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GTA 5 and RDR2 suffer apparent DDOS attacks after anti-cheat backlash

Rockstar's addition of anti-cheat software to Grand Theft Auto 5 has seemingly resulted in DDOS attacks affecting GTA Online and Red Dead 2.

Michael, Trevor, and Franklin in GTA V

GTA Online and Red Dead Online have suffered server outages seemingly as a result of DDOS attacks following Rockstar’s implementation of BattlEye in GTA 5. While a promised reduction in cheaters online is something to be celebrated, the arrival of anti-cheat has brought its own fresh issues.

The update affected the PC version of the open-world game, and while some users have welcomed the move, others aren’t best pleased with its wider impact. In a seeming act of retaliation, Rockstar’s servers have been targed by what would appear to be DDOS attacks, resulting in outages for both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2’s online modes.

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CyberInsider flags that while Rockstar is working to combat the issue, many users are still reporting “sporadic outages” on their servers. There is currently no official timeline for when the situation will be resolved, and it is believed “those responsible for the attacks seem emboldened” and may plot further disruptions in the near future.

The situation has been covered extensively by @morsmutual_ on X, who suggested further attacks will occur “in the following days.” It is thought BotNet malware was implemented to scramble Rockstar’s servers, while BattlEye’s site was affected by “another attacker.”

DDOS data from the Rockstar attacks

One of the anti-cheat’s major downsides is its impact on Steam Deck users, who can no longer play the crime game epic’s online mode. The game is also now listed as ‘Unsupported’ on the Steam Deck, though as we explained last week, Steam Deck players can still experience the single-player portion.

For more on GTA, why not check out our list of the best GTA 5 mods, or dive into the best sandbox games for PC. Plus, here’s everything we know so far about the GTA 6 release date.

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