With Split 2 of Season 28 now past the midpoint, Respawn Entertainment has dropped a detailed look at how its anti-cheat systems are performing in Apex Legends. The numbers paint a picture of steady improvement in a game that has long dealt with cheaters trying to ruin matches for everyone else.
Season 28, titled Breach, arrived with some meaningful changes that went beyond cosmetics. The hardlight mechanic made certain windows on the maps breakable, opening up new angles and forcing players to rethink how they move through buildings. At the same time, Respawn continued its regular balance work. Catalyst, Bloodhound, and Fuse all picked up buffs back in February, while Gibraltar, Wraith, and Wattson received adjustments in the mid-season patch. These tweaks keep the roster feeling fresh and competitive, but none of it lands right if cheaters are still running rampant in matches. That is exactly why the anti-cheat report carries extra weight right now.
The numbers Respawn released cover activity since April 2, the start of Split 2. In that window the team has banned 28,267 accounts for various cheating violations. Nearly 1,000 of those bans came from players using DMA cards, a tool that lets cheaters pull data straight from system memory and slip past many standard detection methods. Removing those accounts is a direct hit on one of the harder problems the studio has faced. Along with the bans, Respawn wiped 6,655,192 ranked points from the Season 28 leaderboards. Split 1 accounted for 4,413,776 of those points, while Split 2 has seen 2,241,416 removed so far. Those figures show the scale of the problem and the effort required to keep the ladders honest.
The most encouraging part of the update is the infection rate. Respawn tracks how often players actually run into cheaters, and that number now sits at 4.1 percent halfway through Split 2. That is the lowest mark the studio has recorded since it started keeping this data. For comparison, the previous best was 5.8 percent back in December 2025. A drop like that means the average player should notice fewer suspicious deaths and fewer lobbies that feel completely broken. It does not mean cheating has vanished. At 4.1 percent there are still matches where someone with an unfair advantage shows up, and those games still frustrate everyone involved. But the trend line is moving in the right direction.
DMA cards deserve special attention here because they represent a more sophisticated threat than older aimbot or wallhack setups. By reading memory directly, they avoid many of the behavioral flags that traditional anti-cheat systems look for. Respawn calling out almost 1,000 bans tied to these cards shows the team has improved its ability to spot and shut them down. That kind of targeted progress matters more than raw ban counts alone. It proves the studio is adapting rather than just throwing out blanket detections that might catch innocent players.
Respawn was clear that additional updates, enhancements, and new detections are already in the pipeline for the coming weeks. The studio deliberately kept the specifics quiet. Giving cheaters advance warning would only help them adjust their tools. That restraint is smart, even if it leaves players wanting more concrete details. The message is simple: the work is not finished, but the systems are getting stronger.
Looking ahead, Respawn has already started talking about Season 29. A new Skirmisher Legend is coming, the first fresh character since Sparrow joined the roster in Season 25. The update is expected sometime in May, which means players will not have to wait long to see what the new kit brings. Season patches often include more anti-cheat notes as well, so the next big update could reveal further improvements without tipping off the people trying to break the game. That combination of new content and continued backend work is exactly what keeps long-term players invested.
The bigger picture is that Apex Legends still has one of the most dedicated competitive communities in the battle royale space. When ranked points get removed by the millions and thousands of accounts disappear in a single split, it shows the studio takes the integrity of its ladders seriously. The drop to a 4.1 percent infection rate is not just a statistic. It translates to fewer ruined games, more consistent progression for legitimate players, and a healthier environment for the people who treat Apex like a serious competitive outlet. At the same time, the fact that the number is not zero reminds everyone that this remains an ongoing battle. Cheaters will keep finding new ways to try, and Respawn will have to keep evolving its defenses.
For players grinding ranked right now, the update offers a reason to stay optimistic without getting complacent. The anti-cheat team is clearly making headway, the ban numbers are substantial, and the lowest infection rate on record suggests the experience is improving. At the same time, the promise of more tools coming soon means the studio is not declaring victory. That balance between visible progress and continued vigilance is what separates a game that merely survives from one that keeps thriving year after year.
Season 29 should bring fresh excitement with the new Legend and whatever balance changes arrive alongside it. If the anti-cheat momentum holds, those matches stand a better chance of feeling fair. Respawn has shown it is willing to share real numbers and admit the work is never truly done. That kind of transparency builds trust with the community, even when the road ahead still has some bumps. The fight continues, but the latest report gives plenty of reason to believe Apex Legends is heading into the next phase on stronger footing than it has been in quite some time.