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GTA Online Cheaters' Accounts Reset For Using Money Exploit

A recent GTA Online ban wave punished cheaters with a character reset after they exploited a glitch to get free money.

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Rockstar recently meted out punishment to cheaters who took advantage of a well-known glitch in GTA Online, and as a result, some players of Grand Theft Auto V's online mode are deeply unhappy. The loophole in question is known as the "apartment garage glitch," and it allowed players to amass in-game fortunes after they purchased properties and navigated through a specific set of menu options. Doing so would allow a property to be sold for far more than its purchase price.

In late August, Rockstar reset a number of accounts that exploited the glitch. Though not a ban, an account reset means that all players affected not only lose all their money, but also vehicles purchased and levels achieved. Players with reset accounts will need to start from scratch, and it can be a significant time investment to regain lost progress.

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Considering that GTA$ and other resources can be purchased with real-world money, there's an argument to be made that it's unfair to punish players in this way for exploiting an in-game glitch.

In response to the news, players on Twitter have been sharing their grievances and thoughts. Some argued that Rockstar went too far by resetting accounts entirely instead of just wiping bank accounts. Others commented that players who took advantage of the glitch should've known a punishment was likely.

Rockstar addressed the account resets on a support page. "Players found to be manipulating and abusing Property trade-ins to gain GTA$ illegitimately have had affected characters reset," the company stated. "As part of our ongoing efforts to maintain a healthy game environment for all players, anyone found to be abusing exploits and cheats to illegitimately gain GTA$ and in-game items may be subject to penalties including cash balance adjustments, character resets, suspensions and up to permanent bans as appropriate."

GTA Online is currently in the middle of its Los Santos Summer Special. A new weekly GTA Online update recently went live and is doubling rewards for certain activities, with the added bonus of $250,000 in-game cash for winning your first match in the Diamond Adversary series.

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