Wave of GTA Online Bans Impacting Innocent Players

New anti-cheat measures are now underway in GTA Online, but not everything is going to plan. On September 18, the third-party BattleEye anti-cheat software was implemented into the title, with fans initially happy that something was being done to combat bad actors. However, innocent players are now being impacted, with many taking to the internet to rant about Rockstar’s current fumble.

“I got banned and received a ban email even though I haven’t played for like a week,” one PC player said.

“Just had seven years of 100% legitimate grinding wiped out,” said MannieOKD on X. Thankfully, Rockstar has given players a way to appeal bans, though it’s unclear how long this process may take.

The addition of anti-cheat software in GTA Online is a long time coming, with many players wondering why it took Rockstar a decade to implement. Many have called the game unplayable in recent years, with cheaters constantly wreaking havoc and causing issues for standard players.

Cheaters will receive a rather curt email from Rockstar via the new system. “This is a message from Rockstar Games. Your account was used in violation of our Terms of Service and/or EULA. Your account has been banned from playing GTA Online on PC permanently,” it reads.

In the game, fans can explore San Andreas as they work to become the most powerful criminal in the city. The title suffered widespread and game-breaking technical issues at launch in 2013, with many critics saying that it should have been delayed for polish.

GTA Online is available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.