Tech

How a Vigilante Fights Cheating In The World’s Biggest Video Games

A 24-year-old from London leads a small but dedicated army of volunteer vigilantes that fights cheaters in 'Overwatch' and 'Valorant.'
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Millions of people are competing in online shooter games such as Overwatch, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Valorant. Competitive gaming has become a legitimate sport. And just like in other sports, some are willing to do anything—even cheating—to win.

There’s a thriving market for cheats that allow players to see through walls and never miss a headshot. Thousands of players use them to get a leg up against others, but gaming companies are fighting back, and they’re getting help from a 24-year-old Iraqi man who lives London. His name is Mohamed Al-Sharifi but he's better known as GamerDoc.

He is the founder of the Overwatch Police Department and the Valorant Police Department, two armies of volunteer vigilantes who collect and produce reports about cheaters and send them to the gaming companies to help them clamp down on cheaters. 

On this week’s CYBER, we talk about how developing cheats in video games is just another form of hacking. And how GamerDoc hunts down cheaters and cheat developers with his squad of volunteer vigilantes.