Rockstar Games' popular online multiplayer platform has been hit by a series of Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks.
The virtual criminal-laden streets of Los Santos fell silent for a couple of hours as Grand Theft Auto Online experienced (and continues to experience) intermittent server outages, leaving millions of players unable to access the game. The reason? Hackers who definitely weren't fans of Rockstar's latest update.
Reports of server issues began flooding social media platforms early this morning, with players encountering error messages like "Rockstar Games online services are unavailable right now" as well as "files required to play GTA Online could not be downloaded." As frustration mounted, it became clear that this was no ordinary technical glitch but a coordinated assault on the game's infrastructure.
According to MMI on X, the groups behind the attacks are the modders and cheat developers (or, at the very least, associated with them), furious at Rockstar and its recent implementation of the BattlEye anti-cheat system. This security measure, designed to combat the rampant cheating that has plagued GTA Online for years, has affected the livelihood of those profiting from selling cheat menus and mods.
Rockstar meant for the BattlEye system to level the playing field and improve the overall gaming experience for legitimate players. However, the very individuals it was meant to deter are now retaliating.
The severity of the attacks highlights the deep-rooted issues that have long plagued GTA Online's PC version. For over a decade, modders and cheaters have exploited vulnerabilities in the game's code, creating an ecosystem of paid cheat menus and game-breaking mods. Rockstar's previous attempts to address these issues may feel like a case of too little, too late, with the introduction of BattlEye akin to an attempt to regain control ahead of the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 on the PC, which may not take as long as expected.
Nevertheless, legitimate players now find themselves unable to enjoy the game they love and increasingly frustrated with Rockstar's handling of the situation. As the outage continues, it's only fair to question the effectiveness of BattlEye as an anti-cheat solution. While it does work to some extent, BattlEye is relatively easy to bypass, which may have emboldened the attackers. Because of this, Rockstar may consider a more comprehensive anti-cheat measure in the future to address the problem.
As of now, Rockstar Games has yet to release an official statement regarding the ongoing attacks. In the meantime, players are advised to monitor official channels for updates on server status and potential workarounds. Using a VPN or clearing cache files may help reconnect to the servers once they begin to stabilize, though these methods remain unconfirmed.
Rockstar is currently working on an unconfirmed PC port of Grand Theft Auto 5: Expanded and Enhanced, potentially confirming that support for the PS4 and Xbox One members is nearing its end.
