[p]It's time for another anti-cheat update. As Showdown begins, we wanted to share some insights into the previous season, talk about what we're doing, and take a quick look at the future. The team is hard at work behind the scenes, continuing to make progress in the fight against cheaters and unfair play. Here's a summary of what we're about to cover:[/p]
- [p]A look at Prodigy : Total Bans (BT), Match Infection Rate (MIR), and Reports Per User (RPU) have fluctuated compared to the previous two seasons, as shown in the graph below. This is partly due to increased data flow, which has improved tracking and detection on consoles. Additionally, we've continued to work on tackling third-party macro devices.[/p]
- [p]What we're working on : Analyze TB, MIR, and RPU in detail, three aspects of our usual objectives. To extract the data, we use several elements, which can lead to a variation in the values (examples below). MIR focuses on Ranked, while TB and RPU include all modes.[/p]
- [p]Recent Goals : The new tooling system has improved our ability to adapt, and will continue to evolve alongside cheats. This will help us address some of the biggest issues, including teaming and third-party bots. Since February, we've seen a 33% decrease in teaming reports, and we'll continue to monitor and refine the tool based on new findings. Targeting bots and anti-recoil systems are also key elements we're actively developing and testing.[/p]
[p]As mentioned in the last development post, we will continue to share new details where possible as they become available.[/p][h2]
A LOOK AT PRODIGY[/h2][p]Last season saw an overall increase in total bans. The percentage of cheaters in matches and reports per user also fluctuated slightly from the previous season, depending on the platform. Additionally, we've recently seen an increase in data flow, which has paved the way for additional bans on consoles. Therefore, the numbers listed here provide a better representation of our actions than in the past. Improved tracking has helped us make more strategic decisions about prioritizing and allocating resources, including assigning new team members to regions with the most cheaters. [/p][p]Previously, our data was primarily drawn from the PC version due to cheating programs that don't exist on consoles. We've started including console accounts in these statistics, as well as ramping up detection and enforcement for teaming and the use of third-party macro devices. In the chart below, the percentage of cheaters and reports per user reflect the first two weeks after the introduction of each early- and mid-season patch. Total bans reflect the entire half of the season.[/p][p]
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[/p][h2]
WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON[/h2][p]As mentioned in
previous updates , anti-cheat is a constant effort with a myriad of gears always in motion. Total bans, the percentage of matches with cheaters, and reports per user are just some of the pieces of the puzzle, but we'd like to explain in more detail what determines these values. [/p]
- [p]Total Bans: The total number of suspensions (temporary and permanent) applied to user accounts through both automated systems and manual reviews. To combat unfair play, bans are used in conjunction with other measures (e.g., resetting ranking points).[/p]
- [p]Match Cheating Rate: The percentage of matches in which at least one user has been reported three or more times and suspended for cheating in the last 14 days. Apex Legends has a higher number of users per match compared to other similar games, which can contribute to a higher percentage of cheating matches. For a match to be counted as a "cheater match," even one user in 60 is cheating (though you may not encounter them directly or have any impact on your gameplay experience).[/p]
- [p]One of the most effective ways to reduce the percentage of cheaters in matches is to apply suspensions promptly. By detecting cheaters more quickly, we'll limit their impact on matches.[/p]
- [p]Reports per user: The sum of all reports against users reported 3 or more times in the previous 28 days, divided by the number of active users in the same period. [/p]
- [p]Three or more reports are not required to impose a suspension. These are just general guidelines we follow to determine if someone is negatively impacting the gaming experience, regardless of the actions taken as a result of reports. Including a threshold of three or more reports is crucial because it often helps us identify those who may have been playing fairly before resorting to cheating.[/p]
[p]All measurements, including those mentioned, are taken into account by multiple factors (e.g., data centers, modes, match levels, and reporting categories). This means that values can vary significantly by user, match, session, and even region depending on the data sample. Here are some examples of variables:[/p]
- [p]The percentage of cheaters in matches is generally much higher in Ranked. This is where almost all cheaters congregate. [/p]
- [p]Unranked modes have a much lower percentage of cheaters (between -50% and -80%) than Ranked.[/p]
- [p]Furthermore, the percentage increases at the higher ranks of Ranked. In Diamond and Master matches, the chances of encountering cheaters are double the overall percentage, while at the lower ranks, they drop significantly below average.[/p]
[h2]
RECENT GOALS[/h2][p]We've put together some small updates on a couple of recent milestones to help us be even more transparent with the community.[/p][h3]
AN ADDITIONAL SYSTEM TOOL[/h3][p]In Season 23, we introduced a new system that helps us combat cheaters by analyzing different types of unfair play based on a series of gameplay indicators. The system is highly flexible and will evolve as new cheat variants are introduced. [/p][p]In the future, we hope to extend its scope to input manipulation and anti-recoil systems. [/p][h3]
TEAMING, BOT DETECTION & MORE[/h3][p]Regarding detection, we've made progress in a number of areas and
added the "Wallhacking/Impossible Game Logic" reporting option thanks to your feedback in the May Anti-Cheat AMA. Here's an update on some of our top priorities: [/p]
- [p]Teaming: Since our last teaming update , we've continued to refine our teaming model, seeing a further 33% decrease in reports compared to February. With the introduction of the new tool, we've been able to improve detection based on new gameplay indicators. [/p]
- [p]Third-party bots: After refining our gameplay indicators, we've been able to use our tools to combat and remove bot farms. We've also updated our add-on tool to improve future detection (with an automated bot detection model we're still working on). We'll continue to monitor the results, and you may see the impact on cheater rates and user reports in future updates.[/p]
- [p]Target Bots and Anti-Knock Systems : Detecting these two items is still high on the priority list, so we are developing internal models that can locate Target Bots and Anti-Knock Systems in-game. [/p]
[h2]
SEE YOU ON THE SHIP[/h2][p]We've said it before, and we'll say it again: the Apex Legends experience should be fun and competitive without sacrificing the integrity of the game. As our work continues, we'll continue to share development insights on anti-cheat and other news on the blog and on Reddit, Steam, and X/Twitter throughout the rest of the year.[/p][hr][/hr][p]
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