Garena removes hackers and punishes 289 accounts for ranking fraud in Free Fire

Recent actions by Garena show almost 300,000 hackers banned, hundreds of channels removed, and 289 accounts taken off the ranking for irregularities.

By Ronny Rolim
May 22, 2026, at 7:27am — Updated 3 hours ago

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Measures against cheats in Free Fire have gained strength again this week. Posts released by Garena's official channels in Asian servers show a new round of punishments involving hackers, cheat distributors, and even players who allegedly manipulated the ranked system. The numbers are striking because they directly affect the experience of those who play competitive matches daily.

Among the officially released data are nearly 300,000 accounts banned for using hacks, over 600 channels related to cheat distribution removed, and 289 players excluded from ranked classifications after internal investigations. Although the announcements were published in specific regions, they show how the anti-cheat system Eclipse continues to be used to monitor behaviors deemed illegal or unfair within the game.

What happened this time in Free Fire?

Two official statements published by verified Free Fire accounts caught the community’s attention. The first was released by the official Indonesian account and provided an updated balance of the Eclipse system's activities. The second appeared on the official channels in Thailand and reported punishments related to the ranked classification system.

Together, the two publications help understand how Garena is acting on different fronts to reduce practices considered harmful to the competitive environment. Instead of focusing solely on illegal software, the announcements show that there is also monitoring of behaviors that can affect the integrity of matches.

The main highlight was the numbers disclosed in the Eclipse report, which indicate hundreds of thousands of punishments and actions against the dissemination of illegal tools.

Nearly 300,000 hackers have been banned

According to the material released by Free Fire's official Indonesian account, the Eclipse system recorded the removal of 299,175 accounts identified as using hacks or prohibited software.

The number represents one of the largest enforcement operations recently disclosed by the game's official channels and reinforces that the fight against cheats remains a priority for the developer.

Although the publication does not detail exactly which types of programs were detected, Free Fire's history shows that punishments typically involve tools such as:

• Aimbots;
• Wallhacks;
• APK modifications;
• Automated scripts;
• Manipulation of game files;
• External programs that alter match mechanics.

In recent years, Garena has invested in different automatic detection systems to identify abnormal behavior patterns within matches. In many cases, bans occur without prior notice when the system finds sufficient evidence of using prohibited tools.

Furthermore, the company typically applies permanent punishments in situations deemed severe, especially when there is evidence of using software developed specifically to gain competitive advantages.

More than 300,000 players received compensations

One of the most interesting pieces of data presented in the publication was not the number of bans, but the number of players who received some form of compensation after being affected by hackers.

According to the image officially released, 303,280 players were compensated because they had matches impacted by users later identified as offenders.

Garena did not detail exactly what the nature of these compensations was. However, similar systems present in other competitive games typically use mechanisms such as:

• Restoration of ranking points;
• Correction of match results;
• Reversal of unfair losses;
• Automatic adjustments in the ranking.

The disclosure of this number suggests that Eclipse does not only act by removing offenders. The system also seems to analyze the impact caused by certain accounts to minimize losses suffered by legitimate players.

This type of initiative is particularly relevant in ranked modes, where defeats caused by hacks can directly influence the progression of users' ranks.

612 channels related to hacks have been removed

Another piece of data released by Garena involves the fight against the dissemination of content related to cheats.

According to the official publication, 612 channels were removed for being associated with the promotion of hacks. The announcement specifically mentions popular platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.

This information shows that the fight against cheats is not restricted only to the internal environment of the game.

In recent years, various groups have started using social media to promote illegal programs, sell modification tools, or teach methods to bypass security systems. Often these contents reach thousands of views before being reported.

By informing the removal of hundreds of channels, Garena demonstrates that it is also seeking to reduce the exposure of this type of material, making it more difficult to distribute tools used for cheating.

Although the company has not released the list of affected channels, the action reinforces the warning that content offering hacks, unauthorized free diamonds, or game manipulation methods may result in consequences for their responsible parties.

New oversight also hit the Free Fire ranking

While Indonesia was disclosing the numbers related to Eclipse, the Thai official account published a different statement.

In this case, the focus was not on traditional hacks, but on behaviors considered inappropriate within the ranked system.

According to the publication, after internal investigations, 289 players involved in irregular activities related to the ranking were identified. As a result, these accounts were removed from the official classifications.

The announcement does not explicitly mention hacking programs or describe the methods used by offenders.

However, the message indicates that there were violations of the rules governing competitive disputes and that measures were adopted to preserve the integrity of the rankings.

What may have caused the punishment of these 289 accounts?

Garena did not provide specific details about each analyzed case. Therefore, any attempt to pinpoint an exact practice would be speculative.

Nevertheless, historically there have been some infractions that tend to be investigated in ranked systems of competitive games:

• Manipulation of results;
• Intentional throwing of matches;
• Account boosting;
• Coordinated swapping of wins;
• Use of secondary accounts to favor third parties;
• Exploitation of glitches that affect the ranking.

The official announcement makes it clear only that the players exhibited behavior considered inappropriate within the ranked environment and that, after verification, were removed from the ranking.

There is no indication of permanent bans in the released material, only the exclusion from competitive rankings at that moment.

Why does this matter for ranked players?

A large part of the community participates in competitive seasons with the aim of reaching higher ranks, improving personal statistics, or achieving standout positions.

When players use prohibited methods to climb the ranks, the competition ceases to reflect the actual performance of participants.

This generates several problems:

• Legitimate positions can be lost;
• Honest players face improperly favored opponents;
• Rankings stop representing real merit;
• The trust in the competitive system diminishes.

For this reason, oversight actions related to ranking usually receive special attention from the teams responsible for online games.

The fight against cheating goes beyond hackers

The two publications released this week show an important trend.

For a long time, the word "cheat" was almost exclusively associated with hacking programs. However, modern oversight systems have begun to consider other behaviors capable of compromising the competitive experience.

Today, many developers analyze not only illegal software but also behavioral patterns that may manipulate results, harm opponents, or create artificial advantages.

In the case of Free Fire, the announcements indicate exactly this expansion of monitoring scope.

While one report highlights nearly 300,000 bans for hacks, another shows punishments related specifically to the functioning of the ranking.

This demonstrates that competitive integrity depends on various factors and not just the removal of external programs.

What should players do to avoid problems?

Although most users will never face punishment, some good practices help reduce risks and keep the account in compliance with official rules.

• Use only the official version of Free Fire;
• Avoid modified APKs;
• Do not install programs that promise competitive advantages;
• Do not share accounts to rank up;
• Avoid artificial ranking manipulation methods;
• Be wary of offers involving hacks or scripts.

It is also important to remember that content shared on social media is not always safe. Many tools presented as "harmless" can end up resulting in permanent punishments or even digital security issues.

What has not yet been officially confirmed?

Despite the disclosed numbers, some details remain publicly unexplained.

Garena did not inform:

• Which specific types of hacks account for the 299,175 bans;
• How exactly the compensations granted to affected players work;
• Which criteria were used to remove the 289 users from the ranking;
• If there will be new rounds of punishment related to the same cases.

Therefore, any interpretation beyond the information present in the official announcements should be treated merely as a hypothesis.

Phrase that summarizes the situation

In May 2026, official publications from Free Fire revealed nearly 300,000 hackers banned, over 300,000 players compensated, and 289 accounts removed from the ranking after internal investigations.

What does this mean for the future of matches?

The actions disclosed this week show that oversight remains active in different areas of Free Fire. The fight against hacks continues to be a priority, but the announcements indicate that Garena is also monitoring behaviors capable of compromising the integrity of competitive rankings.

For players who participate daily in ranked modes, the main practical consequence is the attempt to make the environment more balanced and reduce advantages gained through irregular means.

Although no system can completely eliminate all forms of cheating, the periodic disclosure of these reports serves as an indication that investigations continue to take place and that new punishments may occur whenever violations of the official rules are identified.

Those who regularly compete in ranked modes should pay attention to the official rules and avoid any practices that could be interpreted as manipulation of the system. Furthermore, it is worth keeping an eye on the available codiguin FF and checking the best tips to rank up without risking punishment.