In a recent development, Chinese authorities have shut down VALO2ASIA, a Chinese provider of Artificial Intelligence (AI) cheating services for VALORANT esports. VALO2ASIA was reportedly providing external information and processing services for the VALORANT game, causing an unfair advantage to its users.
The closure of VALO2ASIA was announced by Chinese state-run media Xinhua on Thursday. According to the news report, the company was shut down for allegedly providing cheating services that provided users with an artificial competitive edge in gaming. The Xinhua report further mentions that authorities confiscated computers and data as evidence, and noted that the company had “suspected involvement in cybercrime, infringing on rights of others in the process.”
VALORANT, which is developed by Riot Games, is a fast-growing esports game in the competitive gaming space. Riot Games recently announced that it had taken over 1.3 million matches for cheating conducting via cheating services, such as those provided by VALO2ASIA, since the launch of the game in 2020. In response to the shutdown of VALO2ASIA, Riot Games stated, “We welcome governments around the world to take a stand against cheating.”
The closure of VALO2ASIA is part of a larger Chinese effort to address cheating in the gaming industry. In April, the Chinese economic and information technology authorities announced the opening of an investigation into an online gaming industry, warning of possible “severe penalties” if the companies were found to be engaging in unfair game-related activities.
The closure of VALO2ASIA is yet another example of governments cracking down on the abuse of technology and gaming for illegal activities. This occurrence can serve as an effective warning to other services or entities providing such illegal services.
