Rainbow Six Siege creators Ubisoft recently kicked off the game’s eighth year. With this new season, the game studio has introduced a new anti-cheat system. The latest system claims to discourage Rainbow Six Siege players from using devices that combine controller input with the benefits of a mouse and keyboard setup on one console. In a blog post, the game maker revealed that players trying to cheat with third-party devices like XIM will soon notice higher input latency, which will cause problems with aiming.
What are these devices
Certain gamers use third-party devices like XIM, Cronus Zen and ReaSnow S1 in various online shooters, giving them the best of both worlds (controller and mouse-keyboard setups). These devices allow mouse and keyboard users to take advantage of controller features such as aim assist combined with the benefits of movement offered by the mouse and keyboard setup. In addition, the use of such devices is also steadily increasing in online shooter games such as Overwatch, Call of Duty, Destiny 2, Rainbow Six Siege and others.
How these devices affect other players
These devices help players abuse such advantages to win against players who participate ethically. Jan Stahlhacke, head of Rainbow Six Siege’s gameplay programming team, shared a video message for players on YouTube. Steelhoe said: “This is a problem that all console shooters have, especially the competitive ones. There is no really reliable solution for this yet, in fact the devices that use them are specifically designed to be undetectable.”
Rainbow Six Siege: Year 8 Season 1 Operation Commanding Force Reveal Panel
What is the mousetrap system?
Mousetrap is a system developed by Ubisoft that can detect such third-party devices on consoles. The game maker has also mentioned that it has been running this system quietly in the background for several seasons. Mousetrap also helped Ubisoft build a detection system and track the players using this third-party hardware.
Stahlhacke has claimed: “We know exactly which players are spoofing and when they are spoofing. We also know that spoofers are much more common in the highest ranks.”
How will Mousetrap cause problems for players with special hardware?
Ubisoft has confirmed that it will inflict additional latency on players using such devices to cause issues with their aim and movement with a mid-season update. Stahlhacke has stated that the problems caused by this system “start off really imperceptibly, but build up over several games and will definitely be noticeable”.
To eliminate the additional latency, players using such special hardware must unplug the device. The latency will automatically decrease after a few matches. However, these devices are also used by players with disabilities. Ubisoft has claimed to be aware of this situation and has also solicited feedback from players in the community who may be impacted by these changes.
