Summary

  • Destiny 2 player Cruz is banned by Bungie for using a cheat engine while playing another game, triggering an automatic ban in Destiny 2.
  • Although Cruz's ban has sparked controversy, Bungie is unlikely to lift it due to the potential precedent it would set for cheating in the game.
  • Bungie's decision to uphold Cruz's ban so far highlights how tricky the situation is, with the reasons behind the ban being controversial, but the potential of lifting it being very problematic.

A renowned Destiny 2 player named Cruz who has won a total of four World First Raid races has been banned permanently by Bungie following allegations of cheating. Destiny 2's World First races are some of the biggest events for the game thanks to their view count on streaming platforms, where fans gather to see several clans trying to become the first ever to beat a new Raid.

However, cheating has been a rampant problem in Destiny 2 over the years, especially when it comes to the competitive PvP side of it. There have been and still are many cheaters with impossible stats in game modes like Trials of Osiris, to the point that Bungie added an in-game anti-cheat detector to scan the users' machines for programs capable of altering Destiny 2 files in such ways. This is what happened to Cruz.

Destiny 2's Clan Elysium has won World First races back to back in the past, proving just how game-savvy all of its members are, including Cruz (@thetvCruz on Twitter). Based on Cruz's account of the events, he likes to play an old RTS game by himself (specifically, Total War: Shogun 2), for which he also uses a cheat engine to generate currency at the start of new games. The program, called ArtMoney, was flagged by Destiny 2's anti-cheat detector as Cruz accidentally opened the game while the software was running, triggering an automatic ban.

Cruz's ban in Destiny 2 was then reviewed by Bungie, as reported by the player with a screenshot of his appeal, but the company confirmed it after investigating the situation. ArtMoney is still considered a memory-editing and debugging software that is automatically marked as a cheat program, as stated by Bungie in the appeal response.

Will Cruz's Ban Be Lifted In Destiny 2?

As it stands, Bungie is caught between a rock and a hard place in Cruz's specific case. The four-time World First racer has been playing for 10 years, all the way back since the early Destiny days, and he now has a platform thanks to his achievements in Destiny 2. As such, his frustration has been shared and discussed a lot in the past few days, including vocal fellow players from Clan Elysium and other Destiny 2 content creators, making it a controversial topic online.

However, unbanning Cruz would create a problematic precedent due to how ArtMoney is correctly flagged as a cheat engine, even if it was used for a completely different game in this specific case. Manually unflagging this type of software would be dangerous for Destiny 2's PvP game modes and even every other area of the looter-shooter, as anyone could theoretically tamper with memory-editing by creating infinite Heavy Ammo, for example. Similarly, giving Cruz's case another pass and unbanning him would give anyone using similar software (even with the specific purpose of altering Destiny 2 data) grounds for an appeal.

No matter Cruz's dedication to Destiny 2's Raids and endgame content, his specific situation would create a lot of problems for Bungie even if his ban ended up being lifted. As such, the most plausible outcome is that Bungie will release a statement about this, highlighting how any cheat software will be flagged, and explaining that Cruz's ban cannot be lifted even in the face of his achievements and the fact that this was allegedly an accident.

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Destiny 2
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Released
August 28, 2017
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Dive into the world of Destiny 2 to explore the mysteries of the solar system and experience responsive first-person shooter combat. Unlock powerful elemental abilities and collect unique gear to customize your Guardian's look and playstyle. Enjoy Destiny 2’s cinematic story, challenging co-op missions, and a variety of PvP modes alone or with friends. Download for free today and write your legend in the stars.

An Immersive Story
You are a Guardian, defender of the Last City of humanity in a solar system under siege by infamous villains. Look to the stars and stand against the darkness. Your legend begins now.

Guardian Classes
Choose from the armored Titan, mystic Warlock, or swift Hunter.

ESRB
T For TEEN for Blood, Language, and Violence
Developer(s)
Bungie
Publisher(s)
Bungie
Engine
Tiger Engine
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Expansions
Destiny 2: Forsaken, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Destiny 2: Lightfall
Number of Players
1-6 (Co-Op)
Genre(s)
FPS
How Long To Beat
100+
Metascore
85
Platforms That Support Crossplay
PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
PS Plus Availability
Essential, Extra, & Premium (The Witch Queen)