Study: Sellers of gaming cheats in North America and Europe earn up to $73.2 million a year
The annual turnover of the game cheats market is measured in tens of millions of dollars, reports Wired, citing data from researchers at the University of Birmingham. The researchers estimated that in North America and Europe alone, revenue from cheat sales could range from $12.8 million to $73.2 million annually.
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They came to this conclusion after analyzing 80 websites that sell cheats in these regions.
The large discrepancy in figures is partly explained by the fact that cheat prices vary significantly: they range from $6.63 to $254.28. Additionally, many sites offer subscription plans for a month, 90 days, or other durations in addition to one-time purchases.
According to the researchers, each month about 30,000 to 174,000 individuals purchase cheats from the sites they studied. A significant number of cheaters also buy software on Discord and forums. Many people use free cheats as well, so the overall size of the cheating community is likely more than substantial.