South Korean court sends Overwatch hack creator to jail

A South Korean man is facing twelve months in jail for creating an Overwatch hack, which made him around $180,000. The hack violates South Korea's Game Industry Promotion Law, as well as the Information and Communication Technology Protection Law.

While previous Overwatch hacking offences have attracted probation periods and hefty fines in South Korea, the profitable nature of this hack is the cause for the jail time, writes SBS News (via Dot Esports). In addition to the time behind bars, the guilty party will also receive two years probation.

In 2016 South Korea criminalized the creation and distribution of aimbots, wall hacks and other cheating services. A year later the effects were felt: fines of around $10,000 were issued, and probation periods handed down to two offenders.

Blizzard Korea last year said that it is "committed to creating a fair game environment for its players, and will continue to strive to maintain a fair environment".

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.