In a moment of fitting irony, a cheating Call of Duty player got caught while attempting to convince his fellow players that he wasn't cheating. Cheating in competitive video games is all too common, and the modern Call of Duty franchise is no exception.
Despite extensive efforts made by gaming companies to prevent it, cheating and hacking frequently occur in all sorts of different competitive games. In a multiplayer first-person shooter such as Call of Duty, the ways in which players can exploit the game can be remarkably varied. Some methods of cheating are more common than others, though, with cheaters opting to manipulate matches through things like wallhacks, which allow the cheater to pinpoint enemy locations even when they are obscured by in-game obstacles. An exploit known as aimbotting is also quite common, as it greatly assists in the process of getting an enemy combatant into the cheater's sight and taking them down. Call of Duty has been fighting against cheaters by issuing bans, restrictions, and other punishments, but there are still several who slip through the cracks.
This persistent issue of cheating can be plainly observed in a video shared by Twitter user ImSasukee (via PCGamer). The video is taken from a stream made by competitive player Kenji after suspicions arose that he was cheating in a tournament match. In an attempt to convince his detractors that he was not cheating, Kenji filmed his monitor. Ironically, this is precisely what got him caught, as the moving white rectangles typical of wallhack exploits can be seen on his monitor. Kenji reportedly won thousands of dollars playing competitive COD since 2020, though he has now been almost universally banned from competitive leagues and teams.
Many who view this clip will likely wonder how exactly this happened. In spite of its problems, Call of Duty is an extremely popular franchise that attracts a lot of attention. As such, cheating in a live tournament is risky, but showing footage of blatant cheating and expecting to get away with it is simply baffling. Kenji may return to the world of competitive gaming someday, but his reputation has certainly been stained through this obvious, albeit rather humorous, exposure.
As for what this means for the competitive landscape of Call of Duty as a whole, that is somewhat less clear. Any players entering future tournaments after seeing this footage could be forgiven for being skeptical about the integrity of the contests, as Kenji almost got away with this instance of cheating. Ideally, Kenji's ban will discourage other would-be Call of Duty cheaters.
Source: ImSasukee/Twitter (via PCGamer)