Rockstar and parent company Take-Two have taken further action against Grand Theft Auto cheaters, and they’ve gone as far as obtaining a court order to search the homes of five individuals allegedly responsible for the popular Infamous mod menu for GTA Online.
The order names two locations in Melbourne, Australia to be searched, and search parties are authorized to seek relevant evidence and copy or remove it from the premises. That includes computers, storage device, and documents related to the cheat.
Besides the search, assets have been frozen for the individuals named, limiting their access to funds beyond necessary living expenses. That applies to traditional assets as well as cryptocurrency and digital money stored via PayPal. They’re also prohibited from making any kind of cheat software.
The court order was issued by Australia’s Federal Court back in September, but was recently dug up by TorrentFreak. It’s far from the first time Take-Two has gone after cheat makers – a US judge essentially banned mod tools Menyoo and Absolute earlier this year. That follows up on action against Force Hax and OpenIV, and while the circumstances (and nefariousness) around each tool varies wildly, but it’s clear Take-Two isn’t happy with the continued existence of these programs.
Cheat tools for a multiplayer game like GTA Online offer a way to get big advantages over other players, and can ruin the game for a lot of people. If you want to look at it more cynically, they also offer a way to bypass in-game purchases and get the best items in the game without grinding or paying Take-Two and Rockstar for a boost. Vehicle cost estimates that it’d take over $4,500 to purchase everything, after all.
But if you’re thinking about trying to build a new cheat option, think twice. In Australia, at least, you might have someone carrying a government search order knocking at your door.