Arc Raiders Streamer Aimkey Hardware-Banned After Embark Finds Aimbot Evidence

ARC Raiders streamer Aimkey has received a hardware ban after Embark Studios' support team said its investigation found evidence of aimbot use. The streamer denies cheating and claims the punishment was issued incorrectly.

Aimkey confirmed the ban on October 23, 2026, three days after posting a gameplay clip on X with the caption "how am I not banned yet." The footage drew accusations of cheating from viewers who questioned his unusually fast and accurate aiming.

In a support message shared by Aimkey, an Embark representative said the studio's investigation had identified a consistent pattern of abnormal behavior that it considered evidence of aimbotting.

The representative said the findings violated Section V of the game's Terms of Service and End User License Agreement, which covers its Code of Conduct.

Aimkey also shared additional correspondence during a Twitch stream confirming that the restriction was applied at the hardware level. The ban prevents him from accessing the game on the affected computer.

Embark's findings refer to a broader pattern of gameplay rather than a single suspicious clip. The available correspondence does not establish whether Aimkey's October 20 post directly triggered the investigation.

Following the ban, Aimkey rejected the accusations and maintained that he had never used an aimbot. He said he had streamed thousands of hours of ARC Raiders gameplay publicly since the game's release.

The streamer also offered to travel to Embark's headquarters and demonstrate his aiming skills directly in front of the developers.

Aimkey claimed the allegations had damaged his reputation and streaming career. He also said he had received death threats following the controversy.

His statements dispute Embark's findings, but the publicly available information does not independently establish whether the studio's conclusion was correct. No reversal of the hardware ban has been confirmed.

The punishment follows changes to ARC Raiders' anti-cheat enforcement announced on September 30, 2026. Embark confirmed that permanent account bans had become standard for players caught using known cheat software, replacing its earlier approach of giving some first-time offenders another chance.

The studio also expanded hardware restrictions to make it harder for repeat offenders to return using the same computer.

Embark explained that its detection systems examine suspicious behavior across multiple instances before issuing permanent bans. The developer also reviews gameplay footage and streams when they provide evidence of cheating.

According to Embark's published enforcement policy, hardware bans prevent the affected computer from accessing its games, including ARC Raiders and THE FINALS. Unlike eligible account restrictions, hardware bans are final and cannot be appealed.