Halo 5 developers are going after cheaters and exploiters

My mama always taught me that cheaters never prosper. Unless they were in politics. Or the police force. Or well-connected in boxing. Or they had a Game Genie cart for their Golden China console. The point I’m trying to make is, is that cheaters are out there. And a great many of them are never going to be caught.

And it’s beyond infuriating when you encounter that in gaming. There’s a special place in hell for people who cheat their way to victory in online gaming, right next to the pit that contains Hitler, Jeffrey Dahmer and the guy who invented the sitcom laugh-track. And Halo 5: Guardians has seen a fair share of cheaters since it launched.

People who’ve lag-switched a win out of the hands of deserving players, or made full use of exploits to game the system. According to Halo 5 developer 343 Industries, they’ll be handing out some justice soon, targeting offending players who’ve made the Warzone mode a frustrating experience.

“It’s worth mentioning that we’ve been keeping a very close eye on REQ point and XP boosting, and the exploits some players are using to idle in matches in an attempt to fill their very own Money Bin with a ton of REQ points and XP,” 343 wrote on the Halo Waypoint.

Our data team at the studio has not only caught this behaviour, but we’ve also started taking action against offending accounts, including bans and removal of all REQ points. Most of you need not worry about this, as you’re aware that REQ points and XP are only awarded for honour and bravery on the battlefield.

Beyond the exploiters, 343 has some other cha-cha-changes on the way. Fan-favourite mode SWAT will have the respawn timer extended from one second to three, which should “improve overall game flow while still maintaining the fast-paced action the playlist is known for.” Friendly fire has also been nixed from the playlist, so that trolling can be kept to a minimum.

Warzone is also getting tweaked, like a pal who drank way too much coffee lately. 343 says that you can expect the following in their meat and potatoes online mode:

• Faster REQ levelling
• Decreased base capture time from 20s to 16s
• Reduced starting grenade count to 1

“The most impactful change to Warzone Assault is an increased levelling speed,” 343 wrote.

Currently, Warzone Assault can feel a little like Big Team Battle, where the majority of encounters are between loadout weapons and maybe a vehicle or two. By speeding up the rate at which players level, they’ll have access to more of the REQ cards they’ve earned, increasing the diversity of weaponry on the field, and allowing for more strategic options when both attacking or defending a base.

And yes, the carrot on the end of the Warzone stick is looking more enticing, as new Requisition packs are on the way. Here’s a sneak peek:

Halo 5: Guardians has done gangbusters so far for Microsoft. It’s easily one of their biggest games of the year, having made over $400 million within its first week of sale. Depending on how you decipher the press release, that is.

Last Updated: November 19, 2015