Ubisoft is getting cheat-hunting tech to make you play fair

As the war between PC game developers and cheaters rages on, Ubisoft's i3D.net subsidiary has amplified its effort against cheats by acquiring GameBlocks. The latter is the maker of the server-side anti-cheating software called FairFight. This will help i3D.net with detecting and taking out cheats in online games.

If you're a gamer who plays on Ubisoft's hosting platform, you won't notice any difference during gameplay. FairFight runs seamlessly in the background. But the moment a gamer is found breaking rules, they will receive direct warnings from the tool. And if they keep breaking the rules, GameBlocks is not shy about booting offenders from the playground.

What you can expect — FairFight doesn't require gamers to install any software. The proprietary engine keeps an eye on the gaming actions players take and makes sure that everyone is playing fair and square. "Players actions are tested against multiple statistical markers to identify cheating as it occurs," GameBlocks explains. "FairFight cross checks these indicators using objective server-side reporting tools and takes action when both approaches correlate to cheating."

FairFight has its own penalty system. It gives gamers initial warnings, restricted times, and ultimately suspension in the case of repeated offenses. The tool also creates gameplay stats that can give you insight into a gamer's past history. Since 2012, GameBlocks has specialized in creating side server technology for spotting cheaters quickly and it has amassed a reputable status in the world of PC gaming. GameBlocks’ technology has been used in games like Star Wars Battlefront, The Division, Rainbow Six Siege, and Battlefield titles, PCMag reports.

As Ubisoft takes GameBlocks as its own property now, its tool will be applied specifically to the One Game Hosting Platform. i3D.net describes the platform as a gaming ecosystem with more than 300 million users and a capacity for networking in over 40 locations around the world. Publishers will also receive support in the form of a Content Delivery Network which will help with distributing titles over the low-latency network.

Other companies to recently get serious about in-game cheating include Niantic. After spotting multiple violations of its anti-cheat guidelines, the company warned the players of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Ingress, and Pokemon Go against tweaks that involve “auto-walks” which let cheaters “walk” to a point without moving an inch. To prove it wasn’t kidding around and was actually serious about repercussions, Niantic hit one million accounts with permanent bans. That’ll get the message across.