Twitch warned rule change for streaming cheats will have “devastating consequences”
ActivisionAn anti-cheat watchdog group is warning Twitch that its light punishments for streamers who broadcast cheats will have “devastating consequences” for many gaming communities.
On February 18, Twitch announced a series of changes to its ban system, such as letting violations expire and increasing punishments for those who keep repeating the same infraction.
In the Amazon-owned platform’s blog, the company explained: “Most violations committed tend to be low severity (such as cheating in online games) and will expire in 90 days.”
An accompanied graphic further showed that cheating in games will result in a one-day ban, while being caught again will only increase the punishment to three days.
This policy is rubbing many players the wrong way, including the watchdog group ‘Anti-cheat Police Department,’ who say this slap on the wrist “sets a dangerous precedent.”
TwitchTwitch under fire for labeling cheating a “minor offense”
According to Anti-Cheat PD, by only giving streamers who use cheats a one-day ban, Twitch is playing right into the hands of those who develop cheat software.
“We at the ACPD have worked tirelessly towards eliminating cheat marketing across major social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Discord and have seen and documented first hand how many people view, consume, and ultimately decide to use cheats from unmoderated cheating content,” they explained.
The group noted how cheat developers rely on marketing to turn a profit and by only handing out the minimum suspension, it suggests that cheating isn’t a serious offense.
“Allowing cheaters to market their cheats risking only a slap on the wrist sets a dangerous precedent on what is and isn’t acceptable in the wider gaming community,” they added.
“Twitch has a responsibility as the largest livestreaming platform for video games to moderate and ultimately choose what the gaming community sees and shares.”
Cheating in video games, such as Call of Duty, has been a controversial subject for many years, with big creators such as NICKMERCS and Nadeshot even believing that those caught should be sent to jail.
While blatantly broadcasting cheats is a bit rarer, there have been instances of streamers accidentally exposing their aimbots and wallhacks only to be met with mockery from the community.
Time will tell if Twitch backtracks on these minor punishments for cheating, especially if there is substantial pushback from developers who work with the platform.
