Why Microsoft and Activision Should Partner with the FBI to Stop Multiplayer Cheating
- ERROL TORREGANO
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
In mid-July 2025, the FBI took down one of the internet’s largest Nintendo Switch piracy websites—NSw2u—a platform notorious for distributing illegal game ROMs. While this move struck a blow to piracy, the implications go far beyond stolen single-player content. It’s a clear reminder that federal-level action can cripple the infrastructure behind cheating in online games. And that’s exactly why companies like Microsoft and Activision need to step up—and join the fight.
Cheating Is No Longer Just a Nuisance—It’s a Criminal Operation
Today’s cheats aren’t just harmless game mods. They’re part of an underground, multimillion-dollar industry selling aim bots, wall hacks, and exploits that ruin online experiences for millions of players. From Call of Duty Warzone to Overwatch 2, cheaters aren’t just bending rules—they’re buying tools, bypassing bans, and gaining unfair advantages through software often developed and distributed by organized groups.
And these cheats are often sold and hosted on the same types of sites that traffic in pirated content, like NSw2u. The lines between piracy and cheating are blurry—both rely on cracking game code, reverse engineering consoles, and profiting off stolen or manipulated software.
Why Microsoft and Activision Should Work with the FBI
1. Law Enforcement Has Reach That Dev Teams Don’t
Anti-cheat systems like Ricochet or BattlEye can detect in-game behavior, but they can’t raid cheat sellers, shut down marketplaces, or issue subpoenas. The FBI can—and already has. Their takedown of NSw2u proves that federal cybercrime divisions are capable of tracking, identifying, and eliminating the root of these problems when given support and evidence.
2. Cheating Destroys Player Trust
Online games thrive on fairness. When cheating runs rampant, players leave. Streamers abandon titles. Communities die. For live-service games like Call of Duty, Halo Infinite, or the upcoming Black Ops 6, maintaining integrity isn’t optional—it’s survival. A government-backed crackdown can reassure players that their time, effort, and skill actually matter.
3. It’s Not Just About Fun—It’s About Money
Cheaters often target ranked modes and competitive play, which are tied to battle passes, cosmetic rewards, and esports ecosystems. Every cheater is a potential revenue drain, pushing honest players away and devaluing in-game purchases. For companies investing billions in live services and digital economies, stopping cheaters is protecting the bottom line.
4. The Industry Needs a United Front
Right now, publishers fight cheat developers individually. But cheat makers operate across titles and platforms. One day it’s Warzone, the next it’s Minecraft, then Starfield. It’s time for a coalition between tech giants and law enforcement—starting with Microsoft and Activision—to go after the infrastructure behind these networks.
NSw2u’s Takedown Proves It’s Possible
The NSw2u takedown didn’t just remove pirated games—it disrupted a network of console cracking and software modification that fueled both piracy and cheating. That’s the blueprint. By sharing telemetry, identifying repeat offenders, and working closely with government agencies, Microsoft and Activision could help shut down:
Websites selling aim bots and hacks
Discord servers distributing cracked clients
Developers making money off ruining online experiences
VPN services knowingly hosting cheater traffic
Final Thoughts
The war against multiplayer cheating can’t be won with software alone. It needs legal muscle. It needs cooperation. And it needs leadership from the biggest names in gaming.
Microsoft and Activision are in the perfect position to lead this charge. They have the resources, the player base, and the long-term vision to understand that online integrity isn’t a luxury—it’s the foundation of the future of gaming.
It’s time to treat multiplayer cheating like the crime it is—and take it down at the source.
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