Following a rash of online cheating in GTA Online that includes counterfeiting money through exploits, Rockstar has announced that it will begin handing down punishments of varying severity, including bans. The game is currently undergoing maintenance, partly to help fix the exploits gamers have found. It should be running normally by January 17.
While it’s a little bit funny that a game built around theft, murder, and general criminal behavior would need to be regulated for committing a “crime” that the campaign’s main characters wouldn’t think twice about, the exploits are causing “game-breaking issues.” According to Rockstar, a small handful of players have discovered a way to generate and distribute massive amounts of in-game cash, which is harmful to the gameplay experience from both a general fairness and a technical standpoint.
Rockstar hasn’t outlined what the punishments will be yet, but they will fit the crime. If you were just given a massive amount of counterfeit cash, for example, you may simply have that money removed from your account at Rockstar’s discretion. You may even get to keep the goods you purchased with the faux-cash. Those that were responsible for knowingly exploiting the game, however, may be placed in an isolated shard dedicated to those labelled “cheater,” or they may be outright banned.
If you encounter someone knowingly cheating, Rockstar is asking for you to report them immediately via the in-game menu. But don’t worry – the ‘snitches get stitches’ maxim probably doesn’t hold true in the virtual slammer.
