Blockchain for Online Video Game Integrity
Philip Salire · 2023
With the growing level competition in video games, especially with regards to competitively played video games known as ”e-sports,” many players are searching for methods of gaining competitive advantages. As such, there is growing demand in software exploits of video games that aim to provide players unfair competitive advantages. Colloquially, these software exlpoits are referred to as “cheats” or “hacks.” Video game developers counteract these exploits by implementing “anti-cheat” technologies. Anti-cheats employ a myriad of complex methods across software, network, and hardware to detect and prevent cheats. They can be implemented both client-side and server-side with current research and implementations relying heavily client-side. This is an issue, however, as client-side implementations are open to inspection and alteration by malicious users looking to bypass the anti-cheat, who often succeed. Integrity of players’ actions in online video games cannot be fully maintained with current client-side anti-cheat technologies. Blockchain, however, by design can ensure that integrity is maintained across an entire network. This project explores using blockchain as the core of a server-side anti cheat implementation. With this method, each player is a member of the anti-cheat blockchain, ensuring integrity of player actions by validating player actions upon consensus.