Developer Bulkhead is implementing robust anti-cheat measures for its upcoming title, Wardogs, according to CEO Joe Brammer. While the game will require hardware-level protections like secure boot and TPM 2.0, Brammer suggested that the core metagame economy will be the primary defense against cheaters and exploiters.
Brammer explained that the in-game currency system, where players earn XP and cash for every action taken, is designed to be highly transparent. "The nice thing about cash is we can clearly see abnormal behavior," he told Polygon. "What we see is probably very similar to what supermarkets see: people are very predictable in how they both spend and treat their money. So we can quickly start to map out what is an unusual behavior and what isn't."
This system allows Bulkhead to identify players attempting to exploit game mechanics. For instance, repeating the same action excessively will flag as abnormal behavior. To further discourage such exploits, Wardogs will feature a diminishing returns system. Performing an action repeatedly will yield progressively less cash, making prolonged exploitation less rewarding.
"Even if you're not abusing it, if someone shoots me and I get revived, that person gets $1,000. If I get shot by the same person again, the sniper, I'm like 'You got me again, for god's sake,' but I can be revived again. That person gets $800, then $600, and so on," Brammer illustrated. "It goes down anyway because that's not a fun gameplay loop for anyone. If you want to sit in a server and abuse that with a friend, sure. You won't make that much money, we can see it, and we'll ban you. So cash is the best anticheat."
This approach aims to prevent issues seen in other live-service games, where economic exploits can significantly impact the player experience. Brammer highlighted the prevalence of duplication glitches in titles like Arc Raiders as an example of how economic systems can be vulnerable. By building a proactive economic defense into Wardogs from the outset, Bulkhead hopes to preemptively address potential exploits and maintain a fair playing field for its community.