Cheating in online shooters is nothing new. It’s a headache for developers and players who just want a fair fight. Games like The Finals really lean on keeping things fair, and one of the tools they use is something called a hardware ban. You’ve probably heard about account bans—where your in-game profile gets blocked—but hardware bans go deeper. They’re designed to stop cheaters from coming back easily.
If you’re curious about what a hardware ban is, how it works, and why it’s important for players, this is a good place to start. I’ll walk you through it like a conversation, no tech jargon overload, just what you need to know to understand what’s going on when The Finals slaps your PC with a ban.
What Is a Hardware Ban in The Finals?
When you get banned in most games, it's usually your account that's blocked. You might lose your progress, your gear, your friends list, but the ban stays tied to that profile alone. If you’re clever, you might just make a new account and jump back into the game.
The Finals takes a different approach by using hardware bans. Instead of just banning your account, the system looks at the unique parts inside your computer or console and bans those. So, your whole machine gets flagged.
Think of it this way: your gaming rig has a serial number made up from all its main parts. The hardware ban is like a “blacklist” for that whole number. Even if you try to start fresh with a new account, the game’s anti-cheat system recognizes your machine and blocks you. That’s a big deal for anyone trying to get around bans just by making new accounts.
They don’t hand these bans out lightly. It’s usually for serious or repeated cheating cases, and they can last a very long time — sometimes forever.
How Does The Finals Detect Cheaters and Link Them to Their Machines?
Catching cheaters isn’t easy. They’re always trying to hide what they’re doing, and new hacks pop up all the time. So, the anti-cheat systems have to be pretty clever.
Here’s a rough idea of how The Finals anti-cheat hunts for cheats:
- It keeps an eye on your computer’s memory while the game runs. This checks for any sneaky programs hooking into the game to give you an unfair edge.
- It watches how you play. If your aim or movements look too perfect or robotic, that raises red flags.
- The system checks if your game files or important game bits have been changed or tampered with.
- It compares what it sees against known cheat software. This is sort of like having a blacklist of cheat programs or overlays.
Once the system is pretty sure someone is cheating, it logs hardware identifiers (these are the unique codes from your computer parts) to ban that machine, not just your account.
What Are Hardware IDs (HWIDs)?
Hardware IDs are unique codes for your computer’s components. Think of them like ID cards for your motherboard, processor, hard drives, or network cards. Usually, they are:
- The motherboard's serial number
- The CPU’s ID number
- Your network card’s MAC address
- Serial numbers from your SSD or HDD
The Finals takes several of these hardware IDs and bundles them together into a unique “fingerprint” for your entire system. This way, it’s almost impossible to fake or copy this fingerprint, which means if your machine gets banned, just creating a new account won’t help.
Why Is Detecting Cheats So Hard?
Cheat creators don’t sit still. When anti-cheat systems improve, cheat developers change their tactics.
Some cheats try to hide by renaming themselves or disguising their code as something harmless. Others run deep in your system, almost at a level the anti-cheat can’t see easily. This cat and mouse game means that detection software has to keep learning, changing, and updating constantly.
Plus, anti-cheat software teams have to be careful not to punish players who are just innocent. Mistakes can frustrate honest players, so the system has to balance strictness with accuracy.
Despite all this, The Finals holds its ground with a strong system that keeps adapting to catch new cheats as they appear.
What Happens When You Get Hardware Banned in The Finals?
If you're caught and hardware banned, it means your computer or console is blocked from accessing certain parts of the game or all of it.
You won't be able to log into game servers from that machine. That means no more matchmaking, no more competitive play. Sometimes, the system will only let you play against bots, removing you from the real gaming community.
Usually, you’ll see a message in the game telling you you’re banned, but they won’t show specifics. This is to stop banned players from finding easy ways around restrictions.
What If You Make a New Account?
Making a new account won't fix things if your hardware is banned. Since the ban is tied to your machine's fingerprint, the system will block you no matter the account you use on that device.
The only ways around this would be to change your hardware (more on that later) or use special software called HWID spoofers.
Can You Appeal a Hardware Ban?
Yes, but it’s not easy.
If you think you got banned unfairly, there’s usually an option to appeal. You’ll have to provide details about your account, your machine, and explain why you believe the ban isn’t right.
A team will review your case. But because the system is pretty strict, and catching cheats is often backed by solid evidence, most appeals get denied.
Successful appeals usually happen when someone proves they were wrongly flagged—for instance, if multiple people used the same computer or if the cheat detection was a mistake.
Why Do Most Appeals Fail?
- Lack of proof that you weren’t cheating.
- Cheat software was found on your PC.
- You have a history of cheating bans.
- You tried to trick the support team during the appeal.
Because the detection systems are pretty solid, you really need a strong case to win an appeal.
How Do People Try to Get Around Hardware Bans?
Some players try to trick the system, but this is risky and often doesn’t work long-term.
One common trick is HWID spoofing. That’s software designed to change or fake the hardware IDs your system reports, making the game think you're on a new machine. There are also other methods like using virtual machines (which create a fake computer inside your computer), swapping out hardware parts like the motherboard or network card, or reinstalling the operating system to remove any traces of cheating.
Some also use VPNs or proxies to hide IP addresses, but that won’t help if the ban is hardware-based.
Even with all these tricks, The Finals anti-cheat is getting better at spotting when machines try to fool it, so these workarounds are usually just temporary.
The Risks of Trying to Bypass Hardware Bans
Trying to cheat the system with spoofers or hardware swaps comes with big risks.
You might end up with a stronger or permanent ban because the system catches repeated offenses quicker. Some spoofing tools can cause your system to crash or act unstable. You might face longer wait times in queues or get matched only against bots, making your game experience frustrating.
In rare cases, flashing your hardware firmware or using dodgy tools can even damage your PC components.
How to Stay Safe and Avoid Hardware Bans
The best way is simple: don’t cheat.
Also, keep your game and anti-cheat software updated so they can best protect you. Avoid running suspicious mods or third-party programs while playing. Keep your system clean by scanning for viruses or malware that might interfere with your game.
A clean PC is less likely to trigger false positives or get flagged unfairly.
How Hardware Bans Affect Your Experience and the Community
Hardware bans help keep matches fair. They make it much harder for cheaters to come back over and over with new accounts. This means better quality matches, less frustration, and a more competitive environment.
For players who get banned, it’s a tough penalty. They’ll have limited or no access to real games, often stuck playing only against bots or on restricted servers.
In the end, hardware bans protect the majority of players who just want to enjoy a clean game.
Final Thoughts
Hardware bans in The Finals hit a whole different level compared to regular account bans. By targeting the physical machine rather than just a profile, the game makes it much harder for cheaters to recycle accounts and come back quickly.
While some still try to beat the system with spoofers or hardware changes, the anti-cheat continues improving, narrowing their chances.
If you play The Finals, knowing how hardware bans work helps you understand where the line is—and why it’s better to play clean than risk losing access.