Mods, short for modifications, are exactly what they sound like—changes or additions to a game that change its art style, improve its interface, or, on the darker side of the spectrum, let you essentially “break” the game and cheat your way to victory. While games like The Sims and Stardew Valley actively encourage mods (within the realm of reason), some games take an opposite stance on them.
In these games, even thinking about installing a mod might get you banned forever. Why, you ask? Because in certain games mods create an unfair and exploitative environment. So, for those who are mod-happy, there’s no question why they would rather have fun with over +100 free virtual games elsewhere.
You’ll likely notice that most of these titles are multiplayer shooters because competitive fairness is a big part of them. As shooting games rely on player skill and often have a prominent place in esports, cheating becomes obvious and has a heavier impact on the outcome. However, there are also other genres, like MMORPGs, sports games, and survival games, that take mod banning seriously. Don’t want to risk a ban? Let’s take a look at the strictest games with the toughest rules on mods.
Call of Duty
Call of Duty (COD) doesn’t just have a reputation as one of the best multiplayer shooters of the century but also as one of the strictest games when it comes to mods. With such a status to uphold and millions of players online every day, developer Activision makes it its duty to prevent cheating, remove hooligans from the game, and hand out bans like it’s nobody’s business. COD has been prone to players employing aimbots (automatic aiming), wallhacks (shooting otherwise undetectable players through walls), and other unjust modifications, but Activision’s robust anti-cheat systems keep them at bay. Get caught using a mod, and you can say goodbye to participating in the entire COD franchise. Ouch.
Fortnite
The battle royale genre effectively took over the world thanks to Fortnite. And as a pioneer of this multiplayer mode, Epic Games knows that the game needs to stay fair and fun. The developers have implemented a rule that every player who plays Fortnite needs to install what’s called “Easy Anti-Cheat”—software that stops any hacking or cheating, which means a practically impossible environment for mod enthusiasts or exploiters. This zero tolerance means real consequences: in the best-case scenario, a temporary suspension; in the worst-case scenario, a complete loss of skins and progress that players work so hard to achieve.
Old School RuneScape
While Old School RuneScape (OSRS) has combat within the game, it’s nothing like the shooters we’ve covered so far. OSRS is an MMORPG where players go on quests, level up their skills, and interact with players in a medieval world. Since its inception in 2001, it has garnered an avid fan base with around 1.6 million active daily players. But with its “grindy” nature and player-driven economy, Jagex needs to preserve the player experience. OSRS has a strict anti-bot and anti-mod system, with instant detection tools and player reporting features to keep it running smoothly. Mods like bots that skill train or mine resources are immediately taken note of, and the player becomes permabanned from the game, with their account wiped out of existence.
Rainbow Six Siege
Much like COD, Rainbow Six Siege is beloved for its reputation in the gaming industry, as well as its incredible competitive multiplayer scene. With gamers ranking from casuals to pros, it’s clear that the game needs to uphold its gaming environment with anti-cheat and anti-mod systems. In a similar fashion, developers have entirely banned things like recoil reduction and aimbots with strong anti-cheat measures that actively monitor gameplay in real time. But while COD is certainly more run-and-gun, there’s a tactical component to Siege that emphasizes map knowledge and tactics, which raises the stakes of cheating even further. Ubisoft takes bans seriously, with waves of accounts being banned at once. These measures are underscored and highlighted so players don’t make the same mistakes.
EA Sports FC (Ultimate Team)
One of the most popular games on Steam, EA Sports FC has always taken multiplayer gameplay exploitation very seriously (even before its rebranding). As it is the most popular soccer simulator in the entire world, any mods and cheats completely disrupt the essence of competitive play. After all, it’s a reflection of real-life sports, where any form of cheating would get you banned from the pitch for life. This is especially emphasized in the Ultimate Team mode, where players can put together their own custom soccer teams using the player cards they’ve received in the game. Players might attempt to gain an advantage by farming in-game currency and earning the players they want, duplicating cards, and, ultimately, building an unreal team with tons of 99-rated players.
Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals is a 2024 team-based PVP shooter based on the Marvel Universe that has recently enacted an official ban on mods. As a team-based, competitive online shooter, it was certainly bound to happen—especially because players had started to disrupt the player experience with inappropriate anime-themed skins and political mods. Politics and NSFW content? A recipe for disaster. Developers, however, decided to implement a complete ban on mods because of the potential for legal issues and cheating. Despite this ban, players have continued to bypass these safety measures, indicating that this young game has a long way to go compared to seasoned mod-banning titles like COD.
