PunkBuster

PunkBuster: Anti-Cheat Software for Fair Online Multiplayer

Detects and prevents cheating in online multiplayer games, ensuring a fair gameplay environment by kicking or banning prohibited software users.

What is PunkBuster?

PunkBuster is an anti-cheat and anti-tamper software created in 2000 by Even Balance Inc. It is designed to detect, report, and prevent cheating in online multiplayer games. The software works by scanning a player's system memory, files, and network traffic for known cheats, hacks, keybinds, scripts, and other unauthorized third-party software.

When PunkBuster detects a cheat on a player's system, it will automatically kick or ban the player from the game server to maintain fair gameplay for other users. It aims to foster positive online gaming communities by minimizing exploits, aimbots, wallhacks, modded game files, and other dishonest competitive advantages.

PunkBuster must be actively integrated by game developers into their multiplayer titles. Once enabled, it runs passively in the background scanning players while they are connected to protected game servers. The software checks for both known and potential new threats by comparing suspicious software behavior and signatures against an extensive catalog of cheats in its frequently updated database.

Overall, PunkBuster provides an additional layer of security for multiplayer game integrity. By quickly indentifying and booting cheating players in real-time, it allows legitimate players to compete on a more equal footing without unfair exploits impacting the experience. The service is designed to be robust yet lightweight so as not to affect game performance.

PunkBuster Features

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