NICKMERCS Demands "Jail Time" For Apex Legends Cheaters
Like most free-to-play games, Apex Legends has always had a problem with cheaters and hackers. But the increased amount of hackers in recent months has left many popular streamers frustrated.
Respawn Entertainment has banned millions of players since Apex Legends dropped in 2019. Developers banned over 770K players in the first few months alone. Most hackers are focused on mobility and seeing through walls, but players have complained about even more hackers popping up in 2023.
In a Reddit post, one player noted that they have seen more than the usual aimbotters as of late. Now there are also hackers with instantly exploding grenades and forcing enemies to reload for longer time periods.
Said one player: “Just had a game where everyone on my team was stuck constantly reloading. Full mags didn't matter whatsoever. There's no outplay for this hack. It's far worse than aim-botting, walling, etc. Something needs to be done because it's game-breaking.”
Apex Legends players have started calling for a lot more anti-cheat measures, including banning IP addresses and entire computers. Unfortunately, hackers have learned how to work around a lot of the current anti-cheat programs. So what’s next? Maybe jail.
Streamer Nicholas “NICKMERCS” Kolcheff has clearly become sick of dealing with the influx of Apex Legends cheaters. He recently tweeted that cheaters and hackers should be “sent to jail.”
He added: “I know the majority of y’all are busy touching grass and shit, that’s lit, super happy for ya. But your boy just spent 20 hours getting hacked on in online video games and I’ve had enough.”
If you cheat & hack in video games, you should 100% be sent to jail.
— Nickmercs (@NICKMERCS) April 5, 2023
I know the majority of y’all are busy touching grass & shit, that’s lit, super happy for ya. But your boy just spent 20 hours getting hacked on in online video games & I’ve had enough.
Other popular streamers responded to NICKMERCS rant, clearly fed up with the hackers as well. Turner “Tfue” Tenney joked that some gamers weren’t spanked enough as a kid.
But some also had suggestions of their own.
Timothy "iiTzTimmy" An had another strict idea for combating cheaters. Why not have one profile for every gamer that’s linked to every title they play? If the player cheats, it’s in their record permanently.
I personally think we should have a gaming profile that you have to link to every game. One per user and you can't make another. If you cheat, then its on your gaming record and gg.
— 100T iiTzTimmy (@iiTzTimmy) April 5, 2023
Casual players were quick to call NICKMERCS’ tweet an “overreaction.” But many top streamers and pro players were clearly in agreement with NICKMERCS. Anyone who plays Apex Legends for hours a day is bound to run into an endless wall of cheaters and hackers.
“I know this feeling all too well,” said Benjamin “Dr Lupo” Lupo.
It has truly baffled some players why someone would bother blatantly cheating. It’s not like anyone believes they have the skills. The speculation from the gaming community is that they enjoy the power of taking down better players or ruining peoples’ time. For some players it’s just fun.
So what’s next?
Unfortunately, Respawn Entertainment has yet to respond to the latest influx of complaints.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!