A notorious piece of software used for cheating in GTA Online, known as Paragon, has shut down after its own data was compromised. There's a certain level of irony to this, given the fact that this software has been used to obtain sensitive information from other GTA Online players, including their IP addresses.
Paragon was one of the top choices for cheaters, but it's not the only one to shut down this year. Luna, another prominent piece of cheating software, shut down earlier this year after talks with Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive. Cheating is a big issue in Rockstar's incredibly popular game, not only because it causes unfair and annoying advantages for players, but because it has led to people's information being exposed. One of the more extreme examples, particularly with Paragon, is that players can forcefully crash someone else's game with the software.
In a statement on its website, Paragon officially announced (via Tez2) that it was taking down its software after it was compromised. The statement apologized to customers and staff, declaring that the service will officially shut down by the end of the weekend. A high volume of cheaters on PC has potentially prevented Rockstar from implementing cross-play in GTA Online. The downfall of Paragon might represent a severe reduction in cheater populations.
“Dear community, as most of you know, Paragon’s data was recently compromise. [...] It has increased the risks involved to the point that staying operational is no longer viable. Regrettably, this leads us to the decision to shut down to avoid further complications before it’s too late.”
Given the major effect that it had on GTA Online and its players, many legitimate fans of the game will likely be celebrating the removal of Paragon. Whether or not the people running it will try to start up another service remains to be seen, but it's also possible that Take-Two could prevent them from making such an attempt.
With GTA Online releasing in a standalone format this November, Rockstar likely wants to make the game a long-term service for its fans, meaning that the company has a vested interest in reducing the amount of cheaters in-game as much as possible. Although some platforms like Paragon seem to be vanishing on their own terms, Rockstar will likely want to continue to pursue cheaters and cheating software more aggressively to keep GTA Online not only fun and sustainable, but safe and secure as well.
GTA Online and Grand Theft Auto V will release on November 11, 2021 for Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.