Apex Legends Finals Halted: Integrity Breach Rocks Tournament
The finale of the North American division of the esteemed eSports discipline Apex Legends was abruptly suspended due to a breach of “competitive integrity.”
A nefarious individual managed to infiltrate the computers of professional players with cheating software—aimbots (for automatic targeting) and wallhacks (to see opponents through obstacles)—during the final matches of the tournament. The situation escalated when a player was banned for using an aimbot cheat before the organizers decided to suspend the competition.
Due to the competitive integrity of this series being compromised, we have made the decision to postpone the NA finals at this time.
We will share more information soon.— Apex Legends Esports (@PlayApexEsports) March 18, 2024
Following the incident, social networks were abuzz with rumors of a potential large-scale hack into the Apex Legends security systems, affecting not just the eSports community but the entire gaming audience. Some users reported detecting viruses on their computers after conducting scans, though there is no confirmation yet that this is directly linked to the mentioned hack.
At present, the identity of the hacker remains unknown, but speculation suggests the involvement of a hacker known as Destroyer2009, who previously targeted Apex Legends athletes. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the perpetrator exploited a vulnerability to remotely execute malicious code on the tournament players’ computers.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain uncertain. Respawn and publisher EA have merely postponed the finals, without issuing any official statements. Some influential streamers recommend refraining from launching Apex Legends until the issue is resolved, although there have been no calls for a mass uninstallation of the game yet.
The introduction of cheating programs into the accounts of professional eSports athletes to disrupt a major tournament and the subsequent ban of a participant transcends ordinary in-game cheating. The developers at Respawn are tasked with thoroughly investigating the root causes of the incident and swiftly announcing specific measures to restore security and rectify the situation.
Adding to the concern is the recent dismissal of 23 employees from Respawn, including Apex Legends developers, which could indicate a need to bolster the game’s security team.
