Max Payne 3

Sick of seeing players cheating in Max Payne 3‘s multiplayer? Well, so is Rockstar. The developer has said it is aware of players spoiling the gameplay experience and has promised to drop the ban hammer on anyone caught cheating or hacking.

A message on the Rockstar website reads: ”Anyone found to have used hacked saves, modded games, or other exploits to gain an unfair advantage in Max Payne 3 multiplayer, or to circumvent the leaderboards will be quarantined from all other players into a “Cheaters Pool,” where they’ll only be able to compete in multiplayer matches with other confirmed miscreants.”

“In the event we decide to absolve any of these cheaters for their past transgressions they may re-enter play with the general public, however a second offense will result in their indefinite banishment. In either case, we will be removing invalid leaderboard entries to ensure that the players at the top of the charts have earned their spots fairly.”

I really don’t understand why people choose to cheat in multiplayer. Sure it can be fun in a single-player game–blowing through enemies with infinite health and ammo–but in a competitive environment it just looks childish and petty. These players obviously lack the skills to compete on an even playing field, but instead of just accepting that they suck at the game they decide to gain an unfair advantage just to make them feel skillful for once.

Rockstar has encouraged players to report any suspicious activity to them by sending an email with the following information:

• Platform (PC, PS3 or Xbox 360)
• Cheater’s Gamertag / ID
• Description of the violation
• If possible, please include concrete evidence, such as a video or a screenshot

Should online cheaters be dealt with severely or just warned?