“Is It Legit, To You?”. An Exploration of Players’ Perceptions of Cheating in a Multiplayer Video Game: Making Sense of Uncertainty

Abstract

Cheating is a major concern for any gaming environment, but effective solutions are still far from being found. Previous research has overlooked the social complexity of current video games and the role that technology may have in determining the cheating practices. In this article, we explore how cheating unfolds within Call of Duty: Warzone through a digital ethnography, analyzing the perspectives of both amateur players and video game streamers and how technology shapes the cheating phenomenon. We highlight that players’ perception of cheating depends on the “social role” of the cheater. Moreover, the technological sophistication of cheats makes them uncertain in the players’ eyes, contributing to the spreading of mutual suspicion and surveillance practices. Based on these findings, we offer a novel understanding of cheating as a sort of black box that only a few individuals are able to decipher, and several design considerations addressing the cheating practices in contemporary games.