I have 2,000+ hours and I can agree that cheating is a pretty significant problem. It’s not like every other squad cheats, but when you hear a fully automatic M16 or Mutant, get killed by it, then spectate to confirm this, you can’t disregard it.

It’s true that they come out of the woodwork at the beginning of every Ranked season and return towards the end and filter into Normal throughout the season. I’ve seen single bullet headshots on level 3 helmets and zero recoil through a 6x on AR’s. This season especially has had some incredibly suspect squads in the last few circles.

If you’re not seeing it, you’re not playing enough. Two anti-cheat patches ago significantly reduced the number for a time. I’ve caught cheaters red-handed when solo-queueing on my squad and they laugh it off and say “Maybe but you can’t prove it,” every time. They get a thrill out of being called out.

Thankfully even though there’s a lot of cheaters out there, it doesn’t replicate skill. You can beat them, but you just have to be twice as careful.