Activision, the developers behind Call of Duty, have released a new report indicating that video game cheaters are spending an estimated $8.5 billion annually. This figure includes subscriptions for cheating software, which can range from $40 to $100 per month, and additional services like spoofing software.
The report, shared by the team behind Call of Duty's Ricochet anti-cheat system, highlights the financial scale of the cheating economy. An analysis by Intorqa, a threat intelligence platform, estimated that cheat subscriptions across 15 games generate approximately $3.5 billion annually. When adjacent services such as account sales and boosting are included, the broader cheating economy is forecast to reach around $8.5 billion each year.
Activision stated that its Ricochet anti-cheat software is being updated to identify developers of cheating tools, allowing the company to pursue legal action. The company has disrupted over 375 reseller operations, issued more than 80 cease-and-desist demands, and contributed to the shutdown of 31 primary cheat vendors.
The developers describe cheating as a "losing investment," noting that money spent on cheats is lost when a player is identified and removed. These efforts come ahead of the launch of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 next month.