The North American esports final of the popular online shooter Apex Legends has been postponed due to claims of hacking. Players shared clips showing cheat modes being activated during matches, causing chaos among competitors. The organisers have stated that the “competitive integrity” of the contest has been compromised, but have not provided further details at this time. BBC Newsbeat reached out to publisher Electronic Arts (EA) for comment on the situation.
Two prominent Apex Legends players, Genburten and ImperialHal, posted videos showing cheats being used in their games. Genburten had a “wallhack” revealing player locations, while ImperialHal had an aimbot automatically targeting opponents. The use of such cheats is strictly prohibited in major esports competitions and can result in bans for those who use them.
The Anti-Cheat Police Department, a volunteer group dedicated to combating cheating in online games, stated that hackers may have exploited a vulnerability to access players’ machines. It is unclear whether the vulnerability, known as remote code execution (RCE), is within the game itself or in specific anti-cheating software. The group cautioned players from participating in games protected by anti-cheating software or EA titles until the issue is resolved.
There is concern among regular players that their own machines could also be at risk, although there has been no official confirmation of this. Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), the software players suspected was compromised, conducted an investigation and stated that they are confident there is no RCE vulnerability being exploited within their software.
Apex Legends, a free-to-play battle royale shooter developed by Respawn Entertainment, was launched as a competitor to Fortnite and recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. EA, the owner of Respawn, recently announced the cancellation of a Star Wars-themed shooter from the studio.
As the situation unfolds, players are advised to stay informed and take necessary precautions to protect their accounts and machines. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.