Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Crimson Desert
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Best turn-based RPGs
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Don't miss these
Arc Raiders player holding a gun in red light
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders studio contacted by crime scientist "intrigued by how players are interacting"
Marathon cinematic shot of assassin runner
FPS Games Bungie makes Marathon less vicious as players keep leaving: update adds new friendly options
Headshot of Todd Howard, executive producer and game director of Bethesda Game Studios. Image supplied to GamesRadar by BGS.
Games Ex-Bethesda senior artist says Todd Howard would tell devs "we can do anything but we can't do everything"
Arc Raiders player holding a gun
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders players set up bounty board to hunt down rats, make streamer TheBurntPeanut the most-wanted
An orc from World of Warcraft roars at the screen
World of Warcraft Blizzard lawsuit kills huge private World of Warcraft server as a cease and desist ends another
Final Fantasy 14
Final Fantasy Square Enix slaps Final Fantasy 14 content creator with lawsuit over alleged harassment
A snow scene in Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 with soldiers moving forward, aircraft exploding in the background
Call of Duty 10 Best Call of Duty Games of All-Time
Arc Raiders Wasp Hunter armor set with yellow leather
Third Person Shooters "Players shouldn't feel fully safe" in Arc Raiders even in friendly lobbies, lead dev says
World of Warcraft Classic Burning Crusade
World of Warcraft WoW Classic kills dungeon-boosting in Burning Crusade expansion because, oh no, the economy
Arc Raiders characters standing together
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders devs now force themselves to act nice in playtests to understand friendly players
No Rest for the Wicked
Action RPGs No Rest for the Wicked lead says if you ever find microtransactions in the Ori studio's games, "kick me in the balls"
Fallout 4 power armor
Fallout A Fallout 4 QA tester nuked the RPG so hard that Zenimax executives got emails about it
Crimson Desert open world gameplay showing the dragon mount flying above Pywel
Open World Games Crimson Desert players are speed-gliding using this amazing hack that may or may not be a bug
Arc Raiders characters with shotgun and revolver
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders devs love the self-described sheriffs of PvP: "Those are some of the better moments"
Marathon Thief shell in dark lighting
FPS Games Marathon just buffed the best loot you can find outside Cryo Archive and nerfed the Thief exploit
  1. Games
  2. FPS
  3. Call of Duty

Modern Warfare 3: Infinity Ward takes up the banhammer

News
By Tom Goulter published 21 November 2011

Over 1600 cheaters sent to timeout

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Infinity Ward has been rediscovering a joy reserved for developers who release a phenomenally high-selling competitive videogame: the ability to ban accordingly large numbers of cheaters, scoundrels, and ne'er-do-wells. Over 1600 blackguards have been served with cooldown time since Modern Warfare 3's launch, with the studio promising more bans on the way – as well as a fix for the bugs being exploited by cheaters...

Above: Hiding inside a wall and shooting passersby? You best believe that's a paddlin'

Article continues below
You may like
  • Black ops 7 season 1 Call of Duty is cracking down on cheaters ahead of season 2 with "major" anti-cheat measures for ranked play
  • Arc Raiders Shared Watch event update. Arc Raiders devs insist they aren't too soft on cheaters, "stepping up enforcement" with perma-bans for "serious" breaks
  • A woman in a space helmet stares at something off the screen in Arc Raiders Arc Raiders squeezes cheaters a little harder, blocking Steam Family Sharing workarounds to stop players evading bans

“Any attempt to cheat, hack, or glitch in MW3 will not be tolerated,” tweeted Infinity Ward's creative strategist, Robert Bowling, recently: “1600+ bans issued. Updates in works. Please continue to report offenders.” “Updates” refers to clipping issues exploited by camp-happy cheaters over recent days, leading to mass bans on PC; lag issues are also being addressed in an upcoming patch, alongside daily hotfixes.

“Every ban [is] unique to the level of douchiness of the offense,” explained Bowling when asked to rationalize his team's enthusiastic embrace of the banhammer: “The greater the douche the greater the length. PermaDouche possible.” Treyarch wasn't shy about issuing permanent bans for the worst Black Ops malfeasances, with cheating so rife that Activision reportedly considered shutting down the game's PSN servers; it remains to be seen how many MW3 PermaDouches will be ousted by Infinity Ward. Legal, low-level douchiness, however – well, that's just gravy (thank God).

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
TOPICS
Activision Infinity Ward
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming PlayStation Xbox Platforms
PRODUCTS
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Tom Goulter
Read more
Black ops 7 season 1
Call of Duty Call of Duty is cracking down on cheaters ahead of season 2 with "major" anti-cheat measures for ranked play
 
 
Arc Raiders Shared Watch event update.
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders devs insist they aren't too soft on cheaters, "stepping up enforcement" with perma-bans for "serious" breaks
 
 
A woman in a space helmet stares at something off the screen in Arc Raiders
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders squeezes cheaters a little harder, blocking Steam Family Sharing workarounds to stop players evading bans
 
 
Arc Raiders cover art with three raiders
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders boss can tell anti-cheat efforts are working since there's "an influx of people trying to get to the studio"
 
 
Multi-colored digital man stares at the camera
Third Person Shooters Marathon looks miles ahead of Arc Raiders in one key area: "Anyone found to be cheating will be permabanned"
 
 
Marathon Thief shell using grappling device
FPS Games As Marathon faces cheating issues Destiny 2 fans know all too well, Bungie promises anti-cheat improvements
 
 
Latest in Call of Duty
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Action Movies After 11 years in limbo, the live-action Call of Duty movie finally has a release date
 
 
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Call of Duty Activision shuts down popular Call of Duty leaker, rubs salt in the wound by saying they weren't always right anyway
 
 
Black ops 7 season 1
Call of Duty Call of Duty is cracking down on cheaters ahead of season 2 with "major" anti-cheat measures for ranked play
 
 
Black ops 7 Astra Malorum zombies easter egg
Call of Duty How to complete the Black Ops 7 Astra Malorum zombies easter egg
 
 
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Call of Duty Ex-Microsoft exec "rooting" for Activision "to come back with vengeance" after changes to CoD's release strategy
 
 
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Call of Duty Activision says Call of Duty will no longer get back-to-back Modern Warfare or Black Ops releases
 
 
Latest in News
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Animated Movies Leaked copies of The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender are being so widely viewed that it's currently in Letterboxd's popular this week list
 
 
Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) in The Boys season 5
Superhero Shows The Boys fans are not happy with season 5's latest 'filler' episode
 
 
Baby Yoda and some Anzellans in The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer
Star Wars Movies Baby Yoda gets eaten in new Mandalorian and Grogu TV spot
 
 
Noah Centineo as Ken in Street Fighter
Action Movies Street Fighter cast tease movie's Easter eggs, as they say there's "a hundred" for game fans to spot
 
 
Ghost of Yotei lead Atsu in straw hat
Games Releasing PlayStation games day one on PC isn't "a good strategy" for its AAA titles, former Sony head says
 
 
Karl Urban as Johnny Cage is ready to fight in the Mortal Kombat 2 trailer
Action Movies Mortal Kombat 2 set to double the opening weekend of the first movie at the box office
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame
    1
    Iron Man director admits he was "wrong" about not wanting Tony Stark to die in Avengers: Endgame
  2. 2
    Mass Effect 5 hasn't been shown off more because BioWare is "just busy workin'" on the RPG
  3. 3
    Vampire Survivors dev working on 15 projects, not 15 games, after the hit roguelike reaches 27 million players
  4. 4
    Stranger Things: Tales From '85 boss says "more adventures" are on the cards, as he teases What If?-style future for the animated spin-off
  5. 5
    Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day finally shows the alien in new teaser, but it's more A.I. than E.T.

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...