Online gamers are frequently recognized for their competitive nature in their quest to be the top player. However, what lengths are they prepared to go to demonstrate their skills? From utilizing aimbots, creating numerous betting accounts, to stream sniping, cheating has sadly emerged as a common practice in the realm of online gaming.

As advancements in technology increasingly infiltrate the realm of online gaming, the incidence of cheating has escalated. However, it’s important to note that the act of cheating and the intelligence to conduct it undetected are two distinct aspects. As it turns out, not every gamer who employed the required tools to cheat possessed the cunning to evade detection.

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.

Darren manipulated several games by pretending to be other players through his many accounts, tilting the odds towards his advantage. Occasionally, he would just compete against his own created accounts, making winning effortless. Feruell unveiled his scheme after watching one of Woods’ training videos and recognizing him as an opponent, despite the use of a different username.

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.

Typically, wall hacks are more difficult to detect in games compared to tools such as aim bots. However, on this occasion, the gamer was outed by the hack’s creator, who declared that the hack was intended for casual play and not for formal competitions. Further inquiries led to the exposure of dialogues between JonnyK and the hacker, which deepened his association with the controversy and eventually led to law enforcement involvement.

MissQGemini the CS:GO Streamer

Haley ‘MissQGemini’ began rising to fame in 2017, when she was trolled for cheating in CS:GO. Defending herself, she claimed that her accusers were only targeting her because of her gender. However, ironically, she was soon caught on stream engaging in a competitive CS:GO game where she was clearly seen activating multiple cheats, such as 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 issue with live streaming games online is that all your actions are visible to everyone, leading to a situation where xQc was caught red-handed. Consequently, his competitors publicly criticized him, leading to his ban from gaming events for half a year. Following that, the streamer apologized and mended his ways, recovering his reputation in the process. He continues to be one of the most popular streamers today.

Russ Hamilton Basically Invented Cheating

Dating back to 1994, online gaming was not free from cheating, as exemplified by poker professional Russ Hamilton. He was renowned in the poker community for his Main Event victory, prior to his involvement in a cheating scandal at Ultimate Bet Online. Hamilton’s strategy differed from Darren Woods, in that he did not defraud the casino, but cheated other players, a practice that netted him millions.

By exploiting a superuser account, Russ was able to scam people by viewing their poker cards. This enabled him to make calculated bets, thereby swindling his opponents of over $16 million within two years. Despite confessing to his cheating, Russ refused to return his winnings. This resulted in a financial burden on Ultimate Bet, as they had to compensate the players who lost money.

How Do Tournament Organizers Monitor and Detect Cheating?

Detecting cheating often involves observing unusual behavior, such as a player consistently achieving immediate kills or predicting an opponent’s next move. Some players may also exhibit unnatural speed or perform actions that should be impossible without the aid of external software. In addition to these methods, gaming tournaments utilize anti-cheat software like BattleEye and Valve Anti-Cheat.

Most online casinos implement a rigid verification process where they require you to submit a picture and a copy of a bill to confirm your identity. They also guarantee that all games are conducted fairly and randomly, which makes it impossible for players to anticipate an outcome.

Mind-Blowing Cheating Scandals in The Online Gaming World – LyncConf