As all gamers know, there are often bugs or errors in games, which after some time are detected and fixed by the developers.
However – well, that’s just it – it usually takes some time before this happens. What happens in the meantime? This is when so-called zero-day exploits often occur. What exactly they are, we explain below.
What is zero day in gaming?
It’s an error or undisclosed bug that hasn’t been discovered or patched by the game developers, but has already been found by players. They can use it in various ways – usually not in fair manner. And why is it called a “zero-day”? Because developers have literally zero days to react – players are already using the exploit, so the damage is being done before any fix is in place.
Such exploits can be used for a number of purposes – from gaining additional in-game resources to gaining an unfair advantage over other players.
Zero day exploit meaning in games
Now that you know the definition, let’s take a look at examples of those exploits in various game types.
- Online games – in these types of games, undisclosed bugs can be particularly dangerous, as they give the player a significant advantage – for example, by bypassing gameplay restrictions, copying items or currency, or even reducing the damage received
- Competitive games – in games where competition plays a key role, zero-day exploits can give one player not only a significant advantage – in FPS shooters or fighting games, for example – but also realistically affect match results and rankings
- MMOs – exploits severely disrupt the game’s balance and player progression – as they allow one person to unfairly gain the same thing (or more) effortlessly, outperform others or copy items in an unlimited way
Conclusion
Now you have the idea about zero day exploit meaning in games and the way it works in games. Game developers are trying to monitor zero-day exploits, analyze the data and ban players who unfairly take advantage of them. However, this is certainly hampered by limited time to “patch” the bugs.