Cheats in Genshin Impact are created in order to bypass game restrictions, obtain resources or “additional capabilities”. In practice, they interfere with the client, create risks for the account and can threaten the security of the device. In this guide, we will tell you what types of cheats exist, how the HoYoverse security system detects them, and what consequences await violators.
Cheats in Genshin Impact: a beautiful path to a ban
Cheats and modifications are one of the most controversial, but constantly discussed topics in the Genshin Impact community. Talk about client interference regularly pops up on forums, and video hosting sites are literally inundated with reviews of various overlays with promised “one hundred percent” effectiveness. And this is not surprising – in any popular game there will be people who want to speed up progress, go beyond what is allowed, or gain access to hidden rewards and functions.
However, behind the external attractiveness of such tools there is an impressive list of risks, which many players find out about too late.
In this article we will try to analyze the very phenomenon of cheats and modding in Genshin, relying on the experience of the community – discussions on forums, reviews of content makers and real stories shared by players. At the same time, we exclude any direct links to specific cheats and will not consider ways to obtain or use them.
Main types of cheats
In the public understanding, cheats are divided into two types:
Paidsoftware causes heated discussions on foreign forums and large specialized platforms. This popularity is supported by promises of “fast and reliable” account boosting, obtaining rare resources and other prohibited items, as well as guarantees of protection from detection by anti-cheat;
FreeCheats are much more common and are especially popular among the young and insolvent part of the community. But behind the apparent accessibility, the biggest threats are hidden, which makes free software much more dangerous than paid analogues.
Shika, Unicore are often mentioned on the Internetand other tools with similar functionality. There is certainly interest in such programs, but it always involves risks for your account and your device. And no matter how talented the shadow developers are, regular anti-cheat updates and tougher measures on the part of HoYoverse can overnight result in a ban for many ordinary players who decide to download third-party software.
Developers’ attitude towards cheats
The User Agreement (ToS) is replete with prohibitions regarding ANY interference in the game. Interference refers to third-party programs, scripts and modifications of client software that change or supplement the operation of the game. These can be automated scripts, cheats, plugins, custom mods and overlays that affect gameplay.
Here is what the updated version says about this ToS from September 11, 2025: (quotes from this version will be used throughout the guide):
Please note the software of COGNOSPHERE Game(s) may contain Cheat Detection software or features. ‘Cheat Detection’ means functionality intended to identify Cheats. ‘Cheats’ means programs, methods, processes or other programs with software or hardware on any formats that may give Users an unfair competitive advantage within COGNOSPHERE Game(s).
The work of anti-cheat is aimed at identifying programs and methods that give the player an unfair advantage, received by any kind of third-party interference.
It should not be downplayed that the company pays great attention to the development of our gaming experience. If progress is achieved prematurely, the player misses out on key moments of engagement and does not get the experience invested in the game.
Mods and how they differ from cheats
The vast majority of mods in Genshin are custom character models, textures, skins and similar visual upgrades. Unlike cheats, they do not provide advantages in the gameplay: they do not speed up leveling, do not open rare resources and do not affect combat mechanics.
However, the use of mods also violates the terms of the user agreement. Even if the modification does not improve the gameplay, its installation and use can be detected by an anti-cheat (or moderators based on the ID included in the screenshots), which in theory can lead to account blocking.
In other words, mods are safer from the point of view of fair play, but do not provide complete immunity from sanctions from HoYoverse.
Why are players looking for cheats
The trend for cheats is clearly visible on numerous forums, including official ones. The leitmotif of the players who use them is the desire to “make the game easier”, saving time on routine, farming and leveling, and sometimes the desire to play with all the characters without donating.
In one of the topics on HoYoLab, the author writes that he received a one-week ban for artificially increasing FPS, and then another (for a month) after purchasing Luna – and this despite the fact that after the first block he deleted third-party programs. In another post, the player shared that after restoring his account he saw an unknown device, and then he received a ban for “50 years.”
Such sad outcomes are born from the desire to use cheat functions such as:
- Autofarm – automatic grinding of resources and chests;
- Instant movement (for example, to chests or oculi), or endless flight;
- Fast leveling upRP, characters or artifacts;
- Skipping content, skipping quests, dialogues and cut scenes;
- Immortality and “god” mode – cheats for an advantage in battle, especially for the Twisted Abyss and Gloomy Onslaught;
- Advanced camera control – the ability to greatly zoom out, zoom in or change the viewing angle;
- Disable stamina consumption when running, climbing and sprinting;
- Disabling the cooldown, allowing you to continuously cast hero skills.
The craving for such forbidden options becomes especially strong if completing the game in the usual way begins to seem like something long and tedious.
It is worth remembering that all the functionality mentioned above is just an illusion of quick benefits. The promised features from cheat authors may sound tempting, but in reality they come with serious consequences. Numerous experiences of the community confirm that bans for “external plugins and third-party software” are not a fairy tale and are not uncommon.
What can we say if in the community every now and then dissatisfaction creeps in about the ban of players who have simply been in the same world with cheaters, despite the fact that the latter remain unpunished.
Specifics from the Genshin user agreement
As mentioned above, the ToS of the game contains direct prohibitions on any interference. First, let's look at the excerpt from theLicense Conditions (b: iv):
You may not, either directly or indirectly … develop, use or distribute any software, script code, plug-in unit, programs or applications that may cause an unfair competitive advantage …
The above quote warns against the use of: cheats and tools for increasing damage or speed, automating macro actions, third-party overlays, FPS unlockers and any DLL injectors, as well as mods that replace resources or break the integrity of the client. Moreover, the line “develop, use or distribute” indicates a ban for both creators and users of third-party software.
It is important to emphasize what ToS gives to developers carte blanche to apply punitive measures. This can be seen from the section Inappropriate User Behavior (point c):
Depending on the relevant situation, COGNOSPHERE may take action, including but not limited to, sending a warning, blocking communications, suspending, taking down, banning or terminating your Account temporarily or permanently, blocking logins, deleting game files or otherwise take action in our sole discretion.
Here is what can await gamers subject to sanctions:
- Full blockingor temporary restriction of access to the account;
- Revocation of in-game purchasesif they were obtained illegally;
- Deleting game dataand adjusting the account status.
Such deliberately vague wording gives HoYo complete control over what sanctions and to what extent will be applied to violators.
How the Genshina anti-cheat works
Based on public data and community discussions, the behavior of the anti-cheat used by the developers can be described something like this:
- Checking the integrity of clientfiles. When launched, the client checks the game files to ensure that they have not been modified or damaged;
- Monitoring for suspicious behavior during the game. Or tracking “anomalies” that may indicate cheating activity;
- Server data reconciliation. The server receives game data from the client and checks its status;
- Sanction trigger. If anomalies are detected, the system can automatically initiate a ban process. Moreover, such blocking may be delayed (not immediately after using cheats).
Moderation of complaints. Do not forget that reports of suspicious accounts by other users, submitted for manual analysis by moderators, can also result in a ban.
HoYo regularly updates its own protection system, including Kernel Anti-Cheat– a driver that runs at the operating system kernel level. An anti-cheat of this class provides the most in-depth control over the integrity of the client and allows you to reliably detect any form of interference.
Real risks of using cheats
Using third-party software is not just a violation of ToS, but also a direct threat to your account, device, and personal data. Below are the main risks, supported by the real experience of players.
Types of bans
According to community data and individual user cases, sanctions from HoYoverse are most often divided into two types:
- Temporary blocking. The most common option is from 7 to 30 days (terms may vary from case to case). Players report that such bans are issued when traces of cheat software are detected and an automatic anti-cheat trigger is triggered after their activity, a single violation or the first attempts to modify the game, even if the programs did not work at launch or were immediately deleted;
- Permanent blocking. The most severe and often irreversible measure. It is used in cases of repeated violations, detection of client modifications at the file or process level, confirmed use of third-party software that affects game balance, detection of network activity associated with cheats.
A temporary ban often becomes a “warning” before a possible more severe measure, especially if violations are repeated. But there have been cases when a player immediately receives a long-term ban.
In addition to the reasons mentioned above, the following may lead to your account being blocked:
- Complaints from players in co-op. If party members notice anomalous animations, non-standard models or obvious signs of cheating, their reports almost always lead to a manual account check – and often result in a ban;
- Screenshots with visible UID and modifications. Many players are caught committing violations by publishing screenshots with modifications and an un-covered ID. Such posts can quickly attract complaints, after which moderators confirm the fact of interference and issue a block.
Viruses, stealers and malicious files
The main danger of free cheats is the almost guaranteed infection of the device. According to some estimates, up to 90% of “free” software contains some kind of malicious code:
- Keyloggers(password interception through physical data entry);
- Token stealers and cookie grabbers(session hijacking through vulnerabilities of sites where passwords are stored);
- Miners, performing shadow actions and loading the PC in the background;
- RAT Trojans, giving full remote access to the device;
- Fake installers, especially common on video hosting sites, where under the guise of “safe cheats” you they snatch infected archives.
Users regularly report the consequences of such malicious tools: disappearance of resources in their inventory, hacking of bank cards and complete loss of access to their profile.
Stealers are usually aimed at stealing passwords, email/phone and launcher cookies. After taking over an account, the attacker simply changes the bindings – and it becomes difficult or impossible to regain access.
Support almost always refuses recoveryif third-party software or client modifications are recorded on the account. There are many complaints on HoYoLab with the same content: “The account was stolen by a stealer, and I was denied due to mods/cheats.”
Account hijacking can lead to real financial losses. And if it happened due to downloading cheats, the support service will not help you.
Cheat software as “entertainment for zero accounts”
Some players use cheats or mods for “zero” accounts with left mail for the sake of experiments and banal entertainment. At first glance, it seems safe, because the account itself costs almost nothing.
Such quickly upgraded young profiles with hundreds of gems and legs are often sold on third-party sites for small amounts. When purchasing an account in this way, remember: its copyright holder will forever remain the original owner.
Any attempts to circumvent the rules over a long distance are doomed to failure: sooner or later the anti-cheat will detect violations, so the risk of a ban will remain with you forever. In addition, getting used to cheats breaks the very perception of the gameplay: after light gameplay it is very difficult to return to fair play.
Are there working cheats
Yes, there really are cheats on the market that perform the declared functions for some time. There are also open, paid and “private” assemblies designed for a narrow circle of buyers. Why does this not look reliable:
- Many assemblies are sold with deliberately false promises;
- Infected bootloaders are distributed under the guise of cheats;
- Fraudsters often disappear after payment;
- Developers regularly strengthen protection, which makes any, even harmless hacks, short-lived.
Using cheats is like signing up for a ban yourself. The only question is how quickly it will arrive: tomorrow, in a month, a year or five years. The longer the waiting period, the more painful the loss will be felt.
Legal alternatives to cheats
Some smartphones havebuilt-in game add-ons, which make gameplay more comfortable and at the same time fully comply with the operating rules. They help smooth out the difficulties that arise due to the control and perception of the game on a mobile device. Among these functions:
- Dialogue acceleration – allows you to quickly scroll through cut scenes and dialogues, saving time on repetitive actions;
- Routine simplification – automatic collection of resources, items or other objects;
- FPS optimization– adjusting device performance to maintain a stable frame rate, minimizing drops and freezes in difficult locations;
- Assistive functions – for example, recording a run, improving visual feedback, or increasing the accuracy of touch response.
These tools help players focus on the gameplay, while remaining completely within the official client software and without creating risks for the account.
Private server – a safe sandbox for experiments
If the desire to test crazy builds or drive around Teyvat in permissive mode does not disappear, then the only relatively safe space for experiments can be a private server. It is completely separate from the official HoYoverse infrastructure, is not connected to real databases and does not interact with the official launcher. In private you can do things that in a normal client would instantly lead to a ban. But it is important to understand that a private server is not a “second version of Genshin”, but a separate amateur sandbox, which has its own limitations:
- Progress is never transferred to the official client;
- There are no events, updates and a full-fledged game ecosystem;
- Co-op works partially or does not work at all;
- Most functions are unstable.
A private server is the only option that does not threaten your main account, device or data, because “everything that happens in private stays in private.”
At the start, cheating can be a fun experience, but it has the same result – in a game created for long and fair progression, the consequences outweigh any imaginary benefit. We hope our guide helped you understand how to keep enjoying the game without risking your account!
