Oct 27, 2016 01:49 AM EDT By Vinay Patel, UniversityHerald Reporter

It's imperative for game developers nowadays to lay down a strong ban hammer from time to time to keep cheaters and hackers at bay. The popular developer behind "GTA Online," Rockstar Games, is the latest to join the ban bandwagon.

While several "GTA Online" players stick to playing the game without resorting to any sorts of hacks or cheating, there are a few gamers who have added mountains of funds to their online pockets by the means of "GTA Online" hacks and mods. Apparently, Rockstar has had enough of these hackers. According to an update on Rockstar's support page, the developer announced what it has in store for the hackers of "GTA Online."

In their bid to ensure a fair gameplay environment, Rockstar has deleted wrongly earned in-game money from players' virtual wallets. The announcement addressed players who received a message indicating that their "shared bank balance was adjusted," explaining that Rokcstar has removed illegitimate funds from their accounts.

The company guaranteed that this in-game money removal decision will not affect any GTA$ that players have purchased using Shark Cards. The company also amended its suspension and ban policy.

There's hearsay that players who amassed comparatively lower amount of illegitimate cash are less likely to be troubled by this. However, there's no word on whether players who accumulated money via other mods will also have their in-game funds reset, according to Ars Technica.

Rockstar's updated suspension policy state that the first temporary ban would imply that players will lose all character progress, property and inventory. The second ban, however, will lead to permanent suspension. Although, both actions seem quite drastic, given how widespread cheating has been in the three-year-old title," it seems understandable.

In other news, the three-year anniversary of "GTA Online" is just around the corner, and Rockstar is marking the milestone by handing out certain gifts to each person in the game. "GTA 5" players who log in to "GTA Online" on PS4, Xbox One or Windows PC from Oct. 25 through Oct. 31 will be eligible to receive GTA$250,000 in-game currency, the company announced earlier this week.

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