In Payday 2, you’ll see the CHEATER tag if:

  • If it’s from mods

  • If it’s an anti-cheat or VAC/DETECTED ban

  • If your account was compromised

  • If the tag is community-driven (on a server or forum)

  • If verifying didn't work, you have illegal items.

    If you have deleted your saves, uninstalled mods, verified Steam files, and used the Cheater Tag Fix mod, but the tag remains—you have a profile ban.

    Overkill/Starbreeze occasionally issues server-side profile bans for repeat offenders. These cannot be fixed locally.

    How to check:

    In Payday 2, the "Cheater" tag is a automated anti-tamper mechanism designed to flag players who modify their game data in ways that affect public lobbies. Unlike Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC), this is a peer-to-peer check. Being flagged does not usually result in a ban, but it displays a bright red "CHEATER" label next to the player's name in lobbies and chat, severely limiting multiplayer interactions. This report outlines the detection methods, common causes, and technical solutions to remove the tag.