It’s not often that competitive tournaments generate rage, let alone from a player ranked 1 in their region. But that’s exactly what happened at the season openers of the Call of Duty Pro League. After the finals, a controversial exploit was brought to light, and the fallout was tremendous.
The exploit in question was an aim assist program that allowed players to better their aim while in game. This program was found to already be in use for several weeks before the season opener, but not until after the finals did it blow up in the public eye. As expected, the outcry from the gaming community was strong, with many feeling cheated and betrayed.
Unsurprisingly, the player ranked 1 in the region had a particularly scathing reaction. He vented his frustrations on his Twitter page, saying that while it’s not possible for competitive play to be free of cheaters, the magnitude of this particular exploit was unacceptable. He went on to express how unfair it was for his team to have to compete against players benefiting from such an unfair advantage.
The pro league has since released a statement saying that they are currently investigating the issue and taking steps to ensure it does not happen again. Multiplayer battles often feature players with stronger gaming skills than others, but the broad consensus is that such an explicitly unfair advantage should not be granted. With the full details of the exploit still hazy, the players effected by it continue to feel a sense of rage and outrage.
The pro league finals are always a showcase for top level competitive gaming, and having the event marred by aim-assist exploits only serves to undermine the effort that the best players put in. SJ Gaming Foundation, the tournament in question, has received a huge blow from this controversy, and players involved have many justifiable grievances. Moving forward, hopefully we’ll see SJ Gaming Foundation take steps to ensure that these kinds of events do not happen again.
