Like all FPS and competitive games, SCUM has suffered from a massive cheating problem with no real solution. The game launched in 2018, and despite trying three anti-cheat systems over seven years, cheating remains the game’s persistent issue.

Catching cheaters has never been enough, because they just come back on a new account a few minutes later.

Gamepires acknowledged that cheating remained one of their biggest complaints, so they decided to try something new, and integrated PlaySafe ID.

Enter: PlaySafe ID

Gamepires partnered with PlaySafe ID to give players an optional way to play, where cheaters are truly kept out. It started as a quiet test on a few servers. No fanfare or marketing campaigns.

The goal was to see if players would discover the official PlaySafe ID Protected servers organically, if those players would sign up, and if there would be demand, retention, and of course a reduction in cheating.

With no marketing and only organic discovery and growth; the results stunned everyone.

"SCUM is built around consequence and realism, and cheating fundamentally undermines both. What we've seen with PlaySafe ID is a real change: cheating isn't just caught, it actually comes with consequences that matter - it's prevented.

On PlaySafe-protected servers, the difference is obvious. A fairer, more realistic survival experience for players who invest their time and effort into the game. When you know that cheaters can't just come straight back, every fight, raid, and escape feels more meaningful.

We're proud to work with PlaySafe ID on something that directly improves the day-to-day experience for our community. This is about protecting honest players and ensuring that SCUM is the brutal, realistic and rewarding survival game it's meant to be.”

Sven Folkesson
General Manager, Gamepires

The SCUM and PlaySafe ID partnership marks a turning point in how games can fight cheaters.

What began as a silent test has validated something the industry has long needed proof of: Players want, will sign up for, and will play obsessively, if they can get an experience where cheaters are kept out. And they’re willing to verify through a zero-knowledge verification for this.

That’s what PlaySafe ID has achieved.

“It’s been a dream to integrate with SCUM and to see thousands of users discover PlaySafe ID, sign up, tell their friends, and to see the demand grow and grow. Gamepires has now deployed up to 50 official PlaySafe Protected servers globally, and that just blows me away.

It’s also been incredible to see over 3/4s of users retain, and 2/3rds of all PlaySafe ID users play at least every other day with their PlaySafe ID, and for long sessions. This proves that these players are genuinely happy and loving the game, and they don’t want to go back, because they can finally play in this new way; where cheaters are actually kept out.

This all goes to confirm what I had felt: Gamers want to play, and they want to play a LOT. They just don’t want to play if cheaters are able to keep coming back in and ruin their experience. 
PlaySafe ID is the missing piece of the puzzle that’s finally here to help. And it works.”

Andrew Wailes
CEO, PlaySafe ID

Read the SCUM announcement here.
Watch the SCUM & PlaySafe ID trailer here.