Apex Legends has long struggled with cheaters, but the problem is now reaching a breaking point. New Leaks have exposed massive bot farms, rampant account selling, and even credit card fraud—all tied to Apex’s black market economy.
Let’s break down the latest revelations, how they impact the game, and what EA and Respawn need to do to fix it.
Bot Farms Are Flooding Apex Legends with Cheaters
A recent leak from AG420 revealed AFK bot farms on Nintendo Switch, used to mass-produce level 20 accounts—the minimum requirement for ranked play. These accounts are then sold to cheaters and boosters, making it easier for them to bypass bans and continue exploiting the game.
Apex insider Yoru confirmed that this isn’t just about boosting—many of these accounts are tied to fraudulent credit card transactions, which results in millions in lost revenue for EA.
How the Cheat Account Market Works
The process is simple but effective:
- Bots farm XP until they reach level 20.
- Accounts are sold on illegal websites for as little as $10-$20.
- Cheaters use the accounts to hack in ranked matches.
- When banned, they simply buy another account and repeat the process.
This has devastating effects on Apex Legends:
- Ranked matches are filled with cheaters, making climbing the ladderfrustrating for legitimate players.
- Ban waves are ineffective since cheaters can instantly buy a new pre-leveled account.
- Casual players encounter “smurfs”, ruining the experience for new players.
Apex Legends’ Credit Card Fraud Problem
According to Yoru, some of these bot accounts are being used for fraudulent transactions, which leads to:
- Gifting abuse – Stolen credit card info is used to buy in-game items and gift them to main accounts.
- Chargeback fraud – Transactions are disputed after accounts are sold, causing EA to lose revenue.
- Fake currency sales – Some of these accounts are linked to shady in-game currency resellers.
Yoru estimates that this fraud costs EA over 20% of potential revenue—a staggering number for a game with a multi-million-dollar microtransaction system.
EA and Respawn’s Response: Too Little, Too Late?
So far, Respawn’s main solution has been banning Apex Legends on Linux, as many cheat programs run best on that system. While this has reduced the number of cheaters, it hasn’t stopped the underlying problem—cheap, easily available accounts flooding the game.
Players are calling for a higher ranked entry requirement, such as increasing the minimum level from 20 to 50. This could make it harder for bot farms to create and sell new accounts so quickly.
However, until Respawn directly addresses the account black market, cheating will remain a major issue.
What Can Be Done to Fix Apex’s Cheating Problem?
Respawn and EA need to take drastic action to prevent this from continuing:
- Raise the ranked entry level to 50+ to slow down bot farms.
- Improve account verification to prevent mass account creation.
- Stronger anti-cheat measures to detect and ban cheaters faster.
- Monitor suspicious account sales and crack down on third-party resellers.
- Investigate fraudulent content creators allegedly involved in this scam.
Apex Legends Community Calls for Action
With the cheating crisis escalating, players are demanding Respawn take immediate action. Whether it’s raising ranked entry levels or implementing stronger security, it’s clear that Apex Legends needs urgent reform before the problem spirals even further out of control.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cheating in Apex Legends
Why is cheating such a big problem in Apex Legends?
Apex Legends suffers from rampant cheating due to bot farms that mass-produce level 20 accounts for hackers. These accounts are sold cheaply, making it easy for banned players to return.
How do bot farms work in Apex Legends?
Bot farms use automated setups to level up accounts to rank eligibility. These accounts are then sold to cheaters and boosters who use them until they are banned.
What is the connection between Apex Legends and credit card fraud?
Some bot accounts are used for fraudulent transactions, such as gifting in-game items bought with stolen credit cards. This results in financial losses for EA.
How can Respawn stop cheating in Apex Legends?
Raising the ranked entry level, improving anti-cheat measures, and cracking down on fraudulent transactions could help reduce cheating and account fraud.
Why did Apex Legends ban Linux players?
Respawn banned Apex Legends on Linux because many cheat programs run best on that system. This move reduced some cheating but did not fix the underlying issue of account farming.
Will Respawn increase the ranked level requirement?
There is community pressure to raise the ranked level requirement from 20 to 50 to slow down bot farms. However, Respawn has not officially confirmed any plans to do so.
