Activision cites data claiming cheating in games is an $8.5bn industry; 69% of online multiplayer studios consider cheating "a significant or very significant problem"

Activision cites data claiming cheating in games is an $8.5bn industry; 69% of online multiplayer studios consider cheating "a significant or very significant problem" "Over the past three decades, cheating has transformed into a sophisticated and constantly evolving industry," says Anybrain CEO and co-founder Activision's Team Ricochet, which manages Call of Duty's anti-cheat initiative, recently cited data that claimed cheating in games is an $8.5 billion industry. Earlier this year, threat intelligence platform Intorqa estimated that cheat developers earn approximately $3.5 billion annually from 15 analyzed games. Including services such as spoofing and account sales, the estimate increases to $8.5 billion. In a blog post, Activision stated that Team Ricochet has "disrupted more than 375 reseller operations, issued more than 80 cease-and-desist demands, and helped shut down 31 primary cheat vendors." Last month, the team issued over 70,000 new hardware bans as part of its anti-cheat efforts.