Hackers gave pro players cheats during EA’s North American Finals of Apex Legends

Respawn, the EA-owned studio behind Apex Legends has postponed the North American Finals tournament after hackers broke into matches and equipped players with cheats. The developer posted to X, formerly Twitter, that the delay has been caused due to the “competitive integrity of the series being compromised.” Footage of the hacks, available available on Twitch, gave players the ability to see their opponent’s location while notable player ImperialHal was handed an aimbot which artificially improves their aim while playing.

Cheating has been a continual issue for EA — and one that players claim the company is doing little to mitigate. Frustrated posts on EA’s general discussion page include statements like “If EA gonna ban all the cheaters it wouldn’t be enough players to play the game,” and “The real issue lies in the process of banning/suspending players.” Other grievances include a focus on profits over experience, such as bumping up the price of skins.

Furthermore, EA laid off five percent of its workforce — about 650 people — at the end of February. Respawn’s in-progress Star Wars first-person shooter game was canceled alongside the terminations. At the time CEO Andrew Wilson told employees that EA was “streamlining our company operations to deliver deeper, more connected experiences for fans everywhere.”

A new time for the North American Finals of Apex Legends hasn’t been announced, but the X post stated that it would “share more information soon.” In the meantime, EA and Respawn have to determine how to block the hacker’s current access and how to reopen qualifications without risking further hacks.