Hackers

We simply don’t know whether, or to what extent, EA is going after cheaters — and this lack of transparency/communication is a problem. When a community sees obvious signs of law-breaking/cheating it has to SEE justice being done. Unfortunately, EA’s policy against “naming and shaming” leaves us with ZERO evidence that cheaters are actually apprehended and punished. This is not only demoralizing to the majority of the community who play fair; it erodes faith that justice is being done and it inevitably incentivizes at least some would-be rule followers to resort to cheating. This isn’t rocket science, it’s basic sociology.

My own feeling is that EA should regularly (at least quarterly, if not monthly) report out the number of accounts it has suspended due to verified cheating and, particularly if any of these accounts are among the top ranks, they should call out at least a few names. This would not only have a deterrent effect, but, more importantly, it would instill at least some faith within the community that when we submit reports they are acted upon. Absent some sort of communication, the reporting mechanism is a complete black box and it’s no wonder we see people posting in frustration with some regularity.