'The Division:' Here's How Ubisoft Might Punish People That Use Hacks And Exploits

The Division is going through a rough patch. Ubisoft’s ambitious new shooter/MMO saw a beautifully smooth launch, but the first major content update afterwards has brought with it a slew of problems, from bugs, exploits, nonsensical loot systems, currency imbalances and more. On top of that, the PC version of the game is plagued by cheaters, a problem that one network specialist doesn’t think the team will ever be able to fix. So if this is rock bottom, The Division must now begin a long trek back towards a functional game world, patching up bugs, streamlining systems and trying to make things a bit more fun in the process.

A recent blog post over at Ubisoft responds to some of the concerns surrounding this less than perfect functionality, at least on the technical side. Earlier, the team had suggested that it would punish people who had been using the notorious Falcon Lost exploit, and in the post they go into a little more detail about just what that might the developer might do to provide some sense of justice in their self-created lawless world:

Our first step is to give you clearer and more concrete visibility. Should new bugs be discovered, we will quickly confirm if these are considered exploits. All known exploits will be clearly listed in a public forum thread and across our various communication platforms. We want all players to be informed. This will ensure that those caught after an exploit was confirmed are aware of the consequences and actions that can be taken against them.

Second, sanctions will be implemented for players who repeatedly abuse exploits and will vary depending on the severity of the abuse, as well as the history of the player. Possible sanctions include character rollbacks, account suspensions and permanent bans. Those who encounter bugs during the normal course of play have absolutely nothing to worry about.

As mentioned earlier, providing a high-quality experience is our priority. Fixing game bugs is one aspect of it, and we are improving our processes to address that. Dissuading players from impairing others’ gameplay by violating the rules of the game is another aspect. We also want to give you better visibility and transparency. We are fully committed to providing an enjoyable and fair environment for all our players, and will take all steps necessary to achieve this goal.

It’s that one — “character rollbacks” that Ubisoft needs to think the most about. An exploit is one thing, but it gets a whole lot worse in a game with endgame PvP, like The Division. The exploits have led to crews of high level players with gear that normal players couldn’t hope to achieve without exploits, and it’s led to some serious imbalance. Rollbacks are a tricky, tricky business, so I’m not positive that’s the best way forward here. But without some system to bring players back in line, the endgame will remain skewed for a long time. It’s a tough situation, and I don’t envy the developers who have to look for a solution even as they squash new bugs as they arise.