Developer Battlefield Studios is taking a proactive stance against the growing problem of console cheating in Battlefield 6. In a new interview with PushSquare, Technical Director Christian Buhl confirmed the team is developing specific measures to combat hardware-based cheats like the Cronus Zen.
While a few titles, such as Call of Duty: Warzone, added console cheat detection after release, Battlefield 6 aims to have a robust system ready for launch.
What is a Cronus Zen?
For years, console gaming was seen as a relative safe haven from the widespread cheating on PC. In recent years, hardware devices like the Cronus Zen and XIM have become a major issue in the competitive console space despite their $100+ price tags. In the interview, Buhl noted it's "unfortunate" how popular these devices have become.So, what do these devices do?
- Controller Modding: A Cronus Zen is a small (and often expensive) USB device that plugs in between a console and a controller. It acts as a middle-man, intercepting and modifying controller inputs.
- Macro Scripts: It allows users to download and run complex scripts or macros. These macros automate in-game actions at a speed or with a precision that is not humanly possible.
- Common Cheats: These scripts provide significant unfair advantages, including:
- Automated Recoil Reduction: The script automatically pulls the controller stick down, making every weapon fire with perfect accuracy.
- Rapid-Fire Mods: This turns semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic powerhouses.
- Enhanced Aim Assist: The script can abuse the game's built-in aim assist, making it "stick" to targets more aggressively.
How Battlefield 6 Will Detect Cronus & Macros
Battlefield 6 is building its defense from the ground up. Buhl revealed that the Battlefield teams have been working with both Sony and Microsoft. With that aid, Buhl says that Battlefield Studios was able to create their "own level of macro detection."Buhl emphasized that they are "aware of the console cheater issue" and are "going to be taking cheating very, very seriously" to preserve "fair play and competitive integrity."
Here is the full exchange from the PushSquare interview regarding console cheating:
PushSquare: Cheating has become a big issue in the FPS multiplayer space. How are you combating that on consoles?
Christian Buhl: Yeah, it's unfortunate that cheating has become a problem within the console space, especially with Cronus Zen machines and everything. So we've partnered with PlayStation and both Microsoft in this regard to kind of do detection. We actually have our own level of macro detection and everything.
So if players are doing rapid with Javelin on the PC side. That's why we've enabled Secure Boot to help us combat the never-ending cheater problem. And we are aware of the console cheater issue, and we're going to be taking cheating very, very seriously here.
And we want to preserve as much of the fair play and competitive integrity that we can, because at the end of the day, we want to ensure that you're having a fair competitive space to play Battlefield in.
Christian Buhl: Yeah, it's unfortunate that cheating has become a problem within the console space, especially with Cronus Zen machines and everything. So we've partnered with PlayStation and both Microsoft in this regard to kind of do detection. We actually have our own level of macro detection and everything.
So if players are doing rapid with Javelin on the PC side. That's why we've enabled Secure Boot to help us combat the never-ending cheater problem. And we are aware of the console cheater issue, and we're going to be taking cheating very, very seriously here.
And we want to preserve as much of the fair play and competitive integrity that we can, because at the end of the day, we want to ensure that you're having a fair competitive space to play Battlefield in.
