We banned ourselves last week. On purpose. We stress-tested the servers with bots and our own accounts. The goal was to flood the system, see if matchmaking held up, and check if the anti-cheat could spot weird behavior. Bots with perfect aim, teleporting movement, instant reaction times. Our own accounts played normal, so we could tell a cheater from a real player. It worked too well.
Our anti-cheat flagged one of our dev accounts for impossible aim. Stats said cheating. It banned the account automatically, no questions asked. We noticed when the dev hit a permanent ban screen trying to join a match. We had to unban ourselves manually. That was a funny few minutes in the Discord call.
Two lessons. First, the anti-cheat is sharp. It caught something that looked exactly like an aimbot, even though it was just a dev testing a new sensitivity setting. Second, we forgot to whitelist our own accounts. Rookie mistake. We added a flag that ignores dev accounts, but only after we understood what triggered the false positive.
The patch changes how the anti-cheat handles dev accounts. It skips them during stress tests now, so we can push limits without self-bans. It also got more accurate for real players. The false positive showed us where the threshold was too aggressive, and we tuned it so human error looks human, not like a cheat.
For you, this means a smoother matchmaking pool. We run these messy tests so you don't deal with the fallout. You get a system that catches actual cheaters without punishing players who just have a good day. That's the behind-the-scenes work that makes the game feel fair.
We also shared the story on the idea board, because it was too funny to keep to ourselves. The community got a laugh, and a few players asked how the anti-cheat works. It sparked a discussion about what counts as cheating and what doesn't. That's the kind of open dialogue we want.
This is what indie game development with AI looks like in practice. We use automated tools for the tedious parts, but we still have to test them like real players. Our own ban was proof that the system works, just a little too well.
If you ever see a dev account in your lobby, don't worry. We're not cheating, we're testing. And if we ever ban ourselves again, you'll hear about it first.
So next time you get a flawless kill streak, know that our anti-cheat is watching. It's watching us too, apparently.
We won't apologize for the extra testing. It's how we keep the game free and fair.
If you want to see the anti-cheat in action, join a match. Just don't be surprised if you get a fair fight.
That's the promise we make with every update.
And if you ever get banned unfairly, tell us on the idea board. We'll unban you in a heartbeat.
We fixed the flag, but the lesson stuck: trust your tools, but verify everything.
This week's patch notes are live now. Come see what changed.
And remember, your vote shapes the roadmap. Pitch anything.
Even if it's a dev ban story.
We'll listen.
Why the Stress Test Mattered
Stress tests aren't just about crashing servers. They're about finding edge cases that real players will hit eventually. We could have shipped the anti-cheat without testing, but then you'd be the ones dealing with false positives or missed cheaters. Instead, we took the hit ourselves. That's how we keep the game smooth for everyone.
Matchmaking is the heart of our multiplayer rooms. If it breaks, you get long queues or uneven teams. Stress testing with bots lets us simulate a full server without waiting for real players. We crank the number of bots to see where the system lags. This time, we learned that the anti-cheat's detection logic was too sensitive at high speeds.
One bot had a reaction time of 0.01 seconds. Impossible for a human. The anti-cheat thought it was a cheater, and it was right. But our dev account, with high accuracy and fast flicks, looked similar. The system couldn't tell the difference between a bot and a skilled human. That's a problem.
We fixed it by analyzing movement patterns. Cheaters tend to have linear or twitchy movements, while humans curve and hesitate. We adjusted the algorithm to look for those subtle differences. Now it can tell a bot from a player, even if the stats are similar. The dev account passed without issue after the patch.
This kind of testing is what makes online games in the browser possible. We can't afford to break the game for real players, so we break it for ourselves first. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.
For you, the benefit is clear: a matchmaking pool that's more accurate. Bots don't end up in your games unless we're testing, and even then, they're flagged. You'll face other humans, and your skill rating will reflect that.
We also learned that our anti-cheat works, which is reassuring. It caught a real threat, even if the threat was us. That means it'll catch actual cheaters too.
If you're curious about the technical details, we'll share more on the blog later. For now, just know that the stress test was worth it.
We do this every few weeks, and we always find something to fix. It's the cost of running a free game.
But it's a cost we're happy to pay.
Our community deserves a fair play experience, and we're dedicated to that.
So next time you're in a match, remember that we're testing everything in the background, so you don't have to worry about anything.
And if you see a bot in your game, it's probably us. We'll fix it quickly.
That's the promise of indie game development with AI: we use tools to make the game better, but we always test them first.
We're not perfect, but we're learning.
And we're doing it in public.
Stay tuned for more updates from the dev team.
We've got some exciting things planned.
What This Means for You
You might be wondering how a dev ban affects your experience. The answer is: it doesn't directly, but it does improve the game. We took what we learned and turned it into a better anti-cheat system. That means fewer false positives on your account and more accurate detection of actual cheaters.
We also updated our matchmaking to be more forgiving during peak hours. The stress test showed us where the system struggled with high player counts. We added extra servers and tweaked the queue logic. Now you'll get into matches faster, even during the busiest times.
This is part of our ongoing effort to be transparent about development. We don't hide our mistakes. We share them on the idea board and blog so you know what went wrong and how we fixed it. It builds trust between us and the community.
For new players, this means you can jump into a match without worrying about getting banned for no reason. The anti-cheat is strict but fair. It's designed to catch actual cheaters, not punish skillful play. If you ever feel a ban was wrong, you can appeal through the Discord. We'll review it manually.
The whole experience also taught us something about indie game development with AI. AI can automate a lot, but it still needs human oversight. We can't just set and forget. We have to test, iterate, and adjust. That's what we're doing every week.
We also realized that our community values fairness. When we posted about the self-ban, the reactions were positive. Players appreciated that we were testing so hard. It reinforced our decision to keep the game free and transparent.
If you're looking for the best indie game making software, we'll tell you honestly: tools are just tools. What matters is how you use them. We use a mix of open-source and custom solutions, and we're always experimenting.
But you don't need to worry about that. You just need to play. The game is free, runs in the browser, and there's no download required. That's the beauty of free browser games. You can jump in from any device.
Our multiplayer rooms are beginner-friendly, with skill-based matchmaking that pairs you with similar players. The campaign mode is a classic shooter experience, and the community modes like RUSH and DOMINION offer variety.
We're constantly updating the game based on your votes on the idea board. The top-voted ideas become our roadmap. So if you have an idea, pitch it.
We already have a few community-driven features in the works, and we'll be rolling them out in the coming weeks.
Stay connected on our social channels for patch notes and teasers.
We're building the game you want to play, together.
And we'll never stop testing.
