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Playing Dirty: Research Reveals The Nationalities That Cheat The Most At Video Games

Published

5 years ago

May 14, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

UK gamers ranked 16th – more likely to cheat than their Aussie counterparts, but less likely to do so than players in the US
Russia, Italy and Israel are the top three countries that cheat at gaming the most
The US placed as the 11th worst cheaters, with Texas, California and Nevada residents revealed as the three most likely states to use a cheat code
Gamers in Iceland are the most likely to cheat at the Assassin’s Creed series, Turkey takes the crown for GTA, while UK gamers are the biggest culprits for Animal Crossing cheats

Many people use video game cheat codes to boost their chances of winning, but which nation is home to the world’s biggest cheaters? Uswitch did the research to find out, and it’s revealed Russia, Italy, Israel, Japan and Sweden are the top five countries where gamers cheat the most.

The World’s Biggest Gaming Cheaters

By analysing Google search volume data, Uswitch calculated how many people were actively seeking ‘cheat codes’, ‘cheats’ and cheat codes for specific games, in every country around the world, along with every state in the US.

The search volumes were then adjusted to account for each country’s population to create an index score, to make sure the data compared like for like. The results expose the top 20 countries most likely to cheat while playing video games.

The top 20 countries that cheat the most at video games (and the cheating index score):

Position	Country	Index ranking score
1	Russia	18.40
2	Italy	16.58
3	Israel	4.87
4	Japan	4.48
5	Sweden	4.03
6	Romania	3.13
7	Portugal	2.36
8	Turkey	2.34
9	Brazil	2.32
10	Denmark	2.28
11	United States	2.10
12	Ireland	2.00
13	Argentina	1.92
14	Poland	1.77
15	Croatia	1.52
16	United Kingdom	1.43
17	New Zealand	1.41
18	Canada	1.35
19	Australia	1.28
20	Bulgaria	1.13

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Half the countries in the top 20 are in Europe – Italy, Sweden, Romania, Portugal and Denmark all make the top 10, and gamers in the United Kingdom ranked as the 16th most notorious cheaters.

The US falls just outside of the top 10, in 11^th position. Close behind in 12^th is Ireland, Canada comes in in 18^th and Bulgaria rounds off the list in 20^th position.

From Minecraft to Mario Kart – Which countries cheat the most at different games?

The study also looked into more than 50 of the world’s most popular video games to discover which country cheated the most at each game. Interestingly, Iceland features a massive 18 times – being found to cheat the most for a wide array of games, from the stealthy Assassin’s Creed series to beloved titles like Super Mario.

Malta clocks up eight appearances for games including the classic Resident Evil and Tomb Raider franchises, along with Borderlands and Crash Bandicoot. Turkey, Germany and Ireland all have three mentions and the UK appears twice, coming in as the biggest cheaters at Animal Crossing and LEGO Marvel Superheroes.

The no.1 country that cheats the most at different video games (and their cheating index score):

Game	Country	Index ranking score
Animal Crossing	United Kingdom	0.35
Ark	Turkey	0.37
Assassin’s Creed	Iceland	0.15
Battlefield	Iceland	0.09
Bioshock	Iceland	0.15
Borderlands	Malta	0.05
Call of Duty	Belize	0.28
Crash Bandicoot	Malta	0.27
Crysis	Iceland	0.21
Death Stranding	Slovenia	0.03
Doom	Iceland	0.50
Fable	New Zealand	0.04
Fallout 4	Germany	0.66
Far Cry	Malta	0.18
Final Fantasy	Indonesia	0.31
Fortnite	Germany	0.46
Forza	New Zealand	0.03
Ghost of Tsushima	Italy	0.03
Gran Turismo	Indonesia	4.77
Grand Theft Auto	Turkey	2.74
LEGO Marvel Superheroes	United Kingdom	0.44
LEGO Star Wars	Iceland	0.26
Little Big Planet	Ireland	0.01
Mafia	Czech Republic (Czechia)	0.29
Mario Kart	Barbados	0.10
Metal Gear Solid	Iceland	0.12
Minecraft	Turkey	5.40
Mortal Kombat	Indonesia	0.28
NBA 2K	Iceland	0.29
Need for Speed	Iceland	0.18
No Man’s Sky	Iceland	0.15
Pokémon	Barbados	0.70
RDR2	Ireland	1.19
Red Dead Redemption	Iceland	0.50
Resident Evil	Malta	0.07
Rocket League	Iceland	0.29
The Sims	Netherlands	2.12
Skate 3	New Zealand	0.43
Skyrim	Germany	1.15
Sonic The Hedgehog	Ireland	0.03
Spider-Man	Iceland	0.12
Spyro	Malta	0.29
Starcraft	Iceland	0.44
Super Mario	Iceland	0.26
Tekken	Malta	0.04
The Last of Us	Iceland	0.18
The Witcher	Malta	0.07
Tomb Raider	Malta	0.09
Tony Hawks	New Zealand	0.02
Uncharted	Iceland	0.12
Warcraft	Iceland	0.26

Which US states cheat the most at video games?

According to the study, gamers in Texas are more likely to cheat than any other US state, and California, Nevada, Georgia and New Mexico make up the rest of the top five.

When looking at the specific index scores of each US state – although none are as high as Russia’s or Italy’s in the worldwide list – Texas’ score of 2.6 is roughly around the same level as Portugal, which made it to 7^th place in the global analysis.

The top 10 US states that cheat the most at video games (and the cheating index score):

Position	US State	Index ranking score
1	Texas	2.60
2	California	2.25
3	Nevada	2.19
4	Georgia	2.12
5	New Mexico	2.06
6	Hawaii	2.03
7	North Carolina	2.02
8	New York	1.90
9	Maryland	1.88
10	Tennessee	1.81

To see the full research, including the top 50 countries that cheat at video games the most, visit: https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/worlds-biggest-gaming-cheaters/

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

8 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-names-faker-game-ambassador-for-ewc-and-enc-through-2028

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

15 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-signs-as-middlesbrough-fc-principal-partner-for-2026/27-season

Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

15 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

thrilltech-secures-agco-supplier-licence-for-ontario-launch

ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.