A new study shows that video game cheating has surged by 97 percent in Canada.  The ways that they have been cheating have been using bots to gain an unfair advantage. The study shows that the problem has happened since the since the pandemic began.

The Cheating Countries study shows where in the world is really most likely to cheat when playing multiplayer games, based on search volume and trends.

The global analysis shows that Canadian players also often use hacks in Overwatch, and sit 43rd in the overall ranking of countries most likely to cheat.

The number of Canadian players using cheat codes has risen by 57.9 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, while hack use has increased by 41.9 percent.

 The use of bots to cheat in video games has seen a substantial 97.3 percent average increase across Canada between February and June, the new research reveals.

The research also found that Canadian gamers favour using hacks in Overwatch, have a high likelihood of using cheat codes while playing Minecraft, and are the fifth most likely country to use bots while playing any video games.

Searches for hacks and cheat codes have also risen by 41.9 percent and 57.9 percent respectively, with Apex Legends seeing the biggest surge of cheat code use across the country.

An analysis of which bots are most popular in each country reveals that Canada gamers use bots to boost finances far more than any other category, while they favour cheat codes to alter game terrain and improve invincibility.

Gamers in the Philippines are most likely to use cheat codes to gain combat skills, while Swedish and Norway players use bots for power-ups.

Top ten countries with the highest density of cheaters overall

1.           Brazil

2.           Georgia

3.           Iraq

4.           Pakistan

5.           Portugal

6.           Greece

7.           Bulgaria

8.           Algeria

9.           Romania

10.         Azerbaijan

The study also found that Iceland, Panama and Costa Rica claim the lowest density of cheaters, making gamers from these locations more likely to be honest about their abilities when playing against others online.

You can see the report here.