setup, you should check out the 55-inch Samsung Odyssey Ark 2nd Gen. This amazing screen is originally priced at $3,100, but you can currently get it with a $900 discount from Samsung itself. Its lowered price of $2,200 is still pretty expensive, but it's going to be worth every single penny. You're going to have to be quick with your purchase though, as with all monitor deals with high demand, the savings may disappear sooner than you expect.

Why you should buy the 55-inch Samsung Odyssey Ark 2nd Gen curved gaming monitor

Read more