The cheat market for video games generates annual revenues ranging from $12.8 million to $73.2 million, researchers from the University of Birmingham calculated. In North America and Europe, between 30,000 and 174,000 players purchase cheats monthly, with prices ranging from $6 to $250.
The study of 80 websites revealed that many operate like full online stores: offering customer support, multiple payment options, and subscription plans (monthly or 90-days), often promising frequent updates.
Their analysis of 80 cheat-selling websites found that these platforms often operate like standard e-commerce stores—with customer support, flexible payment options, and monthly or 90-day subscription plans. Cheat prices range widely—from about $6 for simpler hacks to $250 for more sophisticated tools.
“AI-aimbots” are becoming increasingly popular—next-gen auto-aim tools using computer vision and machine learning for automatic aiming, making it easier to bypass anti-cheat systems.
Game developers spend millions combating cheaters, but cheat creators keep improving their software—typically updating it every 1.5 days. The actual scale of the cheat market is likely even larger, as the research did not include Asian platforms, forums, or free cheat sources.
