Hacker Takeover on Free Fire: Inside the War on ‘Panel Sellers,’ False Blacklists, and the Emulator Crisis

Updated On: January 6, 2026

The Free Fire community is currently facing one of its most challenging periods in the starting of 2026. For casual players, the game has recently felt like a battleground, but also about dealing with unfair systems.

Hackers are selling their cheats on social media, and meanwhile, legitimate Free Fire players are getting wrongfully banned. Famous YouTubers Nayan (Assassins ARMY) and UG Ayush (UnGraduate Gamer) recently spoke out about these issues for the first time.

This article highlights three important issues in Free Fire: the panel seller epidemic, the flawed blacklist system, and the emulator controversy.

The “Panel Seller” Epidemic

Hacking in online games is nothing new, but Free Fire has recently seen a brazen new type of cheater: the “Panel Seller.” Unlike traditional hackers who try to hide their cheats to avoid bans, these users want to be seen.

He said: The panel sellers on the leaderboard are misleading the community. Selling panels by posting phone numbers is unacceptable [Assassins ARMY YouTube reference]

Assassins ARMY’s demands to Garena: Take direct action and impose permanent bans on panel sellers. Take action against YouTube and Instagram accounts that promote hacking.

The Blacklist Trap: Punishing the Innocent

To combat hackers, Garena employs a “Blacklist” system intended to isolate suspicious players from the fair-play community. In practice, however, it often functions counter-productively, penalizing the game’s most dedicated and legitimate players.

According to Garena’s official policy, the blacklist/report system is triggered by “abnormal gameplay + multiple reports,” but creators claim that legitimate grinders are also being targeted.

Assassins ARMY has openly criticized the ID blacklist system, claiming it unfairly targets legitimate players. They report that even fair players’ IDs are being blacklisted, leaving those who have spent 30 days pushing their rank suddenly unable to play.

They demanded the removal of the blacklist system and insisted that hackers receive a direct permanent ban, as was standard policy in Free Fire before.

Emulator Controversy: The “Legal Hack”

If hackers break the game’s code, emulators break its balance. By allowing mobile games to be played on PC, emulators grant a decisive and unintended advantage through superior mouse and keyboard controls.

As UnGraduate Gamer (UG Ayush) explains, this creates a significant mechanical disparity. A single button press on PC can execute a complex command sequence, whereas mobile players must perform intricate multi-finger gestures on a touchscreen.

The controversy is compounded by Garena’s “Whitelist” system, which grants privileged “Partner” creators on PC exclusive access to mobile lobbies. This policy, UG Ayush argues, actively undermines the integrity of the mobile ecosystem. In stark contrast, the rival title BGMI removed emulator support years ago as a clear statement of its mobile-first commitment.

In protest, UG Ayush has pledged to abandon emulators entirely. His new resolution is to play on mobile.

Reactive vs. Proactive

Both influencers highlighted that significant community pressure ultimately forced Garena’s hand, resulting in a major anti-cheat cleanup. The Battle Royale and Clash Squad leaderboards, which were once dominated by “Panel Sellers,” have now been cleared of these flagrant cheaters.

However, the Free Fire community demands consistency, not just reaction. UG Ayush criticizes the developer’s pattern of acting only after controversy erupts or creators apply pressure. He urges Garena to move beyond its over-reliance on flawed AI and to invest in skilled manual moderators capable of catching the sophisticated cheaters that automated systems miss.

This is compounded by a critical communication disconnect. While many players believe creators are silent on these issues, the reality is different.

Those in the Partner Program submit formal feedback and report hackers directly to moderators but this happens entirely behind the scenes. Because the process is invisible, it fuels public anger and misunderstandings.

Conclusion

Free Fire’s current anti-cheat strategy is like poisoning the garden. The “Blacklist” scorches both hackers and legitimate grinders. Meanwhile, “Panel Sellers” the very weeds it should remove flourish at the top of the leaderboards, a glaring advertisement of the policy’s failure.

Disclaimer: This information is based on public sources; for official issues, please contact Garena support.