As gaming titles gain popularity, it seems players have converted into hackers to rig the game, in order to benefit. For instance, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), DOTA 2 have suffered from the attack of hackers. In 2022, more than 2.5 lakh BGMI accounts were banned as players were found to be using tools, modifications or Android application packages (APK), to gain an unfair advantage. “This is like e-doping. At a federation level, it becomes a challenge to monitor 100 million esports players in India, as a result, game developers will now have to embed anti-hacking mechanisms to control. What this has done is adversely impact esports in India at a grass-roots level,” Lokesh Suji, director, Esports Federation of India, told BrandWagon Online.
Interestingly, as per media reports on April 6, 2022, Sagar ‘Saggy’ Kumar, a professional esports player, admitted to using hacks in his livestream not long before the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series Season one. Sagar recently announced his comeback to competitive tournaments on his Instagram handle. Other esports players took to their Instagram to express their disapproval of the move.“Hacking is indeed a concern. It not only undermines the spirit of fair play but also hampers the overall esports ecosystem. We invest our time and effort to improve our skills, and hacking diminishes that. It’s crucial for the industry to implement stringent measures to curb this issue and maintain the integrity of the gaming community,” Harsh ‘AquaNoX’ Rao, a professional esports player, said.
‘The International 2021’, is the esport tournament which has offered the greatest overall prize pool of over $40 million as of March 2023, at an international level, reveals data from market research firm Statista. When it comes to India before the ban by the government one of the largest esports competitions was held in 2021 and it was the Battlegrounds Mobile India series which offered a prize pool of Rs 1 crore. For industry experts, while hacking does not have an immediate adverse impact on business, what it does is that if hackers win too many tournaments, then real teams tend to not enter the competition. “Over the years, India has also see a system where only certain teams are invited to compete, which takes away the chance of level playing opportunities,” said a senior industry expert, who did not wish to be named.
The popularity of esports is largely driven by streaming platforms such as YouTube, Rooter besides Twitch – Amazon owned. FY21, revenue of the esports industry in India was around Rs 250 crore. Streaming revenues accounted for a major share of that year’s revenue earnings. It is predicted that in 2025, the revenue would peak to Rs 1100 crore, with a viewership of 85 million viewers across 20 different esports streaming platforms. Industry experts opine that these games are all about credibility and if hackers are able to continuously breach into the system, then it adversely impacts the same. “I believe that hacking has serious financial implications that not only affect the revenue streams such as brands’ trust in the esports sector and sponsorships but also increase the cost of investment in security measures. This double-edged impact can significantly strain a publisher’s resources as well as put an esports organization’s trust at stake. Yet, it’s necessary to protect our players and the integrity of the game from such unethical practices,” Devam ‘Dev’ Vyas, vice president, Gods Reign, an esports team, said.
It is believed that some of the common hacks in BGMI include aimbots, speed hacks, and wall hacks. Krafton, one of the game publishers seems to have been able to identify hackers and banning them. “Dear BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA fans, 41,898 accounts were permanently banned from April 11-17, 2023. We would like to present you the list of cheaters who have tried to ruin our battlegrounds. BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA will strive to implement strong sanctions with the ultimate goal of eradicating the use of illegal programs in order to provide a pleasant gaming experience,” KRAFTON said in a statement in 2022. Ban Pan is an anti-hack system instilled in the game by KRAFTON.
Industry experts believe that game developers need to invest in advanced anti-cheat software, strict monitoring, and enforcement of rules during tournaments, at the same time, evangiling players about the consequences of hacking. “In order to get this number down to zero, there is a need for a disciplinary committee that sets rules for the repercussions of hacking and also monitors mainstream events more closely through random inspections and close observation,” Rohit Agarwal, founder and director, Alpha Zegus, said.