Bungie treated cheating as a launch priority. The February Server Slam doubled as an anti-cheat stress test. Five months later, cheaters still show up — so how does the system work?
Three layers
Kernel client protection
Catches known signatures and memory tampering. Public free cheats die here within days.
Server behavior analysis
Tracks impossible aim, loot paths, and stat outliers. Ban waves come in batches so devs cannot easily reverse-engineer triggers.
Player reports
Feeds the behavior pipeline. Update 1.1.5 added voice moderation too.
Image credit: IGN
What slips through
Private builds with small user pools are harder to fingerprint. External ESP and DMA setups sit outside what kernel drivers see easily. That is why undetected Marathon cheats remain a market — not an endorsement, just reality in extraction shooters.
Protect yourself
Assume someone in every lobby has information you do not. Our ESP explainer shows what wall vision actually reveals so you can position smarter.
