Thirteen Overwatch hackers and match-fixers were arrested in January by the South Korean government, which has begun doling out punishments for the lot.
One of those arrested has been sentenced to two years of probation—he’ll only see jail time should he violate probation. It’s the first “official ruling” against the 13 suspects. Another suspect was been fined 10 million won, just under $10,000, in January, according to a translation of an announcement from Blizzard.
Related: Thirteen arrested in South Korean Overwatch hacking investigation
Eleven more cases are currently under investigation by the South Korean prosecutor’s office.
Blizzard has been working with the Seoul National Police Agency Cyber Security Department to catch illegal program developers in South Korea. The suspects in question have allegedly violated the Game Industry Promotion Law and Information and Communication Technology Protection Law.
A June 2017 amendment to the law brought forth harsher punishments for people caught boosting or hacking in games. The maximum punishment for those involved is two years in jail and a $18,000 fine.
Blizzard continues to struggle with hackers and boosters in South Korea, where gaming cafe rules once made it hard to track accounts. In February 2017, the developer changed the way the game is accessed in cafes as a way to curb cheating. The problem is still prevalent worldwide, but Blizzard is fighting back hard in South Korea and in the United States.
Multiple players in the Overwatch League—Blizzard’s elite, global tournament series—have been punished for boosting. A Dallas Fuel player, Son “OGE” Min-seok, was suspended for four games for boosting, while Philadelphia Fusion tank Kim “Sado” Su-min is currently under a 30-game suspension for more serious allegations of boosting.
