The creator of a popular hack for Overwatch can now reflect on his actions. He has been sentenced to one year in prison.
In South Korea, there is no tolerance for cheating, cheats, and hacks in video games. The creator of cheat software that allowed various hacks in Overwatch is now facing the bitter consequences. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison followed by 2 years of probation.
Why was the penalty so high? The main reason for the severe penalty is the fact that the man had commercially exploited the hack to profit from it. Through the sale of the software, he had earned nearly 180,000 USD, which increased the penalty. Without these large earnings, the penalty would likely have been more in the range of a fine of several thousand dollars and some months of probation.
Hacks and cheats prohibited by law. In South Korea, eSports and gaming in general hold a high status. Since 2016, there are even specific laws that penalize the creation and distribution of hacks, aimbots, or any other form of unwanted cheat tools in games. The Game Industry Promotion Act and the Information and Communication Technology Protection Act.
Hacks and other cheat software have often been a problem in Overwatch. Blizzard has repeatedly stated that they are “committed to creating a fair gaming environment for players and will continue to hold this goal in the future.”
What do you think about this penalty? Is it justified? Should there also be laws in Germany that penalize the creation and distribution of cheat software? Or is it “just a game” and therefore unjustified?
Blizzard is also taking action against German cheat manufacturers:
