Request to Address Cronus Zen Cheating and Cross-Platform Reporting Issues
Dear EA Sports Team,
I am reporting on behalf of several enthusiastic players that are sincerely in love with the EA Sports FC franchise but are becoming extremely annoyed and disappointed with the rising issue of cheating through hardware, specifically the use of Cronus Zen, Cronus Max, and other third-party adapters.
They are also used extensively in online matches to be unfairly advantaged; i.e. having perfect timed shots, zero recoil, auto capabilities or unnatural responsiveness without you and your existing anti-cheat systems noticing. This has discouraged the gameplay as an unsatisfying experience to the regular players who makes efforts to get better through fair means.
The worst situation is that there is no proper means of reporting cheaters in the various platforms.
In case a player on PlayStation or Xbox has to deal with a cheater on a different platform (e.g., PC), the in-game reporting system will not allow us to report a cross-platform case. This renders it virtually impossible to do anything meaningful against offenders even in the case we have video evidence or replays.
We would like EA Sports to make the following improvements:
- Stronger Detection Methods
Implement higher input behavior analysis that is able to identify non human timing pattern and repetitive same skill sequence.
Machine learning models to determine players with reaction times and input frequency that can not be achieved by human players.
Periodically upgrade your anti-cheat to be aware of hardware adapters such as Cronus Zen that use controller input emulation.
2. Improved Reporting Tools
Introduction Add a Using External Device category to the report menu.
Allow reporting within cross-platforms, which allows reporting suspicious activity irrespective of the opponent platform.
Independently add a short replay or telemetry record to every report to assist your review staff.
3. Communication and Transparency.
Publicly issue Fair Play Reports at the end of every quarter detailing steps being made against the cheaters of hardware and software.
Show a small in-game message that it is a form of cheating to utilize third-party devices and may lead to a lifetime ban.
4. Fair Enforcement
Use temporary bans or shadow bans on suspicious accounts prior to taking permanent measures, to minimize false positives.
Check flagged accounts when needed and particularly where detection tools indicate consistent anomalies.
We realize that it is technically difficult to make hardware cheats, yet this problem is now tarnishing the competitiveness of EA Sports FC. This has discouraged many honest gamers to continue participating in ranked matches since they always encounter players who play like robots and are not realistic.
We encourage EA to address this issue with seriousness, and to rebuild credibility in fair play, and safeguard the integrity of the FC community.
Your support and interest in the players who love your game help the players and thank you.
Sincerely,
S2MGG
One of the supporters of EA Sports FC and the community.
