ARC Raiders finally begins permanently banning its most notorious cheaters

by

Embark Studios has started permanently banning cheaters in ARC Raiders, responding to weeks of complaints from players and streamers. This is the most significant action the studio has taken against cheating so far.

On January 16th, players began reporting permanent bans in Arc Raiders. Streamer THUMP shared screenshots suggesting that accounts were being irreversibly suspended for repeat offenses. These bans seem to be targeting players who had been cheating and ‘stream sniping’ – unfairly gaining an advantage by watching streamers’ gameplay – against popular streamers for extended periods over the last few months.

This decision comes after growing criticism of the game’s anti-cheat system. Several popular streamers, like Nadeshot, Shroud, Ninja, and TheBurntPeanut, spoke out about the issue earlier this month, putting pressure on Embark to address it.

Not 1. But 2. They got me aswell bro dont worry

— imcheating (@okaywhateverxd) January 16, 2026

Permanent bans replace temporary suspensions for egregious cheating

Previous bans in Arc Raiders were mostly temporary, with first-time cheaters getting 30-day suspensions and repeat offenders facing stricter restrictions on their computers. While players appreciated these steps, many felt they weren’t enough because cheaters could easily create new accounts and come back.

Recent screenshots reveal a new message players are seeing. The game now states that accounts have been permanently suspended for breaking the rules, and this suspension cannot be appealed due to the seriousness of the offense.

I just saw on X that THUMP said they finally permanently banned someone about 30 minutes ago! Apparently, after a month of no action, my post complaining really got things moving and led to them finally doing something about it. It’s awesome to know I actually made a difference!

More screenshots have surfaced, reportedly from private Discord servers, showing several users claiming they were banned simultaneously. One user tried to reassure others, saying, “It wasn’t just one person – they banned me too, don’t worry,” hinting that multiple users who had been breaking the rules for a while were removed.

Cheaters reportedly love targeting Shroud and Ninja

More evidence came to light during Symfuhny’s livestream on January 16th. A player who claimed to be connected to a banned cheater was watching Symfuhny’s game and interacted with him in-game. This player confirmed that multiple well-known cheaters had received permanent bans.

The player said Shroud and Ninja were the streamers most often targeted, likely because they were among the first and most outspoken to call out the cheating issues in Arc Raiders back in early January.

THUMP explained that someone had been unfairly targeting and eliminating streamers for the past month by secretly watching their broadcasts and using cheats. They were doing this to create a highlight reel for YouTube while the game developers were on vacation.

Okay, so Embark hasn’t officially said anything yet about permanently banning players, or how many people it’s happening to. But I’m seeing screenshots and reports from a bunch of different sources that they’re starting to move away from just temporary bans. It looks like if you seriously break the rules, or keep doing it, they’re just straight-up deleting your account now. It’s a big change, and we’re waiting for official confirmation, but it seems pretty real.

These bans are happening after players repeatedly asked for action against cheaters, and come after previous updates designed to prevent unfair play, like removing cheating commands. Many players believe permanent bans are essential for the future of ARC Raiders.

Read More

2026-01-16 17:49