Cheats, Exploits, and Third-Party Tools in Gaming

Welcome back to the Fateless Podcast, where we explore the most pressing topics in gaming, game design, and the development of Godforge! This week’s episode, hosted by Brad, dives into the controversial world of cheats, exploits, and third-party tools. He’s joined by Juho and Dirk, two members of the Fateless team, for an insightful discussion on where to draw the line between fair play and outright cheating.

Let’s break down the key topics covered in this lively debate, including recent exploits in Watcher of Realms, notorious Raid: Shadow Legends bugs, and the ever-present question of third-party software in mobile gaming.

Juho kicks off the discussion by highlighting a recent Watcher of Realms exploit where players discovered a way to obtain massive in-game rewards—amounting to around $150 worth of resources. In response, the developers took drastic action, removing 30,000 gems from the accounts of those who used the exploit.

The Debate: Was this response fair?

• Juho explains that some players feel the punishment was justified since using an exploit is clearly against the spirit of the game.
• Others argue that the developers should take responsibility for allowing such a loophole to exist in the first place.

Brad and the team reflect on similar historical exploits in gaming, including the infamous Seer bug in Raid: Shadow Legends, where players could one-shot Spider 20, giving them an unfair gear advantage over others.

The discussion then shifts to how different gaming companies handle exploits.

• Dirk brings up Super Smash Bros. Melee, where techniques like wave dashing—originally unintended by developers—became accepted mechanics in high-level play.
• On the flip side, some exploits clearly break games, like an Age of Empires 4 bug that gives a civilization infinite gold, making multiplayer balance impossible.

Key Takeaway: Not all exploits are equal. Some add depth to a game, while others completely ruin fair competition. The challenge for developers is knowing which ones to patch out and which to embrace as features.

One of the biggest hot-button topics was the role of third-party tools in gaming, especially for mobile RPGs like Raid: Shadow Legends and the upcoming Godforge.

• Juho’s stance: If a tool makes decisions for you—such as selecting the best PvP targets—it crosses the line into cheating.
• Brad agrees, noting that while auto-clickers that replay dungeons are fine, tools that optimize gameplay and decision-making blur ethical boundaries.

Dirk brings up a great point: Games like World of Warcraft have embraced UI customization, showing that sometimes quality-of-life improvements should be built into the game itself rather than left to third-party developers.

Naturally, this led to the big question:

Will Fateless Games allow third-party tools like the HellHades Optimizer in Godforge?

• Juho clarifies that while nothing is officially confirmed, the team is listening to player feedback.
• The goal is to minimize the need for external tools by providing robust quality-of-life features in-game.

One final spicy topic: should buying and selling accounts be allowed?

• Dirk shares a personal story about nearly selling his League of Legends account when he was low on cash, sympathizing with players who want to recoup their investment.
• However, Brad points out a major issue—account sales are often tied to botting operations, making it a slippery slope.
• Juho agrees, highlighting that allowing account sales would make customer support a nightmare, with people trying to reclaim accounts they sold or got scammed on.

This podcast episode raised a ton of thought-provoking questions about gaming ethics.

• Should players be punished for exploiting bugs, or is it the developer’s responsibility?
• Are third-party tools improving quality of life, or are they just a legal form of cheating?
• Should players be allowed to sell their accounts, or does that open the floodgates for botting and fraud?

The Fateless team is listening, and they want your feedback!