Gamers had a difficult time in the 80s and 90s trying to pirate games. They couldn't take home the arcade cabinet from the local pizza restaurant. Cartridges may have been shared among friends, but it was difficult for many to modify the code inside the hardware. Third-party hardware, like Game Genies, made the process slightly easier. Gamers could use cheat codes to give themselves all of the powers imaginable, but there were no bragging rights.

When online gaming became more popular, developers and publishers had to begin thinking about how to stop piracy and hacking. Developers began adding in hilarious bugs to troll pirates, such as the full-screen mosaic on The Sims 4 or shaky camera of Grand Theft Auto IV. The game became so unplayable that pirates were forced to give up and either buy the game or play something else.

As more games decided to increase multiplayer capabilities, hackers decided to hop aboard. These cheaters didn't want to waste their time improving their skills. They only wanted to be the best without the effort. Others were tempted to hack to hurt other players or even get rich off of them. Developers took notice of their nefarious tactics. They began to punish hackers and often in hilarious ways. For those hackers who hurt other players, or even the game companies, were punished in real life.

Our list compiles some of the best ways that developers have trolled hackers. If you're tempted to test fate and try out these hacks, think again. We've also listed some games that will outright ban you for hacking.

30 Trolled With Common Pokémon

Pokémon Go requires gamers to travel around their neighborhoods, in real life, to catch virtual Pokémon. Some Pokémon are too hard to reach so that hackers will use GPS spoofers or other third-party apps in desperation. Other punishments include a "shadowban" that only allows the hacker to catch the most common Pokémon: Pidgey, Rattata, and Zubat. If your behavior doesn't improve, then you'll face Niantic's full wrath. They have recently implemented a three-strike policy, with the third strike getting your device banned.

29 When Hacking Goes Too Far

A hacker named Jason Shane Duffy gained access into Riot Games employee's computer. Through this hack, he also had control of 24.5 million League of Legends accounts. After a thorough investigation, he was found selling rare character skins and making almost $1,000 a day. He went so far as to bugging high-level players in the game as well. He would reset their accounts, disconnect them from matches as they streamed the game, or cause lag. He was eventually arrested for both hacking and fraud.

28 Others Will Learn The Player Is A Bad Sport

Grand Theft Auto V often encourages bad behavior, but they don't want anyone in the online community becoming a victim. Players can report others for destroying their personal vehicles or being annoying. The worst offense is dropping from a mission early to get out of it early. Some players try to cheat their way out of their job commitments from turning off their consoles or internet.

If found guilty, your character will be forced to wear a Dunce Cap and be designated a "Bad Sport."

27 Banned: Permanently Stuck On Land

Sea of Thieves is one of the latest multiplayer games to sail onto Xbox consoles. Players become pirates in the game, but others may take to hacking to gain an unfair advantage. They may use these hacks to unfairly win matches. Rare has made it clear that they have a no-tolerance policy for hackers and cheating. This includes using third-party software to modify the game's code. Rare will permanently ban your Xbox Live account if you are found guilty of hacking.

26 He’ll Have To Walk Instead

Batman: Arkham Asylum wanted to stop all hackers, cheaters, and pirates before the game were released. If a gamer tried to play a hacked copy, they wouldn't have access to Batman's full arsenal of moves. Some confused pirates didn't understand why the glide function didn't work. They took to the Eidos forms to ask for help. An administrator named Keir responded by saying "It's not a bug in the game's code, it's a bug in your moral code." Batman's glide would be disabled unless the player legally purchased the game.

25 Developers Really Didn’t Like The Game Shark

Donkey Kong 64 wanted players to get the full experience of the game without resorting to cheats.

If a player dared use a third-party cheat device like the Game Shark, the game would punish you.

If the device was detected, the player would lose control of Donkey Kong. Using a cheat code would only make the character shake uncontrollably through the game. If a cheat code weren't used, he would stand in place as enemies completely zapped away his life points. If you saved while the Game Shark was installed, your cartridge would be damaged for good.

24 Banned: No Sunshine For These Hackers

Hackers have often modified Pokémon's game files to great invincible creatures, or even fake Pokémon. Nintendo decided to crack down on hackers with the release of Pokémon Sun and Moon. If they detect that save data has been altered, they will ban them using any service that uses Game Sync. This ban includes games that have modified Trainer information, changing items, or the world map. Hackers can change their games all they want unless they try to go online and compete against other players.

23 Streamed To Be Trolled

After fighting games transitioned to online play, developers have had to work hard to deter hackers. Some hackers don't learn until they're taught an embarrassing lesson. Jae-min "Knee" Bae is a world-class competitive Tekken 7 player. He was streaming matches online when OKSavingsBank challenges him. Knee immediately noticed something unusual as soon as the match began. OKSavingsBank is using Devil Kazumi, who is only available in Story Mode. Knee decides to have some fun with OKSavingsBank before completely obliterating him in front of thousands of spectators.

22 Banned: A Battle Royale With Rules

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is an incredibly competitive game. Within a large open environment, all players battle to be the last player standing. Some gamers are desperate to be the winner. Hackers will exploit their desperation by selling tools for hacking the game.

In China, hackers selling cheats are being fined for over $4.5 million combined.

These hacks were not only giving players an unfair advantage but allowing them to access other accounts. Bluehole/PubgCorp. wants hackers to know they will be punished.

21 Rage-Quitter Vs. Rage-Quitter

One tactic often overused in online fighting games is "rage-quitting." Before a match is over, the disgruntled player will disconnect their internet connection. If done quick enough, the system can't process the loss or win. Capcom began penalizing this behavior, including in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Capcom can understand if your internet went out and it was not your fault. Players who abused this were banned from playing competitively. Even worse, they were only allowed to play with other "rage-quitters" in a match of who will quit first.

20 No More Invading Homeworlds For You

In the Dark Souls series, players can "Invade" other player's worlds. They can either help defeat a powerful boss or cause them pain. Hackers will sometimes hack items, drop them in someone else's world, and that innocent player will get flagged for cheating. Bandai Namco decided to go a step forward. Not only will they ban hackers' account, but will also block them from relaunching Dark Souls 3. Upon starting up the game, the hacker will see “Invalid Game Data” instead of the standard start screen.

19 Banned: The 7,000 Year Ban

Monster Hunter 3 does not take malicious activity lightly. If you are caught cheating on their multiplayer servers, you will receive an alarming message that states "You are presently banned for using modded data to connect online." The ban date will end in the year 9999. That year is no mistake.

You will be banned for over seven thousand years if you dare violate their terms of service.

If you by any chance live to 9999, the next time you break the rules, you will be permanently banned from playing Monster Hunter 3 online.

18 Vigilante Justice Prevails

Ark: Survival Evolved is an online multiplayer game where users have to work together to survive. Ricky may not have understood the “cooperative” part of the game. He spent time creating a toxic environment where no one felt safe. The developers didn't take action quick enough, so players banded together to have their justice. They locked Ricky in a wooden jail for ten hours. Everyone banded together to troll an annoying player, and it worked. Ricky apologized for his behavior.

17 Solid Snake Must Accept His Fate

Metal Gear Solid impressed gamers in various ways. That included reading memory cards and knowing what controllers you were using. If you were using a third-party controller with special functions, the game could sense if it was plugged in. During the torture scene, Revolver Ocelot warns Solid Snake, or in this case, the player, that he knows if you're using a controller with auto-fire. If this function is used, you won't pass on to the next part of the story.

16 Banned: Not Just for One Fortnite

Fortnite is a battle royale-style game where players fight against each other. Some gamers are so desperate to win that they will use any tool available to them. If they're caught and banned, they may use a VPN to sneak into another match.

The developer, Epic Games, has caught on to hackers' methods. If caught again, they will remove you from the middle of your game for cheating.

Some players are only suspended for a week. Others who continue to cheat will have their account, IP, and computer banned for good.

15 Redemption For The Players

Red Dead Redemption stars an outlaw, but that doesn't mean you have to act like one in online multiplayer. Some players ruined the experience by others by cheating, hacking, and being a menace. Rockstar Games stepped in before the cheating got worse. If a player repeatedly hurt other players, they would be given the title "Player-[Ender]." Not only would other players notice, but so would the law. Many players would make it their duty to go after these new criminals.

14 Forced To Permaban Himself

Guild Wars 1 will send a character to publicly shame characters. Guild Wars 2 takes a different approach. J.T. Darkside became famous for hacking in the MMORPG. The developers were sent several complaints about his behavior. Game Security Lead Chris Clearly decided to take matters into his own hands. He removed all of Darkside's armor and forced the character to walk to the edge of a tall building. Darkside had to wave to the spectators watching below before being pushed off. The character was then deleted, and his account was permanently banned.

13 You Have Disappointed Sans

There are several ways to enjoy Undertale. Some players want to talk to other characters on the Pacifist route, while others choose the other path instead. Some gamers may find the game too difficult to complete without using hacks. Toby Fox, the developer, was prepared. The game will continue as usual, but the ending is much darker. In the ending credits, Sans will appear.

Sans will become angry and tell you, "You're just a hacker, aren't you? Yeah, get outta here."

The screen will fade to black, and you'll be forced to restart the game, without resorting to hacks.

12 Banned: Asking Other Players To Keep Watch

Online multiplayer games often have thousands of players on at the same time. It can be difficult for developers to check if who is hacking the game. Massive Entertainment heard that there were several hackers and cheaters flooding the PC version of Tom Clancy’s The Division. They allowed other players to help report their terrible actions. If found guilty, these players would be suspended for three days. If they were caught again, they were permanently banned from playing the game online.

11 Their Actions Did Not Go Unnoticed

Diablo III was first released in 2012. Players could choose from seven different character classes and fight online. Years later, Patrick Nepomuceno and Michael Stinger decided to hack into the accounts of other characters. They messaged other players with a link. After these oblivious players clicked it, the hackers were able to take items that were worth an estimated $9,000. Blizzard stopped these hackers in their tracks. They sent the FBI after the pair were charged with a misdemeanor, and had to repay almost $6,000 to Blizzard in court fees.