South Korean law treats online cheaters seriously, as shown by the recent sentencing of a 28-year-old Overwatch hacker. The hacker has been sentenced to a year in prison and two years probation for creating the program, which reportedly earned them 200 million won – or roughly $180,000 USD.
The ‘Game Industry Promotion Law and Information and Communication Technology Protection Law,’ as its wordy title suggests, offers games legal protection against hackers and cheaters. This sentence, rendered earlier today in the Icheon District Court, is one of the harsher punishments handed down so far under the law, with actual jail time.
Don’t go to South Korean jail – please enjoy the best multiplayer games on PC responsibly, without cheating.
The news comes from South Korean outlet SBS News, and was helpfully brought to English-speaking attention by Dot Esports. The latter notes that two other Overwatch hackers were been sentenced earlier this year for violations of the same law, with one receiving two years probation and the other being fined 10 million won, or roughly $10,000 USD.
The harsher punishment levied in today’s sentence is reportedly due to the profits generated by the hack over a long period of time – though the exact nature of the program hasn’t been disclosed.
South Korea instituted anti-hack laws back in 2016, with punishments aimed at those who create programs in violation of a game’s Terms of Service. Those who create such programs are subject to up to five years in jail or roughly $43,000 USD in fines. Please, familiarize yourself with the best Overwatch characters and how to use them – trust me, you don’t want to go to prison for making hacks.