What should we do with cheaters? A Look at Disciplinary Approaches in Online Gaming

Cheating is a controversial subject in the world of online gaming. Whether by using exploits, unauthorized software, or breaking a rule, cheating has long been a blight on players and developers alike. Two recent cases — Epic Games’ announcement that it would scale down lifetime bans to one-year suspensions (for Fortnite first-time cheaters) and Amazon’s curt response to a New World: Aeternum server transfer exploit — have kicked the debate back. These differing philosophies also reflect how to balance fairness and integrity in disparate gaming settings.

Fortnite’s forgiving approach

Epic Games revealed a radical revision of its Fortnite policy. Rather than imposing lifetime bans for first-time cheaters, the company now issues one-year suspensions (when the offense does not involve participation in tournaments or the sale of cheating services). While still maintaining the game’s integrity, this new policy allows players to learn from their mistakes. That’s the balance Epic is trying to achieve: a dissuasive measure to bad behavior but also an opportunity for redemption.

The decision has ignited a lively debate within the community. Supporters contend that one year is still a reasonable punishment — effectively sidelining players for a long time. They also say many cheaters are young and may not fully comprehend the gravity of their actions. Critics, however, claim that this trivializes the seriousness of cheating. They contend that lifetime bans are a better deterrent, as it sends a clear signal that you are not going to be tolerated. Some players fear that the new policy could result in a surge of cheating, as the risk of punishment seems less severe. Others doubt that cheaters can genuinely improve, arguing that someone who is willing to cheat at one time will cheat at another.

Protecting the integrity of a persistent world

While Fortnite takes a relatively lenient approach, New World: Aeternum offered a much harsher example of enforcing its own rules of conduct. Just recently, in January 2025, a patch accidentally enabled Legacy characters to be transferred to the new PvP seasonal servers (and vice versa), disrupting the intended fresh-start environment. This unexpected side effect led to a spiral of problems: power discrepancies among characters and a breakdown of the fresh start servers economy. Amazon responded and suspended the accounts of those who were exploited.

The punishments varied from a few days to permanent bans, and Amazon stressed the need for a fair playing field. This zero-tolerance policy also comes from the unique challenges of managing an MMORPG, where the persistent nature of the world means that exploits may have consequences from which servers would only recover painfully. Integrity is vital in an MMORPG like New World: Aeternum, given the interplay between players and the economy.

Nonetheless, Amazon’s response has elicited mixed reactions. Some praised the company for taking immediate action to remedy the situation, claiming that this was the only solution to maintain integrity. Others believed that permanent bans were excessively harsh, especially on the handful of players who could have unwittingly exploited the glitch. The incident has also sparked debate over the responsibility of developers to prevent such issues from arising in the first place.

Redemption Vs. Integrity

The divergent tactics employed by Epic and Amazon underscore the broader debate about how to address cheating. At the core of this conversation are questions of fairness, redemption, and integrity. Should developers adopt a more relaxed style, allowing players who mess up to have a second chance? Or is this zero-tolerance policy the only way to ensure a fair playing field?

One reason to take an indulgent approach is the human aspect of gaming. Many players, particularly younger ones, may not fully understand the consequences of their behavior. That approach also recognizes that people can change and that one mistake should not define a player’s entire experience. Conversely, taking a hard line on cheating conveys that violations of policies are not permitted. This is particularly relevant in competitive games, where even a slight advantage can affect the outcome. In MMORPGs’ persistent worlds, where the action of a player can impact the broader community, maintaining integrity is vital. A zero-tolerance policy will go a long way toward making sure everyone is on the same playing field.

Related:

New World: Aeternum Review

The role of developers

As the debate regarding how to punish cheaters is important, it’s also worth considering the developers’ role in preventing cheating in the first place. With New World: Aeternum, this particular exploit arose from a patch that accidentally permitted higher-end characters to move to new fresh start servers. This brings into question the existing quality assurance processes and whether more could or should have been done to avoid the incident.

New World official discord during the first few hours of the incident.

It's up to developers to make sure everyone is treated fairly, and part of that is preventing exploits. This might mean to include a solid anti-cheat system, conduct thorough testing, or rapidly react when a problem do arise. Communication is also important; developers should be upfront with players about the rules, and the consequences for violating them. 

Finding the right balance

There are no easy answers when it comes to how to deal with cheaters in online games. Epic and Amazon show contrasting ways of going — each one better suited to their environment, both having strengths and weaknesses of their own. In the end, the “best” method is contingent on the particular context of each game.

In titles such as Fortnite, where the emphasis is placed on quick and independent games, a forgiving policy might be more applicable. By providing second chances, developers have the option to foster positive behaviors. In a persistent world such as New World: Aeternum, where the actions of a single player can drastically affect others, a stricter approach is probably mandatory to uphold the servers’ integrity.