22 May
Bots in gaming aren’t new, but as artificial intelligence evolves, their role becomes more complex—and controversial. On a recent podcast, GGWP’s CTO George Ng offered a nuanced breakdown of how bots affect the gaming ecosystem: the good, the bad, and everything in between.
The Spectrum of Bots: More Than Just Cheaters
| Type of Bot | Description | Impact |
| Game-created Bots | Used to train or ease new players into gameplay. | Positive onboarding, controlled experience. |
| Player-created Utility Bots | Handle inventory, automation, or UI gaps. | Often benign or helpful; sometimes fill in game feature gaps. |
| Competitive/Cheat Bots | Aimbots, wallhacks, or AFK macros. | Create unfair advantages, toxic environments. |
| Economy-bending Bots | Used in MMOs for farming or grinding. | Undermines player effort, distorts economies. |
Why Bots Can Ruin the Game
George Ng emphasized that bots become a player experience issue more than a technical one. When players face cheaters or automation that gives others an edge, it leads to:
- Frustration and reduced player retention
- Increased toxicity in chat and social spaces
- Negative community sentiment and content (Reddit, YouTube, Twitch)
It’s a feedback loop: bot-induced frustration leads to toxicity, which then degrades the community atmosphere.
Detection vs. Deterrence: A Game of Resources
Detection is tough: It’s a resource-intensive cat-and-mouse game. Studios often weigh cost vs. benefit. For example:
| Factor | Indie Studio | AAA Publisher |
| Budget | Limited | High |
| Tools | Third-party anti-cheat | In-house detection + legal team |
| Data Collection | Sparse | Scalable + real-time |
| Legal Action | Rarely viable | Strategic lawsuits against cheat tool developers |
Success invites cheaters—so ironically, the more popular a game is, the more vulnerable it becomes.
Where’s the Line? Gray Areas in Bot Use
Some AI assistance is arguably helpful or benign:
- Auto-openers in card games
- Inventory managers in MMOs
- Auto-clickers in mobile games
These fall into gray zones. George argues the line should be drawn at impacting other players’ experiences. If the automation stays self-contained, it’s often more tolerable—even beneficial.
Conclusion
Bots aren’t inherently bad—but context matters. As George Ng put it, “If a bot is helping a player get into the game, great. If it’s ruining someone else’s experience, that’s a problem.” Studios need to think long-term: investing in detection, transparency, and—when necessary—deterrent legal action to protect player trust.
Want to listen to the whole podcast? Here’s the link to the full episode from Deconstructor of Fun.
